Using transformative transition coaching to support leaders during career transitions
Abstract
Senior leadership transitions present daunting challenges. To promote inclusive development and comply with equal opportunity legislation, South African companies often fast-track careers of high-potential previously disadvantaged individuals. Organisations typically do not sufficiently support transitioning leaders, possibly acting unethically. The rate of failure is high with devastating effects for the individual and their organisation. The novel, empirically researched Transformative Transition Coaching (TTC) framework, helps facilitate deep and lasting changes in meaning perspectives of transitioning leaders through coaching. The ability of the TTC framework to support transitioning leaders is presented in this articleDownloads
References
Argyris, C. 1991. Teaching smart people how to learn. Harvard Business Review, 69(3): 99−109.
Avolio, B.J. and Hannah, S.T. 2008. Developmental readiness: Accelerating leader development. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 60(4): 331−347.
Bachkirova, T., Spence, G. and Drake, D. 2016. Introduction (pp. 41-71). In T. Bachkirova, G. Spence and D. Drake (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of coaching. London: Sage publications.
Bebb, S. 2009. The structure of role transition: A phenomenological study of successful executives from five countries. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 4(2): 223−243.
Bradford, J. 1995. Role change: Are you wasting talent? Management Development Review, 8(6): 1−4.
Brookfield, S.D. 2012. Critical theory and transformative learning (pp. 131−146). In E. Taylor and P.A. Cranton, The handbook of transformative learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bunker, K., Kram, K. and Ting, S. 2002. The young and the clueless. Harvard Business Review, 80(12): 80−87.
Cappelli, P. 2008. Talent management for the twenty-first century. Harvard Business Review, 86(3): 74−81.
Charan, R., Drotter, S. and Noel, J. 2011. The leadership pipeline. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Coughlan, P. and Coghlan, D. 2002. Action research for operations management. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 22(2): 220−240.
Cranton, P. 2005. Transformative learning (pp. 630−637). In L. English (Ed.), International encyclopedia of adult education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Davison, R., Martinsons, M. and Ou, C. 2012. The role of theory in canonical action research. MIS Quarterly, 36 (3): 763−786.
Department of Labour (Republic of South Africa). 2016. 16th CEE Annual Report. Pretoria: Department of Labour.
Dotlich, D.L., Noel, J.L. and Walker, N. 2004. Leadership passages. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Elsner, R. and Farrands, B. 2006. Lost in transition: How business leaders can successfully take charge in new roles. London: Marshall Cavendish Limited and Cyan Communications Limited.
Freedman, A.M. 2011. Some implications of validation of the leadership pipeline concept: Guidelines for assisting managers-in-transition. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 14(2): 140−159.
Goleman, D. 1996. Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. London: Bloomsbury.
Grant, A., Passmore, J., Cavanagh, M. and Parker, H. 2010. The state of play in coaching today: A comprehensive review of the field. International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 25(March): 125−167.
Greenwood, D.J. and Levin, M. 2007. Introduction to action research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Guillen, L. and Ibarra, H. 2009. Seasons of a leader's development: Beyond a one-size fits all approach to designing interventions. Best Paper, Proceedings of Academy of Management, pp. 1−6. Chicago, IL: Academy of Management.
Gummesson, E. 2000. Qualitative methods in management research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Hoggan, C. 2016. Transformative learning as a metatheory: Definition, criteria, and typology. Adult Education Quarterly, 66(1): 57–75.
Hooijberg, R., Hunt, J.G. and Dodge, G.E. 1997. Leadership complexity and development of the Leaderplex Model. Journal of Management, 23(3): 375−408.
Hsieh, H. and Shannon, S. 2005. Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9): 1277−1288.
Jack, V. 2007. Broad-based BEE: The complete guide. Johannesburg: Frontrunner.
Jaques, E. 1996. Requisite organisation. Gloucester, MA: Cason Hall.
Kahn, M. 2011. Coaching on the axis: An integrative and systemic approach to business coaching. International Coaching Psychology Review, 6(2): 194−210.
Kaiser, R.B., Craig, S.B., Overfield, D.V. and Yarborough, P. 2011. Testing the leadership pipeline. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 14(2): 76−91.
Kegan, R. 1994. In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Khunou, G. 2015. What middle class? The shifting dynamic nature of class position. Development Southern Africa, 32(1): 90−103.
Kilian, C.M.C., Hukai, D. and McCarty, C.E. 2005. Building diversity in the pipeline to corporate leadership. Journal of Management Development, 24(2): 155−168.
Kitchenham, A. 2008. The evolution of John Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory. Journal of Transformative Education, 6(2): 104−123.
Kolb, D.A. 2014. Experiential learning: Experience as a source of learning and development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Financial Times Press.
Lombardo, M. and Eichinger, R.W. 1995. Preventing derailment: What to do before it’s too late. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.
Lombardo, M.M. and Eichinger, R.W. 2002. The leadership machine: Architecture to develop leaders for any future. Minneapolis, MN: Lominger Limited, Inc.
Lombardo, M. and McCauley, C. 1988. The dynamics of leadership derailment. Greensboro, NC: Centre for Creative Leadership Development.
Manderscheid, S. and Ardichvili, A. 2008. A conceptual model for leadership transition. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 20(1): 113−129.
Martin, J.F. 2015. Ascending to the C-suite. New York: McKinsey & Company.
Martin, J.F. and Gentry, W. 2011. Derailment signs across generations: More in common than expected. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 14(3): 177–195.
McCall, M. and Lombardo, M. 1983. Off the track: Why and how successful leaders get derailed. Greensboro, NC: Centre for Creative Leadership.
Mezirow, J. 1978. Perspective transformation. Adult Education, 28(1): 100−110.
Mezirow, J. 1985. A critical theory of self-directed learning. In S. Brookfield (Ed.), Self-directed learning: From theory to practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. 1994. Understanding transformation theory. Adult Education Quarterly, 44(4): 222−232.
Mezirow, J. 1997. Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 74(June): 5−12.
Mezirow, J. 2000. Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. 2008. An overview on transformative learning (pp. 24−38). In J. Crowther and P. Sutherland (Eds.), Lifelong learning: Concepts and contexts. New York: Routledge.
Mumford, T.V., Campion, M.A. and Morgeson, F.P. 2007. The leadership skills strataplex: Leadership skill requirements across organizational levels. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(2): 154–166.
Mumford, M., Zaccaro, S.J., Johnson, J.F., Diana, M., Gilbert, J.A. and Threlfall, K. 2000. Patterns of leader characteristics: Implications for performance and development. The Leadership Quarterly, 11(1): 115–133.
Passmore, J. and Fillery-Travis, A. 2011. A critical review of executive coaching research: A decade of progress and what’s to come. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 4(2): 70–88.
Peltier, B. 2010. The psychology of executive coaching: Theory and application (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Reason, P. 1999. Integrating action and reflection through co-operative inquiry. Management Learning, 30(2): 207−226.
Reynolds, G. 2011. Exploring the meaning of coaching for newly appointed senior leaders in their first twelve to eighteen months in role. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, Special Issue (5): 39−53.
Susman, G. and Evered, R. 1978. An assessment of the scientific merits of action research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23(4): 582−603.
Sutton, J. 2008. Coaching leadership transitions (pp. 199−207). In J.L. Noel and D.L. Dotlich (Eds.), The 2008 Pfeiffer Annual Leadership Development. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.
Taylor, E. 1997. Building upon the theoretical debate: A critical review of the empirical studies of Mezirow's transformative learning theory. Adult Education Quarterly, 48(1): 34−60.
Terblanche, N. 2014. Knowledge sharing in the organizational context: Using Social Network Analysis as a coaching tool. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 12(2): 146−164.
Terblanche, N., Albertyn, R. and Van Coller-Peter, S. 2017. Designing a coaching intervention to support leaders promoted into senior positions. South African Journal of Human Resource Management/Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Menslikehulpbronbestuur, 15(pp. 10). [a842. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v15i
842].
Van Velsor, E. and Leslie, J. 1995. Why executives derail: Perspectives across time and cultures. Academy of Management Executive, 9(4): 62−72.
WABC (Worldwide Association of Business Coaches). 2011. Worldwide Association of Business Coaches definition of business coaching. Available online: www.wabccoaches.com/includes/popups/definition.html [Accessed on 25 June 2017].
Watkins, M.D. 2003. The first 90 days: Critical success strategies for new leaders at all levels. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Watkins, M.D. 2009. Picking the right transition strategy. Harvard Business Review, 87(1): 46−53.
Witherspoon, R. and Cannon, M. 2004. Coaching leaders in transition (pp. 201−227). In A. Buono (Ed.), Creative consulting: Innovative perspectives on management consulting. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Wöcke, A. and Sutherland, M. 2008. The impact of employment equity regulations on psychological contracts in South Africa. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(4): 528−542.
Zaccaro, S.J. 2001. The nature of executive leadership. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
This journal is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged, when works are cited.
Authors may use the publisher's version for teaching purposes, in books, theses, dissertations, conferences and conference papers.
A copy of the authors’ publisher's version may also be hosted on the following websites:
- Non-commercial personal homepage or blog.
- Institutional webpage.
- Authors Institutional Repository.
The following notice should accompany such a posting on the website: “This is an electronic version of an article published in the African Journal of Business Ethics, Volume XXX, number XXX, pages XXX–XXX”, DOI. Authors should also supply a hyperlink to the original paper or indicate where the original paper (http://ajobe.journals.ac.za/pub) may be found.
The following Creative Commons license applies:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.