The fourth edition of William Bridges’ classic book, Managing Transitions, was published in 2017. Eight years ago, that was the 25th anniversary edition. The concept, relevant for 33 (33!) years, is simple: People don’t experience “change.” A change is just that: a transformation of one thing into another, like what happens when we change a process or move to a new building. When something changes, human beings experience transition—an emotional process of letting go, wandering lost for a bit, then settling into the pursuit of a new vision. This transition process occurs whether the change is welcome, self-imposed, or imposed by another. It occurs when a company reorganizes, leaving people in new roles they may not have chosen, and it occurs when one accepts a deserved promotion or leaves to pursue a new endeavor.
What do we need in this time of transition? Depending on the stage we’re in and the type of change that occurred, we might need compassionate support, structured guidance, feedback, acknowledgment of accomplishments, and development, to name a few. During organizational change, meeting these needs on a broad scale is certainly a responsibility of managers at all levels. But who supports those leaders? Transition coaching can provide this, and more.
Transition coaching is a sub-specialty of executive coaching. A transition coach helps a leader quickly gain traction, build credibility, and deliver results. The coach offers guidance to create self-awareness in light of the skill-based demands of the new role, accelerate relationship-building, and clarify priorities and vision. Coaching [LL1] provides a confidential sounding board to address challenges, difficult decisions, and the isolation that increases as one rises in leadership. It accelerates alignment with expectations, ensuring the leader and the team move through the transition phase as smoothly as possible.
In October’s podcast, you can hear one of my clients describe a unique approach to transition coaching. Sonji Jacobs, managing partner of INCISIVE, a strategic, data-driven communications, marketing, and public relations firm, invested in transition coaching with me when she joined the firm. Sonji and the firm’s founding partner, Chris Sizemore, are both accomplished executives who value coaching and assessments to work together more effectively. And they could not be more different in terms of personality. Sonji and Chris wanted to ensure this diversity worked for them during the important transition phase and beyond.
When I work with leaders in transition, our work helps the new leader answer five questions adapted from The First 90 Days, by Michael Watkins, another classic that I recommend to anyone who has been promoted or joins a new company, even if they “read it” years ago.
The five questions are:
- How do you create value? This question asks leaders to clarify their vision for success, as well as the outcomes and results expected of them by their leader, the board, and other stakeholders.
- How are you expected to behave? For a leader entering a new organization or even a new function, this question relates to cultural norms. It is also important for the leader who has been promoted from mid-level to executive-level leadership. As Marshall Goldsmith’s masterful adage (and book) conveys, “What got you here won’t get you there.”
- Whose support do you need? Of course, the team’s support is needed. The process of developing relationships, assessing talent, and building a cohesive team is daunting in itself. Who are the additional stakeholders and partners that matter most?
- What early wins can you get? While strategic focus is every executive leader’s obligation, new leaders must balance long-term focus with immediate needs and short-term wins to build credibility and gain stakeholders’ confidence.
- What new skills do you need? The coach helps new leaders create a plan that includes development in key areas required for the new role. How one must communicate, delegate, and make decisions changes overnight, but the transition for the leader requires self-reflection and acknowledgment of feedback. That’s why transition coaching almost always includes leadership and personality assessments, and if appropriate, 360 feedback.
Support for leaders in transition is essential. When executive leaders take on a new role—whether that represents a lateral move or promotion within their current organization, or a move to a new company—every member of the team is in transition because they have a new leader. Navigating transition effectively can have a ripple impact that fulfills human needs and serves the organization.
