Group Coaching and Mentoring. Linda Algozzini

from the Inside

      Change is often most effective when it occurs from the inside out. Stephen R. Covey (2008), in his book 7 Habits of Highly Successful People wrote “You can’t change the fruit without changing the root” (p. 217). This type of change needed to occur from the inside (the root) and branch out until it encompassed the whole. While this is an effective metaphor, it does not make the actual application of this inside-out change simplistic. That is work that takes time, effort, and a strong dedication. Often, when changes occur at “the root” the “fruits” are not instantly changed.

      Changing from the inside out means taking time to self-evaluate and reflect on individual practices and skill sets that are used daily. It means envisioning a shift in thinking, practices, and core beliefs, and then harnessing that vision to shift for the betterment of oneself and the organization. None of these components of this type of change is easy or instant.

      Into Chaos and Out of Comfort Zones

      To meet and reach individual employees at their current performance level, the manager needed to leverage strengths, experience, and leadership to push the entire department out of its safe comfort zone, create an environment of controlled chaos, and provide catalyst opportunities for transformative shifts to occur.

      The manager wanted to grow the entire department into becoming higher level educators; to make this change most effective, the employees needed to play full on. This meant a structural change or shift needed to happen that could be experienced at an emotional level, forcing the individuals to move beyond their static zones of comfort. Each individual’s inner landscape would need to shift and undergo a structural change.

      Elements of the framework would be created with intention and purpose to impact each individual on the level needed for foundational change. Employees would initially need to feel uncertain and anxious to get out of their comfort zones. Then transformation could occur. Once they started to experience a shift or change, they could feel confident and enlightened; self-esteem would begin to deepen, satisfaction would start to build, and they would begin to trust the process. Because people cannot be forced to grow, those who cannot or do not make a change remain stuck, and from a management perspective, it becomes a question of whether the stagnation is skills or wills (Batchelor, personal communication, 2016). Basically, it must be determined if the stagnation is because of the employee’s skillset or if it is because he or she lacks the willingness to adapt.

      Identifying Challenges

      From an overarching view, some of the most noteworthy challenges the manager faced centered around human nature and resistance to change. However, knowing she was considering groups and more meetings, the change she envisioned created additional challenges for her to consider, even while still in the planning phase.