Implementing an appropriate intervention strategy during the Organization Development (OD) process is crucial for the OD consultant. The selection of a particular tactic should properly address the outlined complication and produce the expected results, making this decision integral for the overall success of the OD initiative (Bierema, 2020). Therefore, potential intervention opportunities should be thoroughly examined by the OD professional.
The City Centre Hospital case provides an example of a group-level organizational issue, with the executives stating that inter-team collaboration and the nurses’ morale are significantly lowered. The current paper proposes that a coaching intervention for the unit managers could remarkably benefit the organizational efficiency, contributing to the resolution of the OD problem and improving the leadership competencies of the affected personnel.
As stated by the leadership team, the nurses consistently present low morale levels, with the overall interaction quality between doctors, unit managers, and nurses having plummeted. After that, the CEO is concerned that physicians might leave their occupation due to the lack of leadership capabilities among the unit managers. As a result, an OD intervention to improve the unit managers’ leadership skills is required, and visible outcomes are expected to be achieved in 12 months. It is possible to address the current problem by enhancing the unit managers’ leadership capabilities.
Following the presented evidence, a confrontive coaching intervention activity could be performed. From the described scenario, it is evident that an activity that could resolve the emerging issue is needed, meaning that a confrontive intervention should be conducted (Bierema, 2020). At the same time, to develop the unit managers’ understanding of leadership competencies, it would be beneficial to perform a coaching initiative. This method is often implemented when a team’s leadership skills must be enhanced, as coaching is aimed at facilitating learning and development among individuals (Rosha & Lace, 2016).
Furthermore, organizational coaching for teams is considered an advantageous approach for battling the morale and communication difficulties among the employees (Rapp et al., 2016). From this perspective, conducting a coaching intervention for the unit managers could resolve the City Centre Hospital’s encountered complications.
Correct utilization of leadership practices is crucial for creating a suitable working environment. The difficulties in establishing productive relationships between different teams might stem from improperly utilized leadership techniques (Dimas et al., 2016). As leaders, unit managers are required to create an organizational setting that maintains a high level of the employees’ morale and facilitates collaboration (Dimas et al., 2016). Following these considerations, the coaching intervention activity might be the most appropriate choice for City Center Hospital’s employees.
To successfully implement the coaching intervention, particular actions must be conducted. As such, the first stage is the clarification of needs, the process during which the team is educated on the organizational needs and the problems that are currently encountered (Körner et al., 2017). The second step is the goal-setting procedure, where the group is informed how specific company systems work together to achieve the necessary outputs (Körner et al., 2017). After that, it becomes possible to identify specific aims for the team and define how the members can contribute to their attainment. Finally, the last stage is defined as completion and allows the participants to develop practical solutions for the outlined tasks.
To conclude, the coaching intervention for the City Centre Hospital case study was discussed in detail in this paper, explaining how this initiative excellently suits the company’s organizational issue. It is evident that the managers’ leadership levels are greatly decreased, resulting in the request to initiate an OD intervention as a means of improving the current working conditions. As effective leadership from the unit managers might contribute to the nurses’ morale levels and improve the employees’ relationship quality, a coaching intervention is suggested as a prominent method for enhancing the team’s leadership skills. If the necessary coaching actions are conducted, City Centre Hospital executives may observe significant changes within 12 months.
References
Bierema, L. L. (2020). Organization development: An action research approach (2nd ed.). Bridgepoint Education.
Dimas, I. D., Rebelo, T., & Lourenço, P. R. (2016). Team coaching: One more clue for fostering team effectiveness. European Review of Applied Psychology, 66(5), 233–242. Web.
Körner, M., Luzay, L., Plewnia, A., Becker, S., Rundel, M., Zimmermann, L., & Müller, C. (2017). A cluster-randomized controlled study to evaluate a team coaching concept for improving teamwork and patient-centeredness in rehabilitation teams. PLOS ONE, 12(7). Web.
Rapp, T. L., Gilson, L. L., Mathieu, J. E., & Ruddy, T. (2016). Leading empowered teams: An examination of the role of external team leaders and team coaches. The Leadership Quarterly, 27(1), 109–123. Web.
Rosha, A., & Lace, N. (2016). The scope of coaching in the context of organizational change. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 2(1). Web.