|
|
|
Sign up for SOLUTIONS
Behavioral Profiling for Marketing, Organizational Development and Hiring
Riverhouse ePress is the source for Style Matters: The Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory. You will also find other helpful information at this site.
One of the world's leading sites for conflict management articles and information.
Great source for
Mediation Training Institute International. Purchase MTI products and services using this link and CCA#: 7621 to receive special discounts unavailable elsewhere.
|
Coaching in a Slow Economy Coaching, along with consultation and training, are often among the first things to be discontinued in a slow economy. There is often a belief that personal or organizational development techniques are not essential to the success of a business. Funding for these types of investments may be discretionary so when budgets are tight these functions are vulnerable to being cut. Individuals and organizations "hunker down" and only want to spend money on essential expenses. However this type of thinking is akin to not taking proper care of a car. When gas, oil and replacement prices are high it is even more important to get a tune up and inflate the tires. This is the best way to insure maximum performance and reduce the chances of malfunctions which will cost more than the upkeep. During a slow economy it is important to do everything possible to ensure that there is a high level of performance effectiveness and efficiency. It is also the best time to consider change. Quality, productivity, and financial goals are being monitored more closely than ever and those who can demonstrate an ability to change, adapt and achieve desired outcomes will increase their value to the organization, and perhaps reduce chances of being laid off if downsizing is necessary. Coaching and training can be important elements in addressing performance gaps. This may be related to emotional intelligence "soft" skills such as management and leadership techniques, communication that influences and motivates, reducing stress and conflict, creating the right changes needed to cope with the current demands and turning these decisions into actions. Coaching and training can also focus on changes that may be needed in operations, staffing patterns, performance analysis and the "hard" skills needed to get work done more cost effectively. Status quo is usually not the path to take during challenging times. Using coaching and training to identify personal or organizational needs and obtaining the support and skills needed to adapt to the demands of the day are a wise investment. Individuals in management and leadership roles experience a significant increase in demands and stress during times of economic challenge. Staff in these critical positions often do not have a confidential resource where they can discuss their thoughts and feelings openly and without fear that this will undermine the organization's confidence in them. Personal coaching can be a sounding board with non-biased and objective feedback to enable the coachee to examine ideas, plans, actions and reactions that impact them personally and professionally. A good coach will challenge their client to create a development plan that will give them, and thus their organization, a constructive and focused advantage over those who are not engaging in this type of support. Coaching and training are the right things to do in a slow economy. There is no such thing as "cash for clunkers" in organizations so do what is needed to keep yourself, and your staff, functioning at peak performance. The investment will be worth it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Biography ____________________________________________________________________________ Guest Articles Guest articles are printed with the permission of the author or source.
Leading
in Times of Transition Forget the notion of keeping up with change — organizations are awash in it. Employees experience waves of change, one after another. In these times when unrelenting change is becoming the norm, leaders have no choice but to adapt and help others to adapt. Organizational events such as restructuring, mergers and acquisitions or financial problems force leaders to rethink their work and adapt to a changing workforce. Pressure to achieve results and to satisfy often-competing demands builds the intensity. External factors - the economy, industry and market trends, globalization, political and social concerns and rapid technological changes all conspire to make leadership a complex, difficult undertaking. "Leadership today often feels extreme and extraordinary," says CCL's Michael Wakefield. "Paradoxically, the dynamic of extraordinary times in organizations is becoming ordinary and commonplace for most leaders." Rapid change and constant transition have created a more emotional dynamic in organizations. "Uncertainty can trigger all kinds behavioral and emotional reactions from leaders and the people who are affected by the decisions of leadership," explains Wakefield. "Confronted by change, people go through a time of transition that is rarely easy. They adapt at different paces and in various ways, depending upon the circumstances and the individual." People have come to accept change as a part of organizational life and are more comfortable in adapting to it. But the challenge of leadership remains a difficult problem.
Leading Change Versus Leading Transition "Many managers have mastered the structural side of leading change - creating a vision, reorganizing, restructuring and so on," Wakefield says. "They are rewarded, evaluated and educated to deal with the structural issues and so have more experience with them." The stresses and pressures generated by structural or operational change lead to an increased need to pay attention to what's going on with the people in the organization. Leading transition is about guiding people though a process of grieving, letting go, building hope and learning. "In many ways, the bigger challenge for leaders is to manage the longer-term, human aspects of change: recovery, revitalization and recommitment," says Wakefield. What's at Stake? Research shows that 75 percent of change initiatives fail. So what's missing? Managing change requires leaders to deal effectively with both the structural side of leading change and the human dynamic of transition. When the skills associated with either side are overplayed, leaders destabilize the organizational culture by eroding trust. Instead of a loyal, productive and enthusiastic workforce, executives and managers must lead employees who are insecure, fearful and skeptical. By failing to gain sufficient buy-in from employees, leaders slow down and undermine their progress toward new goals. "When leaders ignore or minimize the people side of managing change, perfectly good strategies and change initiatives stall or fail," says Wakefield. Managing change requires leaders to focus simultaneously on managing the business and providing effective leadership to the people.
This article was adapted from the CCL publication Leading With Authenticity in Times of Transition. To order your copy, visit our bookstore.
About Michael Wakefield Expert:
Michael Wakefield |
|
|
