![]() ![]() Lewis had never truly thought about or decided on his ideal career path. Milley was a standout manager who hoped to reach the C-suite, but she hadn’t yet developed an inspiring leadership style. In both cases, the learning opportunity was clear. He’d even enrolled in an executive MBA course to hone his leadership skills. The second executive, Ray Lewis, was a corporate accounts manager at his family’s business, an environmental emergency response service, and on track to succeed his father as president. But when her manager asked her to enroll in a corporate leadership-development program, she began to wonder if her transactional, no-nonsense style was really helping her get the best performance out of her team. Her focus was on solving immediate problems, and she got results. The first, Karen Milley, was the head of R&D at a large consumer goods company and oversaw 60 engineers and scientists. Let’s look at the experiences of two executives. But often they may have only a vague sense or no idea at all that things aren’t quite right in their lives. In other cases they experience a wake-up call: They lose their job in the latest downsizing, get a scary health diagnosis, or hit a major birthday milestone. They get a promotion, are tapped to lead a significant project, or receive some feedback that their approach needs to be retooled. Sometimes people are aware they need to shift gears: The challenge is evident. If you pay attention, you’ll start finding what we call “coachable moments”-opportunities to help people with their development-everywhere. This framework will let you support people with challenges that range from very big (I’m unsatisfied in my career) to relatively small (I’d like to interact with others differently). You’re there to help him or her spot the learning opportunity, set the groundwork, and see things through. Your job is to assist someone else with making a change, and how you go about it matters. You’re there to ask good questions and listen intently, to offer compassion, to explore a person’s individual vision, and to build a caring relationship. Note that we used the word “help,” not “guide,” “lead,” “push,” or “pull.” You’re not there to tell anyone what to do. Good coaches help people through this process. Intentional change involves envisioning the ideal self (who you wish to be and what you want to do in your work and life) exploring the real self (the gaps you need to fill and the strengths that will help you do so) developing a learning agenda (a road map for turning aspirations into reality) and then experimenting and practicing (with new behaviors and roles). In 1970 one of us (Richard) developed a theory of intentional change, which has become canon in psychology and management science. We’ve conducted dozens of longitudinal studies and field experiments to identify evidence-based strategies, and we’re sharing them here to ensure that more people are equipped to help others become their best selves. We’ve also spent the past two decades investigating how coaching works and training others to do it. Whether you’re a boss or a colleague, a friend or a spouse, introverted or extroverted, emotional or analytic, or high or low on the totem pole, you can learn how to facilitate life-enhancing change in those around you.Īll three of us work as professional coaches to executives in a variety of career stages, functions, industries, and countries. They will need support with this process. ![]() And yet for most people change will at some point be necessary-a critical step toward fulfilling their potential and achieving their goals, both at work and at home. Ask anyone who has tried to switch careers, develop a new skill, improve a relationship, or break a bad habit.
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