Leadership Coaching - The Process

We help our business professionals and executives “uncover” who they really are: their true intentions, the real issues, and their impact on others….what’s really going on. Blind spots prevent achievers from doing their best work, although they’re still charging ahead getting things done, they might be charging in the wrong direction for the wrong reasons….or maybe in the right direction for the right reason, but with a trail of dead bodies along the way.

If you are familiar with Chris Argyris’ work in Action Theory, you know there is a difference between a.) what a person says they believe or intend (Espoused Theory), and b.) their actual behavior (Theory in Use). These two areas (and the discrepancy between them!) are often unseen by the people being coached. As coaches, we act as the mirror reflecting back to the client being coached, so they see themselves accurately and understand the gap. This gap opens a space where the work can begin. By peeling back the layers, we uncover blind spots, mental filters, and underlying issues.

A common example we have encountered is, CEO Syndrome. This is when the CEO thinks their words match their actions…but they don’t. In our example, the CEO, well respected and successful, says his people are his best asset, but that isn’t how he treats them. The team doesn’t feel like “an asset”. The leader claims he gets feedback from the leadership team – but is it real? (who would dare go there?)…and if he does get clear feedback, does he really listen?? (we’ve talked to teams – and “no” they typically do not take it to heart). There’s also a little “Emperor’s New Clothes” syndrome that happens – the leader gets told what he wants to hear. The result? The erosion of the corporate culture; lack of confidence in the leader; and passive agreement to corporate vision and direction. These long-term issues impact employee engagement, loyalty, and retention.

We help our business coaching clients “discover” what they are capable of: discovering and leveraging strengths; and limiting unwanted behaviors to reveal the best version of themselves…to reveal their untapped potential. As our coaching clients’ blind spots and discrepancies surface (see “Action Theory” above), they learn about themselves from a different perspective. They learn about who they are in relation to their world. Often, clients articulate their “intentions” as being genuine and real, not realizing their intentions are not aligned with the “impact” they are having on others – this becomes a source of conflict. We meet the client where they are, and get them from Point A to Point B by guiding them through our discovery process, providing the necessary knowledge, tools, and questions to advance their growth.

The UPwords Inc. leadership coaching process incorporates Argyris & Schon’s Triple Loop Learning system. We guide coaching clients using a systematic questioning technique that offers deeper level learning. Many existing coaching programs focus solely on behavior modification without reflective action, characterized by action plans and instructions from the coach – Single Loop learning. Together with our clients, we explore and tap into core structures such as values, goals, purpose, and belief systems impacting long term performance – Double & Triple Loop learning.

• Single Loop – behavioral modifications that over time will result in change – when an outcome is the result of following a set of instructions, if repeated, eventually you can do it by heart;

• Double Loop – insights drive changes in values and perceptions, impacting self-perception and thus behavior – at this level, changes result from a person’s capability of viewing themselves – Self Observation;

• Triple Loop – transformational --single and double loop learning will be in play simultaneously - changes in the “identity” move the person from the unconscious to conscious decision-making and problem solving.

Our process provides freedom and space for client requests including a fresh perspective or an unchecked observation (by request – because we do not impose our opinion on the client unless they want it in their framework - it is about the client, not the coach). We also motivate our clients to stop, breathe, and see the situation through a different lens (which can be challenging….have you ever tried to stop a person who is seeing red?). Whatever it takes to motivate and inspire our clients to get perspective and take a reality check, we have the insight, intuition, skill, and courage, to ask the questions or deliver the message in a way that allows our clients to move forward.

To continue our CEO Syndrome example (see above), in this phase - Discover, our CEO would learn to view himself in action, understand (and appreciate) the perspective of others, learn skills and techniques that close the gap between intention and impact; and execute decisions with a broader understanding.

We help our coaching clients “recover” after an introspective leadership coaching process by integrating shifts in behavior and perspective into the business environment. Realigning the “career/professional” -self to reflect this awareness and shift is self-management. Business leaders who develop self-awareness without advancing to self-management are missing an opportunity to leverage their strengths.

We had an experience with a hard-charging, super intelligent, quick-tempered business entrepreneur who flatly stated “I’m a jerk, but at least I know who I am”. This is an example of self-awareness with no self-management. Take the human element out of the equation (which you can never really do!) and just focus on the business impact of this example of self-awareness without self-management – barking at employees, losing their respect, negatively impacting morale and culture, all leading to declining employee engagement and performance, thus decreased profits and increased turnover. By the way, he enjoyed short-lived relationships (surprised?) and short-term success – he couldn’t figure out why his model wasn’t sustainable. Through the coaching process, once he realized the cause and effect of his actions, and the connection to the business results (he had always blamed others), he was motivated to self-manage. Understanding and experiencing the correlation between people and profit was pivotal.

As clients continue to work through situations, there is a point when the business leaders being coached begin to ask themselves reflective questions – questions leading to continued self-awareness, self-discovery, and self-management. When we see this consistently (funny, the coach and client seem to sense this readiness at the same time), we transition to a self-coaching model.

Leadership coaching clients self-coach when they are able to:

• view themselves in action;
• identify potential blind spots;
• seek feedback (and get out of their own way so can hear it and process it!);
• examine different perspectives;
• generate possibilities;
• test potential solutions, (solutions right for them and the situation), and
• execute when aligned with “what is right”

The most motivated and diligent clients find numerous opportunities to test these skills in real life. We help them fine-tune their skills and offer perspective on their observations and perceptions (it sounds complicated but we do this all the time with our children!). Some clients find this alternative perspective so beneficial they opt to continue “coaching” long term - staying connected and in check. (NOTE: We have heard more than one leader say “it’s lonely at the top”. They benefit greatly from the ongoing ability to talk through issues, and check a perspective before making decisions.) Other leadership coaching clients reach a certain clarity and are anxious to go it alone. We are only a phone-call away if anything changes.*

To conclude our example of CEO Syndrome (see above), in this phase – Recover, our CEO continues to apply his/her enlightened perspective in his role as leader. He/she sees the positive impact his/her improved interactions have on the executive team and mid-managers. The dialogue is much more dynamic which has resulted in increased employee engagement, high-quality decision making, and stronger executive buy-in – morale and retention are high.

*Note: this is a continuous process whether with a coach or self-coaching. Go—getters, who have checked coaching off their list and are “done”, stop growing and easily revert back to old habits.