Your leader is struggling to adapt to a new company culture. How can you coach them through this challenge?

If your leader is struggling to adapt to a new company culture, here’s a different approach you can try. Instead of just trying to fit in, encourage them to bring their own strengths and perspectives to the table. Help them see their unique qualities as assets that can positively influence the culture. Have open and honest conversations with their team to share their vision and ideas. Find and connect with allies within the organization who support their approach. Remind them to stay authentic and true to themselves, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment. This way, they'll not only adapt but also help shape a richer, more inclusive culture.

As a coach, understanding a leader's challenges and concerns is crucial. I would begin by identifying their specific hurdles. Assist them in cultivating relationships with key stakeholders, as understanding each individual's role and goal is essential for effective adaptation. Embracing a new culture involves openness to fresh approaches, new way of working, and feedback. Focusing on the "who" rather than just the "what" is pivotal—supporting them in recognizing supportive allies and overcoming obstacles. Their changing awareness is key to successful adaptation.

For some of my clients, there is a natural resistance to new company cultures, because it is unfamiliar. It is unhelpful for the exec to compare their old company's culture to the new company's as this can activate fading affect bias; downplaying the negatives and romanticise the positives of their old company. Support them in evaluating the culture from what works and doesn't work for the new company. Sharing these insights with other leadership team members can be useful, as we become blind to our culture over time.

To make our ideas to work in new environment, building relationships with the people around is the first step. When we are able to connect with people, they are likely to listen to us and accept what we say.

Open communication only can create trust. When we are transparent and the team feels that they are in an open and transparent environment, they will put their best efforts and will be willing to learn to adjust and accept the change. Our words and deeds has to be in harmony - We should walk the talk

In guiding leaders through cultural shifts, I see the importance of Spiritual Intelligence. It challenges us to connect with our deeper values and purpose. Reflection should not only focus on feedback but also on aligning one’s actions with their inner compass. Adapting involves not just skills but also an openness to growth. By embracing this “Holistic Approach”, leaders can inspire others while creating a supportive environment that thrives on shared values and vision.

I see how Spiritual Intelligence can guide leaders in this transition. It encourages self-awareness and empathy. Leaders can recognize that their strengths must align with the company’s values. By being open to change and understanding others' perspectives, they can not only adapt but also inspire those around them. This creates a shared sense of purpose, promoting a "Holistic" understanding that benefits everyone involved.

People love to share the thing they are great at, IF YOU ASK THEM. So ask them, learn from the people around you. Find out from each new person you meet in your introductory period what they know that they can teach/add/show you. I like to ask "what are you the absolute best at", and then you know where you are going for knowledge in that space. Culture is no different, its about understanding people, understanding group dynamics and understanding where you fit in, what you bring and add to the team. So bring what you are best at to everyone, and learn what they are best at. Helpful for building relationships and navigating a new space.

Learning is a never ending process as we always get better insights refining our ideas when we keep continuous learning with our interactions and observations. We have always something to learn from people around us- How we should be or how we should not be!! That will give us clarity for our thoughts.

Taking the time to observe and to be a learner while joining a new organization or new culture. This period of observation provide the opportunity to assess what we can relate to and what sounds unfamiliar or unconfortable. This reflective step opens the way for curiosity instead of judgement, response instead of reactivity to the culture and expanded self-awareness to adapt to the culture skillfully and intentionally.