Nurturing Internal Coaching - Lessons from a big Australian bank
An excerpt from the cutting room floor!
My book Empowered Agile Transformation - Beyond the Framework is coming soon. I had so much content for the book that there were parts that just had to be cut. This part was perfect for a solo blog, enjoy!
In the realm of large-scale transformations, such as one undertaken by one of the big 4 Australian banks, there will always be critics who find faults and question the effectiveness of the change. However, for those closely involved with one particular large bank, the journey has been marked by a shift in approach and a realisation that heavy reliance on external consultants is neither sustainable nor ideal. Instead, the bank sought to build its own coaching capabilities, both through external recruitment and nurturing talent from within. This blog post explores the bank's journey, the role of internal coaches, and the challenges they faced.
Embracing a New Approach
As the bank embarked on its transformation, it recognised the need for change agents who could guide and facilitate the process. While initially engaging a large consultancy firm, the bank soon realised that a long-term dependency on external consultants would be neither practical nor cost-effective. Moreover, the selected large consultancy didn't have an impeccable track record in successful transformations, they were merely copying patterns of transformation from other large organisations. As a result, the bank shifted its strategy and began recruiting Agile coaches from external sources while simultaneously cultivating an internal coaching capability.
The Role of Internal Coaches
During this pivotal period, I had the opportunity to work in the Risk incubator and engage with the bank’s Marketing team regarding the impending change. It was an exciting time where appetite and curiosity for new ways of working was high across all functions of their head office. I was invited to talk with the bank's HR team, where they pressed me for answers to a wide range of questions: “How do we work this way with offshore teams?”, “What about performance management of individuals?”, “What sort of reporting lines should there be?” They were in the grip of multiple consultancies, multiple approaches and opinions and doing a lot of ‘sense making’ of their new and changing world. Then they asked me what I consider to be a key question.
They asked whether it was possible that individuals with no prior experience as Agile coaches could become coaches.
Reflecting on past experiences, I could identify individuals who had served as business analysts, quality assurance professionals, or developers in teams. Some of them had quickly grasped the principles and benefits of Agile ways of working, embracing the daily stand-ups and the increased productivity and enjoyment they brought. I had also witnessed change managers, PMO analysts and even personal assistants latch on quickly to new ways of working.
I expressed my honest belief to the HR team that individuals new to Agile methodologies could indeed become internal coaches. They could embody a self-sustaining force within the bank's new working model, spreading the knowledge and helping teams adopt the Agile mindset. Though it may have been a bold response, I firmly believed that selecting individuals based on their enthusiasm and understanding of the principles, values, and culture would be more impactful than relying solely on seniority.
Navigating Challenges
In the midst of a transformative journey, organisations often make the mistake of assigning senior individuals to crucial roles without considering their alignment with the new working principles. This can hinder the effectiveness of Agile coaching and even corrupt the intended transformation. At the bank, I witnessed instances of senior employees seizing roles without fully embracing the Agile values, leading to a misalignment of the new way of working and friction between them in their roles as senior leaders, bringing a more traditional approach to leadership that was antithetical to an Agile approach. Micromanaging of tasks and lacking the ability to let go of the authority, can be a real culture and productivity killer for Agile teams.
This bank’s transformation journey serves as an example of the importance of cultivating internal coaching capabilities during organisational change. By allowing individuals to self-select into coaching roles based on their genuine interest and alignment with Agile principles, organisations can foster a more effective and sustainable transformation. The focus should not solely be on seniority or experience, but rather on finding the right individuals who are hungry to learn, embrace the new approach, and help teams achieve their full potential.
By doing so, organisations can engage in transformation and the benefits of their new way of working, and not lose their keen talent with built-in company IP, to external opportunities. Once ignited and on the path of knowledge acquisition, these people tend to follow their curiosity to places where their new skills and knowledge are valued.
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