How Leaders can Coach Through Change
As a leader, you can use coaching skills to more effectively engage those around you. One of the primary ways that a coach supports someone is through change. I'm going to share a change framework with you called ACT that will help you more consciously navigate where someone is in their change process so you can help them in the way they most need support.
The model is called ACT and it is deceptively simple. It teases out the three stages of the change process: where are you now, where do you want to go, and how are you going to get there?
Let's take a look at A, C, and T.
A = Accept Reality
We cannot change if we don't have an accurate understanding of our current reality. Raw honesty about one's gaps or one's dissatisfaction with their current situation is important to create sufficient motivation for change.
C = Clarify Vision
We cannot change if we don't have a clear vision of the new reality we want to create. We need to have some idea of what success looks like. This is the most obvious piece, but it still happens less than you might think.
By now you can see that if someone is really good at 'C' but not so great at 'A', they likely will still not meet their goal because the steps they take won't be appropriate for the gap they're closing.
T = Take Steps
We cannot change if we don't take action to get from our current reality to our vision of a future reality. Taking action includes assessing the options we have and tackling obstacles that arrive, all the while attending to our energy with patience and tenacity.
Now that you have the ACT model, let's talk again about how your role in leadership is to sometimes take a coach approach. Where is the person in their change journey? The answer can help guide your questions.
If they're trying to wrap their head around something that just happened, they're working on swallowing the truth (A). It may not make sense to immediately ask them what their vision is (C) or what they want to do about it (T).
If they’re clear that they want a change but they don’t know what they want, work on illuminating their vision or goals (C). It wouldn’t make sense to ask them what the next step is if they’re not clear on their goal.
If they know what they want, and they are clear on the gap, but they don’t know where to start, then the conversation can center around options and actions (T).
Support them wherever they are in their change journey.
People will naturally move themselves through change at their own pace and when they're ready. Taking a coach approach means they drive their personal change, not you. But you can help it be more enjoyable, easier, and more successful by showing your support by taking a coach approach.
Note: The ACT model was co-created and the copyright is shared with Becker Leadership Impact.
