The problem
PP is a large non-UK state-owned company investing in property on behalf of a public employee pension fund. Historically, the properties in its portfolio have been managed by contractors. Six months ago the company acquired PS, a private property management services company. Jacquie, the CEO of PP, has been brought in to lead the integration. She is a high-potential leader from the public sector who is bright, energetic and ambitious. She has a strong track record of delivery and her management team sees her as having the potential to make it to the top.
Jacquie has asked for coaching to help with the first two-day offsite management team meeting. She wants to leave the meeting with a high-level strategic plan and commitment to a performance contract for the next 12 months (budget, rate of return targets and delivery milestones). She is experiencing “incredible resistance” from the newly joined PS management. In her words, they are missing their old leadership.
She has spent time with each new member, explaining the vision for PP and the importance of their role, but feels she is getting no traction, only problems and obstacles. She wants them on board quickly but if they do not engage, there will have to be changes. Can coaching help her to achieve breakthrough and get this team engaged and motivated?
The solution
I am curious about the interactions taking place within this team. How is Jacquie communicating with her team? And the team members with each other? I would propose to Jacquie that I join her as an observer and intervene where appropriate.
I would explore three ideas. The first is the Paradoxical Theory of Change (Beisser, 1970), which states that positive change can occur only when you are grounded in where you are. Where are the people in this system grounded? Old world, new world or confused world? The second is systems theory, recognising that PP plus PS does not equal the new PP until some work is done to make it so. The third is the need to complete unfinished business. This feeling may exist within individuals following the acquisition of PS. It will continue to slow things down until it is completed.
In the meeting I would also notice my own emotional and reasoning responses to what is happening. From this I will make simple interventions by naming what I observe. It could be I observe old PP management acting in a superior way to the new PS staff or that PS staff continually refer to the way things were done in the old PS. I expect to make public where people are grounded and what is unfinished.
The interventions will disrupt the formal agenda. However, this work will ensure the agenda moves forward with commitment. I would propose to help create the new PP team (the new system). This might involve PP and PS individuals together, picturing what PP would look like in five years’ time. I would encourage Jacquie to see that such work will accelerate progress towards what she wants. I would expect the meeting to end with commitment to a performance contract.
LEN WILLIAMSON
Leadership coach, The Owl Partnership
My focus would be to support Jacquie in her role as CEO. Working on a one-to-one basis in the near term could prove invaluable in helping her to improve the quality of her approach. Her leadership style will be under the spotlight at the two-day offsite meeting. Topics for discussion could be:
- earning the right to be leader;
- harnessing the energy of change and resistance for positive outcomes;
- building a high-performing team;
- understanding where the teams are emotionally and how she plans to lead them through this difficult period.
In the longer term Jacquie needs to develop a clear shared vision, not just her own. Initiating dialogue about this and eliciting shared values with the team will be essential during the meeting. Jacquie could act as team coach while offsite, using objective curiosity, insightful questioning and observation.
However, these might inhibit the embedding of her identity as leader. Alternatively, she could invite someone to model the required behaviours. This will engender early collaboration among the group and set the tone for the meeting. Resistance frequently comes from unsatisfactory communication, unmet/unconscious expectations, or a combination of both.
A team coach approach would help all members to realise this disparity. Coaching in this “gap” can clarify issues, gain agreement for behaviour and working practices and help the team start to work together more effectively. Designing opportunities for interaction in smaller groups is critical for gaining commitment to any performance contract or strategic plan Jacquie wants to implement in the future.
ANJI MARYCHURCH
Director, Career Coaching
Volume 3, Issue 5