Jennifer Selby Long

And I think part of my takeaway from that is to some extent, a good coach can cross a lot of different areas from life coaching to leadership to specialized industries. It is helpful when your coach has experience relevant to what it is you're trying to do and where you're trying to do it.

And I think part of my takeaway from that is to some extent, a good coach can cross a lot of different areas from life coaching to leadership to specialized industries. It is helpful when your coach has experience relevant to what it is you're trying to do and where you're trying to do it.

Because that particular organization's ability to specialize in the type of business I lead has been enormously helpful to me. And it was one of the reasons that I decided to continue staying focused on leaders and particularly leaders who are leading change often change that exists in part because technology is now available that enable things that couldn't happen before.

Because that particular organization's ability to specialize in the type of business I lead has been enormously helpful to me. And it was one of the reasons that I decided to continue staying focused on leaders and particularly leaders who are leading change often change that exists in part because technology is now available that enable things that couldn't happen before.

It is very helpful to have your coach be specialized.

It is very helpful to have your coach be specialized.

There is a natural personal process of change. This is a little bit separate from organizational change. Organizational change is about how the company needs to change. But there is every person in it going through their personal process of change as part of this. And this is where we often don't get people across the finish line as leaders.

There is a natural personal process of change. This is a little bit separate from organizational change. Organizational change is about how the company needs to change. But there is every person in it going through their personal process of change as part of this. And this is where we often don't get people across the finish line as leaders.

And that's where the changes get stalled and hung up because there are these perfectly natural, but often very painful stages that we go through with change. And Bill Bridges was one of the early writers on this. I have actually gone back to Bill Bridges model after trying many others since then, because it is beautiful in its simplicity.

And that's where the changes get stalled and hung up because there are these perfectly natural, but often very painful stages that we go through with change. And Bill Bridges was one of the early writers on this. I have actually gone back to Bill Bridges model after trying many others since then, because it is beautiful in its simplicity.

He says there are fundamentally three stages that we go through. The first one is losses and endings. The recognition of what we are losing, what is ending. The second one is the big, long transition stage. It is the big one. It is very substantial. And the third one is new beginnings, where that change starts to get integrated into our new sense of identity.

He says there are fundamentally three stages that we go through. The first one is losses and endings. The recognition of what we are losing, what is ending. The second one is the big, long transition stage. It is the big one. It is very substantial. And the third one is new beginnings, where that change starts to get integrated into our new sense of identity.

And where leaders often struggle with this, I find, is they are... either thinking of the change themselves or privy to the change much sooner than the people who are on their teams. And so I had a leader who was getting quite impatient with her team because she had moved through losses and endings. Through a transition, she was really starting to transition into new beginnings.

And where leaders often struggle with this, I find, is they are... either thinking of the change themselves or privy to the change much sooner than the people who are on their teams. And so I had a leader who was getting quite impatient with her team because she had moved through losses and endings. Through a transition, she was really starting to transition into new beginnings.

Some of them were still struggling with losses and endings around what would they lose that was familiar to them. Even though they agreed that what was coming was going to be better for them, was in fact going to address a lot of the problems that they complained about a lot. And so...

Some of them were still struggling with losses and endings around what would they lose that was familiar to them. Even though they agreed that what was coming was going to be better for them, was in fact going to address a lot of the problems that they complained about a lot. And so...

For a leader, it can be really challenging because you're often a stage ahead or further ahead within the same stage over the people who you lead. And so being patient and just reminding yourself that you need to be patient with others and that impatience does no one any good is a pretty vital self-awareness and other awareness skill to have.

For a leader, it can be really challenging because you're often a stage ahead or further ahead within the same stage over the people who you lead. And so being patient and just reminding yourself that you need to be patient with others and that impatience does no one any good is a pretty vital self-awareness and other awareness skill to have.

we do find that those stages hold whether you're the leader initiating the change right so it's your choice where you're in control or whether it's a change that's forced upon you such as say an unexpected layoff and suddenly you no longer have that job The stages that your brain goes through are what they are. And you go through a period of loss.

we do find that those stages hold whether you're the leader initiating the change right so it's your choice where you're in control or whether it's a change that's forced upon you such as say an unexpected layoff and suddenly you no longer have that job The stages that your brain goes through are what they are. And you go through a period of loss.