STRATEGYCOACHING 209
the senior leadership group. For example, they might collect data about the
performance penalties incurred by the company’s current organization and
operations. In what constitutes a third prong of attack on the traditional
viewpoint, I also encourage people at all levels to network with peers at other
companies who’ve already embraced new ways of thinking. This helps every-
one involved internalize the ideas while developing homegrown strategies.
When I think of what makes a good coach in this or any area, the word
that jumps to mind is passion. Operational and process innovation is a mania
for me. It’s my mission because I think it is the single most critical thing that
organizations need to do well. Leaders who are trying to get the rest of their
organization to have a similar awakening need that kind of passion, also. I
tell them, if you don’t believe in this on a deep, personal level, how can you
expect anyone else to get it?
Experience and expertise are obviously important. It’s necessary to have
helped make things happen in a variety of places in order to have relevant
experiences to draw on. Just as critical is empathy. A coach must appreciate
a leader ’s perspective to understand what is going on in their thinking, not
just in terms of the business but in worldview. If a CEO is passionate about
customers, for example, then that’s the leverage point I can use to help
them think passionately about the way operational innovations will provide
better service.
At the same time, a coach needs to be respectful and humble. The leaders
ofthe organizations I work with are truly impressive people. I know for a
fact that I could not do their jobs. So I have a high regard for them and a sen-
sible perspective on myself. I am valuable to them only to the extent that my
point of view and experience might be helpful. This perspective enables me
to work collaboratively with those leaders who are driving change within the
organization. If I merely tell people what to do, none of us will get any-
where. I need to engage people so that the discoveries they make are their
own. It’s critical to the success of our efforts.
Most organizations are still operating with mind-sets that were forged at
the beginning of the industrial revolution 250 years ago. As a result, they
suffer from two severe problems. First, the operational strategies that were
excellent for an emerging, high-growth economy are useless in a global
customer-dominated economy. Inevitably, such an approach leads to perfor-
mance that customers find unacceptable. Second, the mind-set of the tradi-
tional perspective on operational strategy creates organizations that a great
many people find stultifying and unfulfilling. This might have been tenable
when options were limited, but it simply doesn’t f ly in the face of the op-
portunities that exist today for employees and customers alike.