Peer Coaching: The Unintentional Culture Shift in Senior Management

Abstract

A longitudinal case study of a culture transformation program at the level of senior administration of a large high-tech corporation (LHT) is presented in this research. Organizational reform efforts have long been known to have unexpected repercussions, and the story at the LHT was no different. A tailored curriculum was created to help senior managers become better achievers, and circles of peer coaching were formed to help with the transition. We present how the peer coaching program departed from its stated aims, resulting in a very favorable culture of discussion and undefended conversations inside the coaching circles, based on our observations and interview data. We believe that the peer group's existing openness for change, as well as the fact that they had to meet with their official subordinates on a regular basis, resulted in the unexpected but beneficial consequences of this change endeavor.