Andrew Manterfield: Coaching in a Crisis

Interview with Andrew Manterfield. Executive Coach & Facilitator, APAC

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OCB PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

– Coaching In A Crisis –

Andrew Manterfield – Executive Coach & Facilitator, APAC

Introduction

Hi my name is Angela Lewis from Org. Culture Bites. Thank you for joining us in this podcast series where we will be talking to local thought leaders and experts making a unique and positive impact in the workplace….

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Today I will be interviewing Andrew Manterfield, Executive Coach and Facilitator to leading global companies operating across the Asia Pacific Region. Andrew has been a Sales Leader in the UK, HR Director for Diageo across APAC and in Australia before returning to Japan where he now leads his own coaching and facilitation business.

Andrew has unique insight into people, culture and business across the APAC region in particular. He is highly intuitive, speaks from the heart and challenges those he works with to find their own greatness in their pursuit of meaningful and fulfilling professional lives.

In this podcast, Andrew and I discuss the role of coaching through a crisis, such as the unfolding of COVID19. We reflect on lessons learned and ask ourselves bold questions about how we stand as leaders and individuals who can shape our future pathways for good.

Angela

Welcome Andrew to the podcast thank you very much for the time that you’re sharing with us today to talk about coaching through a crisis.

Andrew

Thank you. It’s good to be here Angela, thanks for the opportunity.

Angela

Andrew I’d like to start off with lessons learned from past crises. We’ve both worked through a number of similar events such as the bird flu, swine flu and the GFC for example. What have you learned from past crises that would help us to position action for HR leaders in response to the current and ongoing coronavirus situation?

Andrew

First of all, it’s really good to see that lots of companies have a crisis plan so they’ve got something to ‘go to’ as a starting point for them. And if I looked and said, ‘what’s the common through different crises that I’ve experienced?’ I think they require leadership. There’s a need for pace, decisiveness and direction. Because it’s about probably two things; managing your people and continuing your business.

Two other points; it’s also an opportunity to grow and grow as individuals, skills behaviours and practice really, and to grow your performance, for some people. So there’s an opportunity in it.

The final thing I’ve learned, which I think is very important, is that change is personal and thinking about the individual. Their family members will ask them ‘what’s the impact on us? Can we go on holiday, what can we do? Will you still have a job?’ So I think it’s important to bear that in mind as well.

Angela

So just to probe a little bit deeper on those points Andrew, is there anything that you see that’s different about this time.

Andrew

To be honest, Angela, I think that’s difficult question, because I’m in the middle of it like everybody else. But there seems to be more ambiguity, this time. It’s hard to create a ‘fact base’ as the good crisis management people tell you to do. When we had things like the Lehman shock, the tsunami in Japan even – something ‘happened.’ There was ‘an event.’ And it seemed to have a straight impact but at the moment it’s quite ambiguous. And also this has impacted on how we do things quite a lot.

I don’t remember before so many people having to go and work virtually or things like social distancing, but if you’d have asked me the question about the others, I might have said there are things that are unique about the other crises that I’ve encountered.

The third thing is the impact of social media and technology in terms of ‘usefully,’ people are using technology, more to communicate stay connected. And then there’s the other side of it where people are bombarded by news and information. That is different to what I’ve seen in the past.

Angela

That makes sense. I’d like to explore those aspects a little further because that’s quite clear on a macro level when we’re talking about organisations and community. Can you think about more at the individual level what would you say to our audience about what you see as the personal impact of this crisis?

Andrew

There are three things; I think you’ve got to lead yourself. And that’s very important, because if you’re not in the right place to do what you need to do, it’s difficult to do the second thing, which is leading others through this crisis and change, because that’s what crisis leads to. And then the third thing is taking care of business. Businesses are there to do things, and you’ve got to continue to do that. I think there’s also something in that ‘taking care of business’ around your personal goals as well as your business goals. But they would be my three things to think about.

Angela

So in summary, 1) What do you need to do to manage yourself? 2) What do you need to be doing to manage or lead others at this point in time? 3) And then, how do you reflect on what your goals are – both your business and your personal goals – to ensure that there’s continuity, moving forward?

So let’s take a look at each of those different areas in a bit more detail, and I’d like you to share, as well, what you’ve seen in terms of best practices. If you think about managing yourself, where would you start?

Andrew

I’d start with mindset and your thinking. The first thing I’d say to people is, it’s a good time to stop and reflect and know who you are what you believe, so you’ve got somewhere to lead from. Because being authentic in this situation is really important. You can use your organisation’s purpose, values, and think about what do I connect to – but really reflect on ‘what sort of leader do I need to be and can I be in this situation?’ Once you’ve done that, I think, then – trust yourself and have confidence – have confidence that you will be able to navigate through. But really use that – who I am and what you believe in – as something that you can connect to and use as a compass.

There are a few other things when you’ve got that in your mind that I’d suggest are important. One is to share, be human, be vulnerable if you need to. Tell people how you feel, but do it in a skilful way. Do that skilfully, in terms of ‘this is how I feel, however this is how I manage it and this is what I’m doing.’ I think it’s also important to look after yourself. It’s very easy to get pulled along – I see lots of people at the moment, working lots of hours probably not eating properly, not getting enough rest. You need to look after yourself at moments like this.

And then the final area is get support. Often you see people going, I haven’t got time to go and get support and get help. I’m worried about money so I’m going to cut budget as I haven’t got the money to do it. But this is the time that you need somebody to go and reflect with. This is the time you might need a bit of training and help and coaching. So make sure you’ve got what you need.

Angela

And what about looking at when you’re managing others?

Andrew

The key question for me in this area is, ‘what is the best role, I can play for the people around me?’ And you notice I use the word people around me, because I don’t think this is necessarily just about the people that you work with. Now I’m not just talking about peers, direct reports, your boss. I’m talking about all the people around you, within your network. And if you think of that question – what’s the best role I can play for the people around me – who can help you with that? And my suggestion, it is the people who are around you. The strong leaders at times of crisis, talk to their people, ask them what they need and they use that sign from nature; we have two ears and one mouth, and they listen, twice as much as they speak.

Angela

So it’s important to be reaching out to the people around you, really listening to what they have to say, and helping each other to solve the problems or at least work together to rebuild the new paradigm.

Andrew

And asking questions that are based on empathy and curiosity. What do you need from me at this time? What are the challenges that you’re facing?

Angela

And if we put that focus now on how people might be feeling, through ambiguity… given that it’s so uncertain, a lot of the challenges around managing that fear but also looking at leading through ambiguity, do you have any thoughts on what people can do, to do that with confidence?

Andrew

These are uncertain times, and I think, as a as a leader thinking, ‘where can I bring certainty?’ What is certain? So you can talk about what we’re going to do in the next week the next month. Think ‘where you can find and bring certainty?’ People are looking for direction. They’re looking for hope, they’re looking for possibility. And if you plant those seeds in your mind and you think right, ‘how can I bring that?’ That can be helpful for people. Leaders who I’ve worked with, and have helped me have usually brought those things; direction, certainty, hope, possibility.

Angela

Anything else to watch out for?

Andrew

I’d say that it’s easy for the leader to become the center of everything. So people keep going to the leader and asking questions. And in reality if you think of our normal day to day work -whatever that means- the good leaders tend to connect people and bring them together, rather than being the center or the top of the pyramid. So I’d say, watch out for that. Make sure that you are creating that environment where people work together to be successful, whatever the way of working, that you’ve got.

And then the other thing to watch out for is getting too focused on ‘task.’ It’s easy to get focused on the task and the things you need to do. So make sure you’ve got that balance, and you’re connecting with your people and using the resources or energy.

Angela

I like the point you also made around exploring possibility or opportunity and what I’m also hearing and seeing is that people are using this to challenge the status quo, challenge what they were doing and how they were doing it. So perhaps this – through the ambiguity, you can throw a few things up in the air and go ‘what can we do differently, and what could actually be better coming out of this situation?’

Andrew

Yeah, Angela I think that’s a great attitude, to think about the possibility in this and there is possibility. There’s business possibility. You see businesses that are doing things that are different, people like LVMH I notice are making hand sanitisers, and companies like Zara I’ve heard are making uniforms for hospital staff. And then there is other real possibility, like organisations, such as retailers who are employing more people.

Angela

So we saw a fantastic approach taken by both Qantas and Woolworths, where -unfortunately, Qantas have had to lay off staff temporarily – and they’ve been able to redeploy them into Woolworths supermarket’s where there’s been a huge demand for people in logistics and customer service. So even different industries are working together to innovate, to share, create new solutions and protect the greater good.

Andrew

Yeah, it’s a great example. You can take that to another level and go. ‘What’s the opportunity for me personally, to grow as an individual to grow as a leader, try some different things?’ Key to this goes back to that collaborating and listening.

There’s a balance of creating possibility with managing the risk. And I don’t think we should miss that and forget it. I think it’s hard to define what your actual risk is at the moment, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. You only have to look at the stock market – it seems to go red and green every day. So I think that’s a challenge for leaders but you can make decisions. And if you make a wrong decision, realise fast and make another one.

I think it’s very important to be flexible, because you’re probably going to have to change as you go. And just be prepared to make some mistakes and learn from them. In that way, I sometimes think they’re not really mistakes. They’re just opportunities to learn.

Angela

That’s also where we think about courageous leadership, as going out there having a go because it’s better than sitting on your hands and doing nothing. Take this moment to think differently about what you’re doing, and give it a go. Have a try, see where it takes you.

Andrew

I build on that further. I think there’s a question, which is, ‘what does success look like for you and your business?’ I think that question can encompass it all.

Angela

At such a crucial time where our goal posts and our goals are changing, how can we look at measuring success now?

Andrew

Well, I would say, think on a long term view, like a destination. You can pick the time yourself; it can be a year out, six months out. But what would success look like for me as an individual, for the part of business I work with, for what I’m responsible for? And I’d say go big. I’d be thinking, what do you want people to say about your organisation? What do you want people to think about your organisation, what do you want to say and think about yourself? That sort of success.

You might want to write it down, just make a little story about it, that’s what’s driving some of the company companies, we mentioned earlier, because they’ve got a clear purpose and a clear long term outcome. It’s easy for them to go ‘right, we can go and do these things that are different.’

There’s also a need to do ‘thinking day to day.’ Because every day I get up I feel different, if I’m really honest. I look and I go, ‘hey, what’s going to be good by the end of today? What’s going to be good by the end of next week?’ And they’re your milestones, building blocks along the way.

Again you can get people to help you. You can talk to people and go ‘what do they think; long term, day to day?’ Really, really important, especially now that people are working remotely.

Angela

Actually, that point about remote working – that does change a lot of things for everyone. Obviously, businesses need to tackle the remote working challenge. But personally, people have to manage their own space and look at working differently. What are some of the key challenges that you see coming up?

Andrew

The first thing that surprised me a little bit is what I call a functional piece, tools and infrastructure. Even some of the big companies didn’t have that great an infrastructure, so making sure that your people can talk to each other virtually and can talk to external people. I’ve got some companies I work with – that I coach people – who we couldn’t coach for about a week because some of their systems would not work with an external provider. So the first piece is – make sure you’ve got that functional stuff in place.

The second bit is just remember, about personal circumstances. I see this every day, people are working from home now, so some people don’t want to share their screens – they’ve got their washing and stuff behind them. Just remember, it’s bringing up some different challenges – and people have also got responsibilities. I’ve got my two children at home.

Angela

It’s deeply personal isn’t it even probably crossing some privacy boundaries there for some people.

Andrew

Yeah, that makes my workspace different. But also if you’re going to come in to my workspace, it’s also now my space you’re coming in to.

There are some things here that are important as well and managing your mindset. And I think it’s important not to see working virtually as being a barrier. The people who work virtually, really just do the same things as people who work well face to face. They connect with people, they listen really well, and they’re empathetic. So don’t see it as a barrier.

Social connection, connecting with people is really important. I’ve noticed that a lot – the number of people who’ve said, ‘I want to connect with people, how do I connect with people, how do I really connect with them? Understand what they’re like, in their heart, in their spirit, as well as in their words?’

Angela

Nice, there’s a little bit there around helping yourself and helping others be human, through technology.

So not all companies are working remotely we’re seeing a few different models that organisations are using to still effectively keep their work going. What are some examples that you’re seeing that you can talk about?

Andrew

Things change daily. An example that I’ve seen is one company where initially – I don’t know if they’re still doing this – but they were taking every employees temperature when they came to work. They had made a rule that nobody visits our office except our employees. And when you visit the office, you go into as an employee, you go into a room, have your temperature taken by somebody in a mask with surgical gloves on. And if your temperature is below the permitted level, you get a sticker and you can go into the office. And then they repeat that during the day.

So some people have still said – look our culture, and what we do requires us to still all come to work, but we’re going to manage that in a different way. And I think that’s quite interesting. I don’t think the world is all moved to being at home yet.

Angela.

No, and in fact I’m also saying some organisations where they have 50% of the staff in on one day, 50 % the next, or they break it up my take it in turns around different functions, to make sure that people are getting that connection time where it’s also important and necessary.

Andrew

Yeah, I agree.

Angela

Andrew given that Japan has been impacted by the corona virus earlier than Australia, what are you seeing on the ground in terms of how organisations are reacting with employees and contractors for example, the different care arrangements for their children or others they need to care for. I’d really be fascinated to hear what’s working well and what’s causing disruption or knock-on issues or problems that would be good for us to be aware of, ahead of the curve.

Andrew

I would start to an individual level. Because I think this is the key thing that I’ve seen – people are taking personal ownership. Everywhere you go, every building you go, there’s a hand sanitising unit. People take one squirt on each hand out of it. People are wearing their masks, with the intention of protecting other people – so not spreading.

And also, in Japan they’re quite good in the airport. For example when you go through an airport, we’ve had temperature testing here, as people are listening or know or have visited. I came here for the first time 15 years ago and it’s existed all that time. So there are some things that are in place that help be quite disciplined. It’s very disciplined and a focus on protecting other people. It’s not just about protecting yourself.

Business people, if I thought about what they’re saying to me – a lot of them are talking a lot about bringing stability. They’re talking about being there for their people, engaging with their people, connecting with their people. And they’re also thinking about their customers. And how do they connect with their customers and keep business going.

My other observation would be the good leaders and the good businesses are being what they always are. They’re just been great role models and they’re leading rather than following. They inspire me to be honest.

Angela

Leading in a positive way.

Andrew

Yeah, first of all they know who they are as a company and individuals. They use their values and behaviours to guide them. I find that really interesting how those people step forward and role model for the rest of us and give us something to follow. Japan’s the same; big companies here are very important. They’re leading rather than following. They weren’t waiting for guidance from the government. They said ‘this is what we’re going to do.’

I see people doing things in a very authentic way. So when they’re writing to their people, it really feels like they’re writing to the individual. It sounds like they’re writing to you.

Angela

I’ve seen some quiet heartfelt communication from companies like Virgin, for example around the impact to customers and the impact to employees and it’s really, really sensitive.

Andrew

Yeah, and I think it’s great that people have the courage to do that. It sounds crazy, but it is courageous because there’s ‘stuff at stake’ by showing yourself and showing who you really are and how you feel. But doing it skilfully it’s okay, as long as you do it skilfully. I look at those companies like the example you’ve just used and I think whatever their reputation – think about what their reputation is going to be after this.

Would you want to go and work there would you want to work for that sort of company, would you want to work for that sort of leader? I would.

Angela

Absolutely, you want to know they’re going to put people first.

Andrew

They’re just the sort of people we want to work with. They inspire us. They bring hope. We know they get the best out of us. We also know that they’d be pretty hard on us and they drive us.

Angela

That’s right. They also challenge us to stretch and grow and to not avoid the problems or take the easy way out. They’d really expect the same sort of courage from us in these tough situations.

We’ve spoken a lot about large or global organisations Andrew and I’d like to think about also the smaller business perspective. I feel really strongly for those organisations that are sole traders or small businesses that are also being significantly impacted by this change. What advice or guidance, would you have for owners and leaders of small business, right

now that could help coach them through a crisis and the ambiguity that they’re facing?

Andrew

I feel for independent traders, because initially, you might sit there and think – I don’t have the resources I don’t have the network. How long can I go before I get some income? But I think it’s the same. And my thoughts for people are the same. What does success look like for you? And it might be that success looks like – I’ve still got a business in three months. What’s it going to take for you to do that?

And then, a key thing for people in smaller organisations who are independent is to think about – who can help me? Who’s out there that can help? Who’s in my network? Who are my peers, who are the people who do what I do? What organisations, could I go to? And then also, lots of governments are doing things, find out what governments are doing.

A key thing is to keep moving forward. It’s very easy to stop and go, ‘I just don’t know what to do.’ And then, for me personally, I can end up in this space where I just sit and worry. That’s not really helpful. It just messes with your head and steals your happiness.

Angela

It’s a great opportunity, like we looked at for the example in organisations and possibility – this is a chance for us to think differently about our business and see what ways could we adjust and adapt, to evolve our business – in ways that meet new needs.

Andrew

Yeah, I think that’s a great point. What are the other things that you could do?

Angela

That’s right, the times when you’re really pushed to the edge or in complete chaos. The time of your biggest pain can also be the time for your greatest achievement.

Andrew

And there’s lots of people offering help. And there’s not always a cost to it. So get out there and have a look.

Angela

There’s a lot of information being shared about leadership in a crisis in particular, reinforcing the need for leaders to demonstrate greater human connection and empathy, their tolerance, authenticity in communicating and their resilience, even more than they usually would. There’s a greater demand or need for leaders to be more effective coaches right now.

Let’s look at the role of coaching in a crisis Andrew, what do you see as being key, or critical to coaching in this situation, both from leaders and for leaders of teams.

Andrew

Well we talked earlier didn’t we, whether you’re a big company or a small company; get the support that you need. And the challenging times are when coaching can often help the most. However, people often think that they don’t have the time or the money to get the support. But this is the time when it really helps to stop and reflect with somebody who has no agenda except your success.

You could work with somebody in your organisation somebody you know who can act as a coach for you. Because for me, what it helps you to do it helps you to stop and reflect which means you can reconnect with your wisdom, that natural ‘inside you what you know.’ What’s the best thing to do?

It’s also a great opportunity to re energise. So people I’m working with at the moment say it’s been great just to stop and I feel revitalised. Thank you. And I always say to them, well, it takes to of us to have this great conversation. It’s not about me as the coach. It’s the fact that you’ve stopped, and you’ve drawn breath. It’s like having a virtual cup of coffee or tea, just being able to relax.

And it also enables you to grow and be flexible and agile at times like this. Because when you’re sitting with somebody and they’re just asking you questions, you create options and new options and things that you could do that might be different. So I think it is a good time, when coaches can really help. So if you’re a coach, I’d say think of what you’re doing and how you can help people.

And if you’re a leader, think of how coaching can help you

Angela

And ask yourself, ‘what can I do differently in this moment?’ Challenge your normal assumptions or your responses and reach out for coaching conversations to help stimulate different ways of thinking and doing. Get support to step out of your comfort zone if it’s too difficult to do alone, or you’re not getting the results that you need.

Andrew

For me as a coach, one thing I love is – a lot of the people I work with, I haven’t got a clue what they do. But if I really get into the moment and just listen to them talk. I can listen for the obvious Next question. I can just hear the question that needs to be asked. And it creates possibility for people.

Angela

So, what would be your questions for people to reflect on right now?

Andrew

The first big one would be, ‘what does success look like?’ Long term short term, whichever timeframe you want to use. But constantly use that question. You could even use it minute by minute day by day, meeting by meeting.

Then think about ‘what’s the best role I can play?’ And I think there’s a link, because if you know what success looks like, you can think, ‘right, what do I need to do to be able to enable access, lead that success – whatever it means?’

And then the other one is about enabling and making sure you’ve got what you need. So, ‘how do I enable and support myself and others to be successful?’ I think that’s really, really important. So you thought about your role. Think about enabling the people around you, and yourself.

And the final thing that I think is really important because a lot of leaders try and do stuff on their own. And I worry about this because we’re working remotely at the minute, so people are physically on their own. And I’d say, ‘who can help me?’ Because there are a lot of people who can help. There are a lot of people who want to help. You don’t have to do it on your own. It’s a sign of strength – going out there and saying, ‘I’m big and strong, and I’m willing for people to help me to be bigger and stronger.’

Angela

Lean in together.

Andrew

Yep, exactly.

Angela

As we’re seeing all these changes occur and different responses to the impact of this virus, it’s interesting to think about what could the future look like from here? So if we’re challenging the way that we’re working, the flexibility, the difference in staffing models, anticipating what could life be like as we move forward. I’d like to reflect on this and think, ‘what are some of the emerging shifts that we might see into the future? What are some of the different solutions or course corrections that may occur in the way that we’re operating as businesses?

Andrew

At this moment in time I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen tomorrow never mind about in the future! That would be my first answer.

But if I then stood back and say, ‘what do I see as opportunity?’ I think the flexibility and agility that people are showing – I’m wondering where could that take us? What could that create for the world, not just as individuals? But if we can all just within a few weeks, so many people work from home, just think what else we could do. It’s quite amazing.

I think the virtual working thing is exciting because we’ve talked about it a lot. And for some people it might be quite painful at the moment and different, but it brings another aspect to work. So could it mean that in the future, things are more blended and mixed in the way we do things? So, we don’t necessarily have to just go to an office and people have got families can work flexibly, easily. So are there some things we can take forward in the virtual world into the workplace? I think that’s exciting.

Angela

Of course, that’s in ways that add to building shared understanding and performance, rather than becoming a distraction so that’s important to note.

What else could evolve?

Andrew

Collaboration and creativity- that really excites me. Thinking about what could that look like in the future?

The final thing, which I think is huge, is the role of big corporations and their leaders in society. You think about the examples we’ve used today and people are doing things just because it is the best thing to do. I love that.

Angela

That’s absolutely right. This is such a tremendous opportunity for industry and companies to rebuild trust from their community by really living their purpose and value so that they’re not just words on the wall or the latest annual report. This is the chance to really walk the talk, and operate, honestly, for the collective good.

Andrew

That really, really excites me – the role of the organisations in society in the future. And if you’re not a big organisation, think about what you can give, because you have some great things that you can give to people.

Angela

Absolutely. We’re seeing a lot greater, a lot stronger connection between different groups. We’ve seen some fantastic footage around people singing from their balconies in apartment blocks and a greater sense of togetherness – we’re all in this together. If I think about the application to the businesses around that silo mentality and different functions almost competing for resources or agenda, I wonder if this might bring about a different type of view – of we’re all in this together and if we work together we can achieve far greater than what we do ourselves.

Andrew

Yeah, and I think Angela, if we work together, we can do far greater.

Angela

Andrew, thank you so much for your time today. And your wisdom and sharing the examples around what you’re seeing in Japan, but also working with other global organisations as well. I’m sure that we’ll all benefit from that and I look forward to continuing the conversation. Thank you and take care.

Andrew

Thank you for the opportunity.

END

For more information about Andrew Manterfield, please visit his website: https://www.sudamanterfield.com/

If you would like to know more about how you can build  a contemporary high performance culture, where coaching is at the heart of growth, please contact Angela Lewis at Org. Culture Bites via email: NewCustomerEnquiry@OrgCultureBites.com.