COACHING FORORGANIZATIONALCHANGE 185

determine where to focus coaching energies. When considering coaching for
organizational change, the diagnosis and next steps are just as important as
the landscape of issues can be broad.
To be successful, I think the coach must push for clarity of the goals—
achieving quick results and increasing communication. It’s also important
that the coach ensure that everyone is walking the talk, meaning that every-
one is living up to commitments even while demonstrating a willingness to
be f lexible when appropriate. Throughout the change, business results must
still be a focus. It also helps if rewards and development that support the
goals are in place. Resistance, whether emerging from the business, the
client, or the industry, must be acknowledged and handled.
A good coach is a fast study of the firm, industry, and client base. There’s
no other way, really, to ensure that the effort is aligned to clear business
goals. I think a coach, especially in the area of organizational change, must
have a systems/holistic way of looking at the interrelated aspects. Out of
that awareness, the coach can provide or help to craft a plan to vet out a road
map toward the goals. On the other hand, a good client is one who leverages
the coach to his or her maximum potential by being thoroughly open about
the issues that exist. It also helps if the client is aware of and takes into ac-
count the complexity of the change. The client should know that those who
lead the change will always be steps ahead of those being impacted by the
change. Both coach and client benefit from self-awareness as much as under-
standing of what others are going through. Out of such awareness comes the
flexibility they will need to be successful together.
As William Bridges says in his book Managing Transitions,“It isn’t the
changes that do you in, it’s the transitions.” Coaching for organizational change
is an exciting aspect of the coaching profession, one that focuses on multiple
channels of activities and communication throughout the business organism.
To me, it’s about working with a living breathing structure of people.