Your team is resistant to new leadership approaches. How can you effectively manage a coaching session?

Managing a coaching session with a resistant team starts with connecting before correcting. It's often been said, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Begin by listening to their concerns and validating their feelings. Show empathy and understanding. Clearly communicate the vision and the benefits of new approaches. Draw out their stories and examples to highlight past success. Empower your team by involving them in the process, encouraging their input and feedback. Build trust by being transparent and consistent. Remember, effective leadership is about influence, not authority. Guide them with patience and positivity, fostering a collaborative environment where change is seen as a shared journey.

Prepare *Set clear objectives and outcomes *Understand the team's concerns and perspectives *Choose a comfortable and private setting

Assessing needs before any coaching session is crucial. For example, if a team member is resistant to adopting a new software tool, ask open-ended questions like, "Can you share what concerns you have about using this tool?" This helps uncover specific apprehensions such as lack of training or fear of increased workload. By understanding these concerns, you can tailor your coaching approach, perhaps by offering additional training or showing how the tool simplifies tasks. This method ensures team members feel heard and respected, which can significantly reduce resistance.

Start by not trying to manage the coaching session and instead manage yourself. Get your head in a good space to hear their concerns and frustrations without feeling like you have to manage their concerns and frustrations. The WHOLE POINT to coaching as a leader is to NOT manage other people but instead to support them in managing themselves. If your team is resisting new leadership approaches and you have the right team then the odds are good that there is a serious alignment issue and that will take all hands to address and come to a solution that works for everyone.

Its always good to hear what the team has in their mind before reaching a conclusion. Understanding the reasons for their resistance will help us to structure the conversation better. So, Connecting with each of them to Listen, Understand and then coach as needed. Learning is a two way process, so we need to discuss and understand the right path to handle these situations.

Establish Trust *Build rapport and establish a connection *Show genuine interest in their perspectives *Acknowledge their concerns and validate their emotions

Setting clear objectives after assessing your team's needs is essential. For example, if you've identified that your team struggles with time management, an objective for the coaching session could be: "By the end of this session, each team member will develop a personalized time management plan to improve efficiency." Be transparent about the purpose and importance of these goals. This clarity not only guides the session but also helps the team understand the benefits and expected outcomes, fostering greater engagement and commitment.

Every well-working relationship is built on trust. Your team will only give you accurate feedback and follow your new approach if they trust you. So start from the get-go by being transparent, authentic, and consistent in your actions, leading by example, and building personal connections with your team by showing them that you genuinely care. Trust moves mountains, and for sure, resistance to a new approach if the team sees you have their best interest at heart.

Trust is the foundation for all relationships--including work relationships. If an entire team is resistant to new leadership, there are usually a few reasons why--and most include their experience with former leaders or with your current leadership. While the prompt suggests sharing your own stories (and I do believe that stories can be connecting), I'd start by gathering more information about their experience and concerns. One of the best ways to build trust is by actively listening to others and letting them know their concerns are seen and heard. When others feel seen, they're generally more open to listening to your perspective as well.

Explore Concerns *Ask open-ended questions to identify root causes *Listen actively and take notes *Paraphrase and summarize their concerns

Building trust is crucial in overcoming resistance. Demonstrate integrity by being honest and transparent in your intentions. Show competence by sharing your knowledge and past experiences with similar changes, highlighting positive outcomes. For instance, you might say, "When our team adopted this new strategy last year, it significantly improved our efficiency and job satisfaction." Display genuine interest in your team's well-being by listening to their concerns and addressing them thoughtfully. This approach reassures your team that you have their best interests at heart, making them more receptive to new ideas.

It's common to encounter conscious and unconscious resistance in coaching. When introducing change, it's important to explain the reasons in a way that resonates with each individual's motivations. Leaders should also acknowledge and address any concerns, as some individuals view change as a challenge to their sense of certainty.

Collaborate *Work together to identify potential solutions *Encourage idea-sharing and ownership *Foster a sense of collective responsibility

Ask questions. What are the results we want to achieve for our clients? How best do we ensure consistent deliverables? What can we do as a team to make our processes more durable? Asking for feedback potentiates buy in by the team and increases the likelihood of the intended outcome.

In order to encourage feedback, you have to start by making it not just "OK" to give feedback, but also safe and desirable. This means being willing to listen to other perspectives, showing that those sometimes win out, because they will be more valuable, and being respectful to every person who expresses an opinion, as it is only in this way that the true value of diversity of experience comes to fruition

Focus on Growth *Emphasize the benefits of new approaches *Highlight the team's strengths and capabilities *Encourage experimentation and learning

Action Plan *Define concrete actions and next steps *Set measurable goals and objectives *Establish a follow-up session to review progress

First, analyze what convinced you about the new idea. Was it a book, a case study, or a podcast? Whatever the source, share it with your team. Chances are that someone else will reach the same conclusion you did. If possible, arrange visits or experiences to expose your team to the new kind of leadership or novel idea. Let them understand and take ownership of the concept, which will help melt any resistance. Resistance often stems from an inability to see the value in the new approach and fear of potential risks to their current roles. To counter this, show data that illustrates both the benefits of the new idea and the risks of not adopting it. This can help them understand the necessity of the change and reduce their fear.

Follow-up *Hold the team accountable for their commitments *Provide ongoing support and guidance *Celebrate successes and learn from setbacks

A fundamental to question and challenge. The idea of a "coaching session" from a team leader. A development session, YES. A curiosity and consultation session, FOR SURE. A session that contains many questions and an ability to listen and learn, to gain collective insight, absolutely. But, let's beware of always calling it coaching, and keep that for the coaches...