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Coaches provide value to their clients in several different ways.  First of all, their job is not to find the solution for the client, but instead guide the client to finding their own solutions (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Therefore, the client feels a deeper sense of accountability and ownership over their own decisions (Goleman, 2000).  This is important because coaching is a short-time contract that has an end goal of preparing clients so they can solve their own problems and attain measurable results (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Also, coaching nurtures a person’s independence and creativity offering them more options for problem-solving (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Most importantly, coaching aids clients in the process of identifying their goals and setting deadlines (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Once the goals are identified, the coach adds value by assisting the client in aligning their goals and mission to the strategy that they have set in place (Goleman, 2000).

Coaching is a vital aspect of both leadership and strategy because as stated earlier, it helps clients identify their goal and align it with a flexible and adaptable strategy (Goleman, 2000).  Coaching can be adapted to the individual, taking into consideration behavioral differences and personality traits. There is no “one-size” fits all strategy, and coaching styles are flexibly adapted to the client and the needs of the organization (Von Hoffman, 1999).  Coaching, being “future-oriented” guides a client through the implementation of strategies that not only meet the expected goals, but are flexible and adaptable enough to meet any unforeseen changes in the environment (Obolensky, 2014).  With the assistance of a coach, clients can safely be guided in the implementation of emergent strategies which as Obolensky (2014) points out, “emerge naturally rather than those which are forced down into the organization” (p. 94).  This is vital for leadership because it helps to create a more effective leadership style that is adaptable to complex environments.  Strategies then become more effective as well because instead of being rigid, they can effectively be applied to changing dynamic situations while still maintaining a focus on a set goal.

Coaching can make an enormous difference in an organization because it helps leaders set attainable goals and shows them how to get from point A to point B through aligning their strategies with the organizations mission (Goleman, 2000).  It also teaches leaders how to align their own personal goals with the mission creating a sense of “accountability for their performance” (Goleman, 2000, p. 82).  Employees are able to improve their performance creating higher levels of motivation (Obolensky, 2014).  Coaching can “break old habits, stimulate creative thinking, and establish an integrated process that sets clear ways to achieve sustainable results and increased profits which is essential to business strategy development” (Society for Industrial and Organizational Pyschology [SIOP], n.d.).

On a personal level, I feel coaching could be a valuable tool for myself and my organization in helping employees gain a clear perspective on their personal goals as well as the organizational goals as a whole.  With campuses being spread out and with a leadership team that is located in a completely different country, sometimes there is not a clear understanding of the organizations mission.  Through monthly town hall meetings we are reminded of the objectives we have to meet and an overall sense of the organizations goals, however coaching would offer a more tangible approach to aligning our own goals with those of the organization as a whole (Goleman,  2000).  In addition, because many campuses are run by one or two people alone, it provides employees with the tools to learn how to problem-solve on their own (Van Hoffman, 1999).  Therefore coaching is a valuable tool for campuses that sometimes do not have local assistance or the guidance of a leadership team for issues that need immediate attention.

Coaching can be an important asset to any organization.  It provides value to an organization and the employees and is a valuable tool for leaders as well as an important resource in the creation and implementation of effective strategies.  It can make an enormous difference on how an organization operates by streamlining the strategy making process and helping to identify goals and connect them effectively to the strategies begin implemented.  I feel coaching could be a beneficial practice that should be incorporated in my organization.

References

Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78. Retrieved from Document URLhttp://bi.galegroup.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/essentials/article/GALE|A60471886/3d9c195ef26581b35e6492c4e1a169de?u=embry

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. Retrieved from Kindle Edition

Society for Industrial and Organizational Pyschology. (n.d.). Linking coaching with business strategy. Retrieved from http://www.siop.org/workplace/coaching/linking_coaching_with_business_s.aspx

Von Hoffman, C. (1999). Coaching: The ten killer myths. Harvard Management Update, 4(1), 4-5. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=02c132d5-58a1-4b7e-934a-c4a0daac3221%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4206

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The results of the assessment show that the strategies I would tend to employ in the various situations fall into the S3 category.  Over half of my responses showed that I have a high people focus and a low goal focus (Obolensky, 2014).  In my case, I have a tendency to trust those who are under my command and offer only limited support.  I prefer to allow my followers to find the solutions on their own (Obolensky, 2014).  The results of this assessment have allowed me to examine my own leadership style and behavior and also see how this perspective has changed during the course of this class.

Over the past six weeks my thinking has changed as I have become more conscious of my own leadership styles and the strategies that I would employ.  The difficulty in honing more complex adaptive leadership qualities is that I have never been in a leadership position.  I can say that my innate behavior leans towards more polyarchical leadership since I prefer to allow those who surround me to have autonomy.  In my day to day interactions with family and friends, I prefer to allow others the opportunity to offer solutions.  With that said, the fact that my assessment reflected the use of more S3 strategies, it clearly points out that I still have some need to control the situation.  Reflecting on the assessment, I can admit to having a need to be in control, especially in situations that directly affect me.  I may allow others the autonomy to discover solutions but not without me looking over their shoulders to make sure it is the correct solution.  I attribute this to my own insecurities and the fear of making mistakes.  It is less about lack of trust and more about fear of failure.  If anything, the assessment has opened my eyes to the need to check my own behaviors and fears and learn to avoid the risk of influencing my leadership styles with my own fears of failure.  

The significance of this in my own future leadership goals is the understanding that I need to change my behaviors and perspectives if I would like to exert strategies that fall more into the S4 category, which is considered the best strategy for leaders (Obolensky, 2014).  In order to find the “Wu-Wei” that Obolensky (2014) speaks of, there should be a balance between management and leadership.  As a manager you are keeping an eye out and as a leader you are offering support.  It is a delicate balance that needs to be struck to practice Complex Adaptive Leadership (Obolensky, 2014).  Heifetz and Laurie (1997) explain that “adaptive work is required when our deeply held beliefs are challenged” (p. 124).  In my case, there needs to be a conscious shift in my own behaviors and also how I react to my environment.  My own fear of failure blinds me to the pool of resources that are available to me by those around me, whether it be family, friends, colleagues, boss, etc.  The key is to use the “collective intelligence” (p. 124) as a ways to finding solutions (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997).  

The results of the assessment also helped me to re-evaluate my expectations in a leadership role.  The need to prove myself sometimes blinds me to the expectations others have of me.  I project my own expectations of myself on others and therefore try to exert more control.  The realization of this helps me to remember that I need to focus on discovering the objectives of the task at hand and the realistic expectations to make that happen.  Sometimes getting caught in the need to succeed, I lose focus on why I am doing the job in the first place.  I have a clearer perspective of my leadership goals.  By changing certain aspects of my behavior and setting clear goals and expectations for myself will hopefully assist me in moving towards the practice of complex adaptive leadership. 

References

Heifetz, R. A., & Laurie, D. L. (1997, January-February). The work of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 75(1), 124-134. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=eef9f633-9777-4b2d-916f-825658da1ffd%40sessionmgr103&vid=1&hid=128

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. Retrieved from Kindle Edition

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After reflecting on the diagram “the vicious circle for leaders” and comparing it to my campus, I realize that my Director and I have fallen prey to this vicious cycle of a “leadership and followership charade” (Obolensky, 2014, p. 162 of 249).  Although there is a healthy amount of upward communication initiated by my Director’s behavior, we are both at fault for maintaining this circle alive.  Part of the issue is my Director’s micro-managing habits and need to control all aspects of the campus.  In her defense, she is also micro-managed and monitored by her leadership and her immediate supervisor also feels a need to control all aspects of the campuses under her direction.  I believe that the vicious cycle is something that trickles down from the top of the hierarchical pyramid.  It is difficult to pinpoint where the issue begins.  It is similar to the famous adage, “what came first, the chicken or the egg”.  She has a necessity to control and I lack self-confidence.  My lack of self-confidence causes me to make mistakes, causing her to lose trust in me, therefore she feels a need to take over and control.  When I make a mistake, the circle becomes more rigid with me now feeling that I need to counsel with her first for every decision, which causes her to question my abilities.  In issues that she feels have no margin for error, she feels a need to exert more control either by closely monitoring me, asking me to report back to her, or taking over completely.  I become more discouraged and lose initiative.  This is a pattern that we have fallen into at various points in the six years that we have worked together.  Most of the time, we have fallen into this cycle after a major crisis or major event.  For example, when my father died or when I got divorced, we slipped into the vicious circle for leaders.  In fact, we are now just coming out of one.  

The effects of this vicious circle are that it creates mistrust and doubt in our relationship creating an overall negative environment.  She becomes disillusioned with me and I become resentful of her behavior.  Neither of us is conscious of the fact that we are both responsible for creating and nurturing the circle.  Her need to retake control of certain aspects of my job make her less effective in hers since it takes time away from her specific duties.  I become less effective because I have to correct mistakes that I have made which affects the quality of my customer service and my relationship with my students.  

To create a new circle that would promote strong followership and even leadership at the lower levels of the organization would involve a general change of behavior on both my Director and myself (Obolensky, 2014).  Because we are a two-man team, I do not answer to anyone but her.  My organization follows a very strict chain of command.  A new circle that promotes followership and leadership at all levels would require that the leader analyze what level and state the follower is in (Obolensky, 2014).  For example, my Director would need to decide what skill/will state and what followership state I am in.  From that point, she can modify her behavior to move me into the next stages (Obolensky).  It is also my responsibility to adopt certain qualities of an effective follower.  Kelley (1988) suggests qualities such as self-management, commitment and purpose, building competence and traits such as credibility and courage.  In my case, I feel my skill is high but sometimes my will is lower.  This is due to how I manage my work/life balance and learn to deal with stressors both in my life and in my job.  My director also has to realize that when my will/skill is not adequate, it is not a reflection of my ability.  A “situation can change where in one moment a person is highly motivated and capable, and in the next due to a change of situation one or other of Skill/ Will can decrease” (Obolensky, 2014, p. 157 of 249).  During these moments in time my followership level is sitting at about a 3 or 4 depending on the task.  Some tasks I feel I need to seek recommendations before I exercise them and other tasks I feel more confident about and only seek approval before executing them.  Obolensky (2014) recommends that a leader strive to move their followers towards level 5 which is to “get on and inform in a routine way” (p. 159 of 249).  Obolensky (2014) recommends that leaders move their followers one stage at a time this way they build confidence.  Also, time for the leader and follower to adjust to the new stage is needed (Oblensky, 2014).  Since my Director knows my lack of confidence, she should allow me more freedom and flexibility and loosen the reigns.  This would help me gain more confidence in my decisions.  I know I have the tools and resources to do my job correctly, but the micromanaged environment has made me second guess all my decisions which in the long run cause errors.  

The end result of this new circle would promote more trust, greater confidence on my part and an improvement of our functions and services.  Although, as I mentioned I do not have contact with our other departments except through a parature system where we pose our inquiries through an electronic and have them answered via email by the appropriate department, this same circle could be imposed in any professional setting I find myself in.  

References

Kelly, R. E. (1988, November-December). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66(6), 142-148. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a5be1c33-eaae-45d8-a40b-036f65208999%40sessionmgr4005&vid=1&hid=4101

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. Retrieved from Kindle Edition