Thriving through change

Organisational or leadership change can take place gradually – or in a split second. Just ask Tony Abbott (#libspill). While most people don’t experience career curveballs as high-profile (or dramatic), turbulent economic conditions and uncertainly is playing out in both the public and private sectors.

If you have been made redundant, requested a voluntary redundancy or are struggling to cope with the consequences of a restructured workforce, a qualified executivecoach can provide you (or your organisation) with the support and skills to confidently navigate the next chapter.

Here are three reasons to engage an executive coach – to thrive through change:

Research

A recent study explored the impact of executive coaching during periods of organisational change. In particular, its capacity to help senior-level professionals develop the psychological and behavioural skills needed to focus on their work-related goals, while dealing with an unsettled workplace.

It concluded that clearly defined executive coaching intervention can provide many positive effects – increased work-related goal attainment, enhanced solution-focused thinking, greater change readiness, improved leadership self-efficacy, and decreased depression.

Resilience

Building personal and workforce resilience is a proactive way to manage a period of change or transition. It is about having the skills and strategies up your sleeve to ‘bounce back’ from challenges – and control some of the outcomes, not the other way around.

An executive coach can empower you to respond to new and often uncomfortable situations with optimism and a flexible mindset. Resilience is a critical skill – developing the ability to adapt will ultimately underpin whether you thrive through change, or grapple with it.

Future-focused

Executive coaching is future-focused. While a client’s past is acknowledged, as an executive coach, I never dwell on it. (I am not a therapist.) By honing in on what you really want from your career, the long-term path forward can to be defined, based on your professional and personal insights.

With an executive coach, you have an advocate. As you face the future, your willingness to engage in the process will determine how effective it will be. In the words of former Westpac CEO, Gail Kelly, “You must stand as guard at the door of your own mind and choose to be positive.”

What strategies have you used to thrive through change?