What then is the answer? Can he “teach an old dog new tricks”? Would a retreat facilitated by one of those fancy (and high-priced) “creativity” consultants make a difference? What about a potential merger with one of the companies producing low-cost (and fairly high-quality) furniture? Perhaps a furniture store chain that features a different product line? Kurt knows, however, that any merger would be viewed with considerable disfavor by his current employees. They are likely to say: “Your father and uncle would never ‘sell out’ like this!” Kurt doesn’t know what to do.
Coaching Kurt
The world of economics in the primarily premodern world in which Kurt Seto operates is intertwined with the worlds of family, reputation, relationships, and trust. Like many leaders, Kurt is involved in a family business. Corporate life is unknown to Kurt. He has no interest in occupying a C-Suite in some large furniture store corporation. As is the case with most leaders who own family businesses, there is the matter of size and growth. At the personal level, there is the matter of work-life balance and the potential of burnout. Long-term, there is the matter of succession planning and even the possibility of selling or closing the family business.
What then are the specific questions I might ask or points of inquiry that might lead Kurt and me into an in-depth exploration of specific coaching issues? I would be inclined to ask questions in three domains: information, intentions, and ideas (Bergquist and Mura, 2011). The domain of information is entered when we seek clarity and confirmation concerning the current situation in which our client finds themselves, whereas the domain of intentions is entered when we seek clarity and commitment regarding our client’s desired state (goals, outcomes, aspirations).
We enter the domain of ideas with our client when considering ways in which to move from our current situation to our desired state, thereby reducing the gap between information and intentions. When working with someone like Kurt, who operates primarily in a premodern world, I am inclined to focus in particular on the domain of intentions. Matters concerned with Legacy are often of major concern (Sandstrom and Smith, 2017). Furthermore, in the domain of Ideas, I would also advocate for one or two specific ideas but then invite inquiry into the strengths and weaknesses associated with each idea I am advocating (Argyris and Schön, 1974).
I would probably begin with several questions in the domain of information. While the domain of intentions might be of greatest importance, it often is a bit challenging to open in this domain, especially in a premodern environment and when a family business is involved. Kurt is holding on to a rather large set of assumptions regarding the threats he is facing from outside his business. I might ask: “What are the major challenges you face regarding the diversity of offerings provided by your competitors?” “How do you know that these really are tangible challenges?” Several other questions would follow concerning the competitive advantages of other businesses, as well as the potential competitive advantages held by Kurt.
I would also turn to internal challenges: “What are your concerns about the loyalty of employees to your organization? How do you ‘know’ that someone is loyal? A series of questions would follow, encouraging Kurt to explore his own assumptions about what is happening inside his organization. Kurt’s response to questions regarding loyalty leads directly into the domain of intentions.
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