COACHING
Coaching Can Help You
Deal With Change
By Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia
T
here is a common saying about
change. ‘Nothing is constant in
life – except change.’ Yet change
management has become an area of
specialization and a career for some.
What is change? Well in simple terms,
change refers to the status quo being
shaken. Whatever the situation, is no
longer so. The situation may be more
positive, may undergo disruption, may
undergo a transformation of sorts.
Organizational change can refer to changes
in processes, in systems or in structures.
These changes may be necessitated by the
external environment where competition is
leaner or faster at responding to customer
needs. It may be driven by a desire to be
more profitable and therefore leads to a
process of downsizing. It may even be as
a result of driving efficiencies internally,
leading to new technology or systems
being adopted and duly implemented. A
review in overall business strategy can also
be part of change.
Whatever the changes may be, change
impacts those who work in the
organizations. And the one sticking point
that everyone agrees on – change is not
easy.
Human beings are very complex and
many times the mere thought of change
causes a ripple of fear in most employees.
Take for example the current employment
environment in Kenya. The market
is awash with stories of downsizing
and retrenchments. Organizations are
struggling to survive the unfriendly
economic conditions. Shareholders want
more return on their investments. Profit
must come first – is the mantra.
From banks to insurance firms, to
hospitality industry, to the pharmaceutical
industry and FMCG is not spared either,
employees are being sent home. If you are
lucky, you will get a decent handshake
Organizations benefit from having well planned
and detailed change management strategies be-
cause this allows the change to be rolled out in
such a way that it does not adversely impact the
business. Organizations may also as part of this
strategy, engage executive coaches to assist
those remaining behind deal with the situation.
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package. In some cases, you go home
knowing that you are still owed money by
your employer, not even sure of when you
will ever be paid.
Organizations benefit from having well
planned and detailed change management
strategies because this allows the change
to be rolled out in such a way that it
does not adversely impact the business.
Organizations may also as part of this
strategy, engage executive coaches to
assist those remaining behind deal with
the situation.
Joshua has worked for an organization
for over 20 years. He has been loyal and
has worked very hard to deliver sales
numbers every single year. But since the
organization has changed its strategy,
Joshua is no longer needed there.
Secretly, Joshua is glad to go home,
because he finds himself surrounded by
millennials, who have a different approach
to work and life. He no longer feels like
this is the same organization anymore.
But on the other hand, Joshua is also
scared. Getting a send-off package looks
like a great deal, but what next? At his age,
will he find another job? Does he even
want another job or should he invest in
a retail shop that might bring him some
daily income.
Joshua opts to work with an executive
coach. The coach first helps Joshua deal
with the emotions that go with this
situation. The anger at being tossed out