Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022 - 44

of disruption without losing momentum.
All these challenges have one thing in
common: They require people to think,
act and interact in new ways across the
enterprise and beyond.
Changing human behavior at scale is
very different from changing technical
or tactical systems. People cannot be
forced to engage in lasting change -
they have to choose to change their
behavior. After coaching people for
more than a quarter-century, I can attest
that people are capable of breathtaking
metamorphoses when they choose to
change.
I can also attest that people
pose an equally huge obstacle to change
efforts when they choose not to change.
The need to inspire people to change
their behavior at scale is what makes
complex initiatives more challenging
than any other kind of change.
approaches of telling people what to
do, then subtly - or overtly - implying
threats if they don't do what they are
told. In fact, our " direct and correct "
approaches to leadership that leverage
fear to compel compliance actually
discourage change. Fearful people
aren't open to learning. They won't take
risks, and as a result, they don't change.
It's not their fault - it's how our brains
work. When people are frightened, they
put all their energy into trying to keep
themselves safe by reducing perceived
risks. That is the opposite of what is
needed to address complex issues.
Leading Through Learning
Commanding compliance is not going to
cut through the ever-growing thicket of
challenges that complexity generates.
We will need original thinking to imagine
new ideas and envision elegant new
ways of approaching complex issues.
That means we will have to learn how
Coaching cultures
can deliver the ability
to continuously
evolve how people and
systems respond to,
and with, our everchanging
world.
Why Do People Change?
Why do people choose to change?
People change when they believe:
* They will personally benefit from
making the change.
* They have the support they need to
successfully make the change and
attain the benefit.
* The reward for changing will be more
than worth the risk of possibly failing.
None of these conditions are met
when we use
traditional
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leadership
to have conversations we've never had
before. In many cases, we're going to
have to have them with people who think
and act quite differently than we do.
There will be few, if any, " right " answers,
and many possible paths forward. That
means we have to try things out, learn
together and try again. That's why
learning how to learn in this way is the
first behavior change we need to put
into place to change other deep-seated,
shared patterns of behavior.
To change human behavior at scale, we
must first create organizations where
people feel safe enough to risk stepping
out of their comfort zones and exploring
new ways of thinking, working and
being. The foundation of this new kind of
culture is collectively changing what the
organization believes it means to be a
good and effective leader, shifting from
commanding compliance to cultivating
potential. That's what establishing a
coaching culture does.
Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022

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