You're facing a team resistant to change. How can you build credibility as their coach?

Listening to your team is crucial for building trust and credibility. When you take the time to understand their concerns and show that you care about their input, you become a supportive ally, not just someone pushing changes.

Change is very, very hard. It brings with it a lot of uncertainty and fear. So, the first thing you can do as a good coach is acknowledge your fear. The second thing is change is inevitable. The world has evolved so fast that no one is expected to be doing the same job as last year, thanks to AI, flexible work environments, and much more. As a coach, you have to inspire these individuals to embrace change.

Your expertise is vital in establishing credibility as a leader, especially during times of change. Share your knowledge and past experiences in managing similar situations while clearly articulating your methodologies' effectiveness, avoiding jargon or complicated language. Demonstrating a successful track record in change management can instill confidence in your team members, making them more inclined to trust your guidance and follow your lead.

Your expertise is your secret weapon, but the real magic lies in conveying your message in a way that influences your followers. Show your success and expertise while demonstrating the consistent effort and hard work it took to get to where you are now. This way, it's not only about how good you are as an expert but also about the journey you took to get there.

Show credibility and expertise can help you winning resistance to change. However is often the HOW and not the WHAT of change that doesn't work. Soft skills such as active listening and empathy can often be more useful than tech skills. Using also some change models such as Kotter's can give you guidance on what are the steps to follow.

Build momentum by sharing some success stories can be impactful and drive change. Following the Adoption Curve approach, you can use the enthusiasm of the Innovators and Early Adopters to gain the buy-in amongst the rest of the workforce.

Acknowledge and celebrate incremental progress and achievements along the way. This reinforces the team's efforts and motivates them to continue embracing change.

Clearly communicate the reasons behind the change and the desired outcomes. Help team members understand the benefits of their involvement and how their contributions can make a difference, ensure that team members feel safe and comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. Encourage open dialogue and assure them that their perspectives are valued, empower team members by allowing them to take ownership of specific aspects of the change process. Assign roles or responsibilities based on their skills and interests.

Using some listening techniques such as surveys, focus groups, 1on1s is a good way to involve the team into the change and reducing resistance. Additionally, Intrapreneurship is a way to give voice and recognition to your workforce, by inviting and rewarding their innovative ideas.

To build credibility as a coach with a change-resistant team, demonstrate the behaviours you're advocating. Embrace new ideas openly, collaborate actively, and show genuine commitment to the change process. Your actions will inspire trust and motivate the team to follow your lead.

If you want to see engagement, collaboration and transparency among your workforce, you should lead by example, displaying authenticity and transparency and sharing with your teams all the key aspects of the change your are going through together.

Providing support by sharing resources, scheduling 1on1s, creating tailored individual development plan and setting SMART goals are effective ways to guide your team through change, implementing some of the most effective coaching and mentoring tools.

To build credibility as a coach with a change-resistant team, demonstrate expertise, listen actively, and show empathy. Set clear goals, celebrate small wins, and provide consistent support. Lead by example, be transparent about the process, and address concerns promptly to foster trust and acceptance.

What works is to demonstrate empathy, expertise, and a genuine commitment to their success. Begin by actively listening to team members' concerns and acknowledging their perspectives. Validate their feelings and show that you understand their resistance. Share your own experiences with change and how you successfully navigated them. Provide evidence-based research and data to support the benefits of the change and address any misconceptions. Clearly articulate the "why" behind the change, ensuring that the team understands the purpose and rationale. Emphasize the opportunities for growth and development that the change presents. Regularly communicate updates and progress, keeping the team informed and involved in the process.