Who's Advocating for You?

I’m on a Six Seconds Coaching Course at the moment. Today we were talking about the importance of trust in coaching.

So why am I writing about advocacy?

Coaching is about achieving change, with the coach beside you on the journey.

With change the proverbial constant in leadership, I was wondering about the relationship between trust and making change happen – at any level – be that individual change, change among the team, leading change on a project or organizational change.

And when enabling change as a leader, are you the coach? Supporting others to engage in change - and at the same time, seeking their advocacy for the change, and you as the change leader?

Trust and Advocacy

Does all change essentially happen because of – or in spite of - people?

With the scale of change we seek at times being huge, especially in organizations, leaders know that one of the most important factors in leading a successful change, is their ability to organize, galvanize, motivate and inspire a body of people to action.

And that requires trust.

Trust in yourself, as the leader.

Trust in your stakeholders:

That you, as the leader, will empower your stakeholders with a voice, empowered with some choice in the process, and ?empowered and equipped with the skills required to deliver the change.

That stakeholders themselves feel trust in you, the leader, because of a whole myriad of reasons centered around who you are and what you do.

Trust in the process – the process, that you, as the leader, have co-created with your stakeholders.

So why am I writing about advocacy?

Because change requires advocacy from your stakeholders. You need the advocates who will champion the change - and also hold the mirror to your face.

• Can you be present for every conversation that takes place around the change initiative?
• Can you be fully aware of how you are showing up and how people are interpreting your actions?
• Can you be available to take on board feedback at every level of the organization and at every stage of the change initiative?

Probably not.

But you can ensure you have advocates who support the change.

• You can ensure you create the conditions where people do feel they have a voice in the change – and that you really do listen to them.
• You can kindle that initial spark of curiosity with your ideas – your nascent vision – and refine it with stakeholders’ input.
• You can be silent when people share their honest concerns about the objectives, or the pace of change, or the level of unlearning and relearning required.
• You can be honest with your own assessment of the obstacles that lie ahead – and seek others reservations.

Advocacy for Change and Advocacy for Your Leadership

Am I tangling up the idea of advocates by talking about advocates for change and advocates for you?

I wonder if the two – you as the leader of change and the change objective itself - are ever ?totally disentangled?

People typically engage with change on three levels:

Cognitive: This makes sense to me!

Emotional: I am pretty excited about this change and confident of my role in it.

Personal: I trust the change leader.

Whether you are trying to lead change in yourself, your team of the organization, your potential advocates will determine their level of comfort in each of these areas.

Which do you think carries most weight in determining their willingness to engage with the change process – and their support of the change?

A Final Reflection

As you seek to grow and develop as a leader, how are you nurturing trust with those around you to create advocates, as you seek to grow and develop as a leader?

Every interaction is an opportunity to build trust through being totally focused on your counterpart, listening to truly hear, showing interest, seeking common ground or understanding, and determining a longer-term sense of shared purpose.

It’s a commitment.

What about those you sense aren’t keen to advocate for you?

Can you still take the same approach and use every interaction as an opportunity to nurture respect, if not a relationship of advocacy?

So, why am I writing about advocacy?

Because change at any level is a challenge - and advocates, those who support in charting the course, keep you honest, and champion the progress and the small and big wins - are an essential component of that change journey.

Andrea Stone is an Executive Coach and Educator, supporting global leaders in technology-driven organizations lead change, raise the bar on performance and create value and success, professionally and personally.

? Andrea Stone, Stone Leadership