Yes, coaching and facilitation can be life changing.

(Surface-level executive coaching, which helps to maintain the disrespect we’ve come to expect in classically managed workplaces, notwithstanding.)

And.

Hold up!

The ICF’s linked article (below) states, “The Ethics of Care framework embeds caring as a fundamental competence where worker well-being is an asset that contributes to organizational success by emphasizing mutual growth, ethical decision-making, and reciprocal relationships.”

Read that again…

“Worker well-being is an asset that contributes to organizational success”

Executive leaders, who are improving work by respecting humanity (themselves included!), don’t need to be tricked into facilitating deeply respectful environments!

Employee well-being isn’t a strategy!

It is the foundation.

It is embedded in your core values.

A (highly likely) byproduct of “making people” (as Toyota calls it), or prioritizing employee well-being, is a sustainable, profitable, evolving organization.

The Future of Coaching: Envisioning workplace well-being for a new era — Global Digital Library — Thought Leadership Institute

We typically understand TPS (Toyota Production System)/Lean as two separate pillars – Continuous Improvement and Respect for People (RfP).

But it need only be one – RfP, right?

It seems once you wrestle with respect for people, or perhaps more accurately, respect for humanity, you understand that continuous improvement is merely a natural extension of embodying this pillar.

When truly practicing respect for people, of course you seek facts, experiment towards improvement, and facilitate a learning environment.

In this way, maybe, respect for people is the what and continuous improvement is the how…?

Progressive management (lean, agile, scrum, conscious capitalism) is humanizing the workplace. And a piece of that is continuous improvement. The foundation, however, is respect for people. And, without increasing one’s consciousness, you cannot truly practice respect for people. We’ll save that for another day…

Leaders and change agents, please consider disrespect as waste.

What if disrespect of self and others is at the core of non-value-added work in business?

Disrespect yourself?

Then you won’t likely be in tune with your needs, desires, values alignment, personal fulfillment, and life balance.

Perhaps you were taught not to be in touch with your emotions. Or you were taught not to express your needs (certainly not to prioritize those needs before the needs of others). Or somewhere along the spectrum.

And if you’re not aware of your own needs and balance, how could you be expected to understand and respect those of others?

I know you’ve (likely) been taught to tune out (or don’t yet know how to listen to) your inner voice, to push through your needs, to dehumanize yourself and others because “it’s just business” after all.

Let me tell you that sustainable, profitable businesses can flow from listening to your needs, listening to your customers’, employees’, suppliers’, investors’, and community’s needs.

There’s another way, a win/win way.

The common saying is “don’t talk about politics and religion”.

Instead, it could be, “Practice deep self-reflection and accept support to increase your ability TO safely discuss politics and religion.”

That which we’re unable to safely discuss is unlikely to evolve, improve, change, right?

A common continuous improvement saying is “problem solve, don’t talk about social and emotional things”.

Instead, it might be, “Practice deep self-reflection and accept support to increase your ability TO safely problem solve.”

The problem isn’t the problem that we think we have, is it?!

Just like many of us are incapable (you CAN change that!) of safely discussing how we organize a society (politics) or the spiritual mysteries of life (religion), many of us are incapable of safely problem solving.

Specifically for change practitioners, when there is something (a problem, a topic, data) that is off-limits for discussion, then you know you are not yet ready to problem solve.

The problem isn’t the problem – the reality that you can’t safely define the problem is the problem!

Call it self-awareness readiness.

For all the readiness assessments in existence, have you pondered if we’re even ready for these readiness assessments? Funny thought!

In Minecraft (stick with me!), there are two play modes:

• Survival
• Creative

Chatting about redstone (Redstone | Minecraft Wiki | Fandom) with my 7 year old this morning and he said,

“Don’t worry, we can’t get hurt when we’re playing in creative mode!”

Exactly.

Many of us currently believe business is played in Survival mode.

One day, I hope to see people playing business in Creative mode.

Creative business mode.

I don’t have time!

“Look at my calendar! I am double- and triple-booked. I don’t have time to walk the production floor.”

This was the conversation from 10 years ago, but I remember it vividly (primarily because I’ve always looked up to this former factory manager).

He showed me his calendar and sure enough – no time! But did that mean he couldn’t create time to serve the hundreds of team members under his care?

Also, no.

Often, “I don’t have time” means that a belief is holding us back or perhaps, our fears are orienting our time.

I don’t have time for the gym when I’m feeling out of shape or worried that others will show me up (they will!). Does that mean that there are literally no minutes in the day for me to head to the gym?! No, of course not! It means that, because of my current beliefs, I’m not yet prioritizing the gym. (I’m choosing to believe that my health is more important than temporary discomfort and I’m going today!)

Back to your factory leadership. There is vulnerability in spending time on the production floor, if you aren’t currently. (You used to be out there more, but all the meetings and office work are overwhelming and never-ending!)

There is a time in which many may believe that you are “up to something” or are suspicious because of this change in behavior.

You know what? OK.

You ARE up to something! You’re boldly choosing to re-invest your time in your PEOPLE (and your processes, but that’s for another discussion).

You’re rewriting what you’ve been “told” about factory leadership.

Besides, in 3 weeks or so, this will be the new way and your team’s hearts will soften and you may just be surprised…