Kazuyoshi Hisano is the president and CEO of Conoway, Inc.
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Corporate coaching often focuses solely on CEOs and other C-suite executives, but it can have a far greater impact when it is expanded to include the rest of an organization. In my coaching methodology, I help people build three critical skills: learning to set goals effectively, developing a strong belief in their own capabilities and securing the support of others in their endeavors. They learn to change their thoughts and beliefs, which empowers them to change their actions and habits—moving out of their comfort zone and improving their performance.
This approach works with individuals, and it also works with organizations of all sizes. An organization is not unlike a human being, with its own set of strengths, challenges and opportunities for positive change. Implementing organization-wide coaching can help employees at every level develop a growth mindset, work together to achieve shared goals and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Change Starts At The Top
If you want to shift the mindset and culture of an organization, you have to start at the top. I always begin by individually coaching the CEO, the person who sets the tone for the rest of the organization, followed by one-on-one or group coaching sessions with the executive team and other managers as time and budget allow.
While the CEO and top executives may champion coaching initiatives, it takes time and effort to cascade new ways of thinking and operating throughout all levels of the organization. Here are some of the coaching best practices I recommend for positive, lasting results.
Ask Big Questions
The role of a coach is to facilitate meaningful dialogue and listen to what people say (and don't say) to each other. In individual or small group sessions, I usually start by asking one big question to guide the conversation.
For example, in a recent Zoom coaching session with five future executive leaders, I asked, “What's the biggest issue for each of you right now?” Each person came from a different department, so the points they raised were varied. I turned off my microphone and camera and let them talk for a few minutes before jumping in again with a few more questions: “Why did you bring up this particular issue? Why do you think it's important?”
I made one of the participants the facilitator so I could fade into the background until they arrived at key moments of learning or understanding. During this session, they arrived at a big "aha moment"—that they were all too busy with short-term priorities to focus on long-term planning. As future executive leaders, they will need to learn to balance planning three months and 10 years in the future, and this was an important takeaway. I could have started the session with a lecture on the importance of long-range strategic planning, but because they reached this realization on their own through discussion, the lesson will have a much more profound impact.
Expect Resistance
Remember that people tend to be reluctant or resistant to change, even when it’s something they want to do. For directors or senior managers in an organization, I typically hold group coaching workshops for around 12 to 20 people. These managers tend to be high performers who know how to do their jobs well but may struggle to help the people they manage
The most important lesson I teach them is that their team members are limited by their current comfort zones and how they see their capabilities. Helping them change their self-image is a gradual and individual process. Leaders can show them the rungs of the ladder to climb and urge them to take the next steps, but they can't force them to move. A manager with a team of 15 people may see two or three make immediate strides forward, while the others will likely go one by one at their own pace over time.
Balance “Have To” And “Want To” Goals
Coaching can help leaders and employees find alignment on organizational and individual goals. In every organization, there is a push and pull between aspirational “want to” goals and mandatory “have to” goals. The CEO can easily set "want to" goals, but the further you go down the organizational chart, the more difficult it becomes for employees to have a say in these objectives.
I coach executives and managers to create room for team members at all levels to think about how they can match their personal aspirations with overarching corporate goals. Each individual has their own interests, skills and motivations, so learn to listen attentively and look for opportunities for mutually beneficial alignment. An employee with an aptitude for marketing could grow into a new role with additional training. Another team member balancing work with family priorities might welcome the chance to move to a remote position.
Changing the mindset of an entire organization doesn't happen all of a sudden; it occurs through slow, steady forward progress. Coaching offers a road map for everyone in an organization to keep expanding their comfort zones and striving for ongoing improvement.
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