Changing a pervasive element of corporate culture like this depends
on a diverse set of interventions that will appeal to different parts of
individuals and of the organization. In this case, what followed was a
positive internal-communication campaign, achieved with the help
of posters positioning star football players alongside their coaches and
supported by commentary spelling out the impact of coaching on
operating performance at other organizations. At the same time, executives
put “the elephant in the room” and acknowledged the negative
connotations of coaching, and these confessions helped managers
understand and adapt such critical norms. In the end, the actions the
executives initiated served to increase the frequency and quality
of coaching, with the result that the company was able to move more
rapidly toward achieving its performance goals.