Building A Better Organizational Culture

Over the years, I have written extensively about the interconnectivity of organizational history, culture, and meaningful work within successful organizations. In particular, I have pointed out how excellence, culture, and strategy impact execution. I have noted the role of cultural clarity and the concept of alignment plus the power of meta-messages in building culture. I also have explained the importance of accountability in building culture, and have even explored the subject of how organizational culture becomes real at the team level. 

Today, I want to explore one element of building a better culture, namely personal transformation. In particular, I have been reflecting deeply on something that Franciscan priest and writer, Father Richard Rohr wrote: “Transformed people transform people.” On the surface, this seems elementary. Beneath the surface, there is great depth in such a short and powerful sentence. 

Most people, especially ones in leadership positions, focus on the later part of this single sentence. They want to “transform people.” They want people to change, and to generate more and/or better outcomes. They define this as the pathway to building a better culture in their organization.

From my perspective, few people want to focus on the first two words of this sentence, namely being a “transformed” person. I think this happens because most people believe they are just fine as they are. They believe that they have it all figured out. They believe that the only problem in their life is that others have not changed enough to accommodate their clarity. From their perspective, they believe they already have transformed and now everyone else needs to catch up. 

Still, if the goal is to build a better culture, then transformation is a two way street. And the first step is being open to personal transformation. This is a choice that take courage, fortitude, and commitment. It is not an overnight process. 

One element of this choice is to stop trying to change other people and their ways of thinking before having done our own personal, internal work. Instead, we need to be open to changing our ideas and most important our perspective. Not that everything needs to be abandoned in our life and work as part of this process, but certain ideas and perspectives need to be routinely re-evaluated to make sure we are not missing critical information or telling ourselves a story, for lack of a better term, that is not true or accurate. As executive coach, author and founder of The Restoration Project, Lindsay Leahy in her book, Take It All Apart: How to Live, Lead, and Work with Intention (River Grove Books, 2024), writes: “Discovering and then releasing what no longer serves us is a critical part of our personal evolution as a human and a leader that we typically avoid or skip. We like to jump straight to dreaming and doing more, likely because letting go can be painful. When we succumb to the temptation of skipping this part or moving through it too quickly, we find ourselves unsettled, frustrated, anxious, and eventually back at the base of the mountain, having taken the wrong path . . . again.”

This in-depth work of personal transformation requires us to do three things. First, we need time and space for reflection. Second, we need quality resources like the aforementioned book to help us to create new insights. Third, we need people who will support us in this work. They can be allies, confidents, executive coaches, or mentors. These are the people who will be present as we think out loud, reflect deeply, and move through the normal, and sometimes painful steps of personal transformation. 

When these three elements are present, transformation can begin. And, in time, building a better culture will also take place. As Tod Bolsinger reminds us, “Leaders are formed in leading. Leadership formation is a hard and humbling, repetitive process of personal transformation.” This week, I encourage you to do the hard, humbling, and repetitive work of personal transformation. It will make a difference in your life at work and at home. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Ten Ways To Be A Better Coach - Part # 10

Be Clear About What Matters Most

In the end, coaching people is all about making choices. We need to actively engage in coaching, but also in supervision and regular check-ins. We need to understand that during coaching there are moments when we need to teach people new skills or provide them with new information. Other times, we need to focus on helping them change their mindset about what is happening. 

During coaching, we also need to create common ground plus be very mindful of how we are role modeling integrity and respect. We need to build on people’s strengths more than correct their weaknesses. Next, we need to find someone to coach us so we can get better at what we do, plus spend time doing our own homework. 

Finally, we need to remember something that we tend to forget in our rush to coach people. As Jungian psychoanalyst, James Hollis, Ph.D wrote, “No matter how well intended we begin, sooner or later we all spend good portions of this journey stumbling through savannas of suffering, where in we nonetheless find tasks that, when addressed - even in those dismal, diminishing circumstances - enlarge us. Going through suffering, rather than denying or anesthetizing it, knowing that if we hang in there, it will bring us choices that can either enlarge us or diminish us, and that when we are least in control, we still retain the freedom of choosing what matters to us.” 

Suffering during life’s journey is normal and difficult. We can deny this fact or we can hang in there with each other during the difficult times. We will, and we must make choices during these hard times. Some of these choices have the potential to enlarge our perspective on life, and some of the choices could diminish our possibilities. And at these critical junctures, we must be clear about what matters most. 

The role of the coach is to assist people as they navigate life’s journey. It also is to help them not feel abandoned during the process. The word “coach” has it’s roots in an old French word meaning a vehicle to transport people from one place to another place. Through all of the questions, analysis, action planning and follow through that comes with coaching, we, as coaches, can not solve all the problems and challenges before people. But we can be present in the midst of their difficulties and remind them of what matters most. We can help them be their best selves and help them to find and live their best lives. In short, we can share our wisdom, offer our compassion, and be a positive presence. These are the important choices we can make as a coach, and is the pathway to becoming a better coach over time. 

© Geery Howe 2024

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Ten Ways To Be A Better Coach - Part # 9

Ask Better Questions

When it comes to the actual moment for coaching, I am often reminded of something that Kevin Cashman wrote in his book, Awakening the Leader Within: A Story of Transformation (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2003). As he noted, “Recognize that stories are the language of leadership and questions are the language of coaching.” I think most people grasp this point, but don’t know how to translate it into actual coaching. 

Over the course of my career, I have been invited into many companies by the CEO to coach their direct reports. Often, these leaders want to sit in on the first session. Time and time again, when this has happened and we are debriefing at the end of the day, the CEO will say to me, “All you did is ask questions. I rarely do that. Instead, I focus on fixing their problems. How do you come up with the questions?”

My response often surprises many leaders. First, I tell them that I am genuinely curious and that I know how to be “uncharacteristically quiet.” Hal Gregersen in his article, “Bursting the CEO Bubble: Why Executives Should Talk Less and Ask More Questions” in the March - April 2017 issue of the Harvard Business Review, writes “.. to increase your chances of encountering novel ideas and information and discerning weak signals: be quiet.” He notes that this is not normal leader behavior. Normally we are in send mode, broadcasting information in all directions. We want to answer the question rather than ask the question. We want to inspire people rather than be inspired by people. We even want to explain things to people rather than listen to explanations. Therefore, being quiet as a leader is to switch into receiving mode. Gregersen explains that we need to “Ask questions. Don’t tell,” and to use “the power of the pause” by learning not to fill the space with comments.

Second, I ask questions during coaching so I can understand more about what the person is thinking. And I do this, because I recognize that there is always more to the story or situation we are discussing than what is initially presented. Furthermore, the more complete answer to my questions often illuminates a problem, be it a knowledge deficit or a connection deficit. 

Third, I am very aware that asking questions only works well if we have two things in place. First, we need to have a relationship built on trust. And in this area, I need to role model being trust worthy. Second, there needs to be an understanding of why coaching is taking place, i.e. purpose, and there needs to be a foundation of common language.  When both elements are in place, then the questions are not framed as judgement or attack, but instead as a place where we can share in order that I can help them get better in their professional work. 

In the end, asking questions is important. However, one must be genuinely interested in the person and the answer for the coaching process to be successful. I remember one time working with a client where coaching was not going well. I asked the client if they were using a coaching framework as part of the process. She opened her desk drawer and showed me a piece of paper with a list of questions. “I am suppose to ask these questions in this particular order during each coaching session and to keep a record of their responses.”

“Interesting,” I responded. “Where did the questions come from?”

“From the national office, HR in particular.”

“Why do you think they want you to ask these questions?” I inquired. 

“I have no idea,” she replied. “I wish I did know. Then, I could adapt the questions to the desired outcome. But now, I just have the questions.”

“And that is the problem,” I pointed. “You have the what and the how, but not the why. The questions are pretty good, but just asking questions is not the goal. The goal is help people to get better at their jobs. Academically, coaching is defined as ‘a structured dialogue and development process to improve the professional competence.’ The difficulty here is that you don’t know why the questions are the right questions and you don’t have a picture in your mind of what ‘professional competence’ looks like. So, what questions do you want to ask?”

What followed was an in-depth discussion of professional competence at the strategic and operational levels. What also followed was a productive discussion about the connection between the picture she had in mind of competence and the suggested questions from the national office. Over time, this level of clarity resulted in effective coaching and an increase in the quality outcomes. 

Asking questions is important. But having clarity of purpose about why we need to ask questions during coaching, plus choosing to be curious, respectfully quiet, and creating a safe and trusting coaching environment made a major difference in the generation of short and long term success.

To be continued on Thursday. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Ten Ways To Be A Better Coach - Part # 8

Do Your Homework

Along with getting regular coaching, exceptional coaches do something else. They study the classics and the new research in their area of expertise. They focus on improving themselves and their understanding of the industry. I like to think of this as doing their own homework. 

One element of this in-depth work is that they have a beginners mindset. They know enough to know that they do not fully understand what it is happening. Therefore, they are committed to life-long learning, no matter their skill set or expertise.

I remember once working with a very experienced and highly competent CEO who was dedicated to their company and the work of their industry. One day, he stopped by to visit with people during a session of the company’s annual leadership institute that I was teaching. As the group and I discussed the normal stages of organizational change and the challenging role of leadership during these different stages, he sat back in his chair and listened carefully and thoughtfully. While he could have facilitated this discussion and more likely have given my lecture, his sole goal during this session was to see the company through the eyes of these high potential students. In particular, he wanted to know what they knew more than what he thought. 

Later that afternoon, after class had been dismissed, the two of us sat in his office and discussed what people had shared. He was fascinated by the difference in generational perspectives around the table, and in particular, the role the internet played in their learning and communication. While he was a man of books and magazine articles, he realized that his youngest, high potential people focused on blogs and podcasts more than traditional resources like books, magazines, and newspapers. With this new perspective in mind, he began a process of reading more blogs and listening to more podcasts, all recommended to him by younger people.

For me, this choice reflects his commitment to think better strategically and operationally, and to be open to learning from multiple sources. He was doing his homework and continuing to deepen and broaden his understanding of himself, his work, and the world around him. And as a result, he was a better coach with people of all ages. 

To be continued on Wednesday. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Ten Ways To Be A Better Coach - Part # 7

Find Your Own Coach

During certain periods of my career, I spent a lot of time on planes, traveling for work. As a result, I listened to a lot of safety messages just before the flight took off. And the one line that always got me thinking was “please put on your own oxygen mask before helping others.” Basic and yet profound when one grasps the magnitude of it’s implication. In simple terms, it means do your own work before you help people with their work. 

For people who coach people, this means that each of us needs to get routine coaching in order to be an effective coach. As a counselor told me once, “Never go to a counselor who does have a counselor. Everyone has stuff they need to work on.” The realization that we need coaching in order to be a better coach is based on the fact that all of us have areas that need improvement. 

The challenge is that some people get coaching for a short period of time and come to the conclusion that they are “all better” and don’t need any more help. In essence, they have framed coaching as a way to fix something rather than a way to improve themselves. For them, they approach being coached with a “one and done” mentality. 

But exceptional coaches know they need to continually get better, personally and professionally. They engage with their coaches even when things are going right, because they recognize that the goal of coaching is to learn and be open to thinking differently about oneself and the work they are doing. Over time, a coach who is routinely coached discovers a restorative niche where they can gain or regain perspective. And that makes them a better coach in the long haul. 

To be continued Tuesday. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Ten Ways To Be A Better Coach - Part # 6

Build On Strengths

One of the things that very good coaches understand is best summarized by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in their book, First, Break All The Rules: What The World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently (Simon & Schuster, 1999). As they wrote, “each individual is true to his or her own unique nature …. great managers capitalize on this and try to help each person become more and more of who they already are.” As they continue to explain, “People don’t change that much. Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out. Try to draw out what was left in. That is hard enough.”

During a successful coaching session, this understanding gets translated into action when the coach builds on a person’s “unique nature,” i.e. their strengths. This takes great focus and effort by a coach, because most people have been trained to figure out what is wrong with a person and to try and fix it. This results in a “trying to put in what was left out” mentality to coaching, which rarely, if ever, works.

However, a strengths based perspective to coaching and leadership is harder because of two reasons. First, most people don’t know their own strengths, let alone can articulate them. Second, most coaches can not figure out these strengths in a single coaching session. Instead, it takes time and attention, because we have to collectively learn our way to an understanding of our strengths through dialogue and reflection. 

The first step in this collective journey is that the coach needs to create a safe and respectful coaching environment, i.e. common ground, from which someone can share openly and fully about their challenges and their questions. The person who is being coached has to let the coach in to their inner process in order for the coach to assist them in their inner and outer challenges. When we feel safe and respected, we are willing to learn, grow, and create in new and better ways. 

So, when seeking to be a better coach, we need to realize that in order to build on strengths, we first have to create a safe and respectful coaching environment. The former only happens when the later has been achieved. And this is one of the elements to great coaching that most coaches never discuss with others. They just do it because it works. Still, in order to build on strengths, we must be safe and respectful people and we must create safe and respectful coaching sessions. 

To be continued next Monday. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Ten Ways To Be A Better Coach - Part # 5

Focus On Your Role Modeling

General Douglas McArthur once wrote, “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” I would say the exact same thing about an exceptional coach. The equality of their actions and the integrity of their intent are essential to their success. Yet, those who struggle in their coaching do not understand that it is how they role model their leadership, not just their problem solving that makes the greatest difference. 

When a group of people are trying to get something done, three normal problems surface. First, a leader will often encounter social loafing in a group, where some individuals tend to sit back and let the others do the work. Second, they may encounter production blocking where only one person can talk while the other group members are forced to sit passively and wait. Third, they may encounter evolution apprehension where the fear of looking stupid in front of one’s peers prevents any action to be taken. How we deal with these problems as a leader sets a tone in the organization and impacts coaching. In essence, how we treat others before the coaching starts impacts the coaching more than how we treat people when we coach them. It is the former, i.e. our integrity and our choices to respect people, that impacts the later, i.e. our ability coach people. In short, our role modeling of respect before, during and afterwards is more impactful than the content of our coaching. 

Integrity and respect are the foundation of leadership. Role modeling these choices takes courage and compassion. They generate trust and the capacity for people to work together as a team focused on collective results rather than just individual outcomes. Role modeling is a conscious choice to live the message rather than to just give a message. 

To be continued on Wednesday. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change