Mental omstilling for konkurransedyktige organisasjoner: En fenomenologisk studie av hvordan ledere kan åpne seg for mental omstilling, hvordan coaching kan fremme slik omstilling, og hvordan ledere kan videreføre ny oppfatning til organisasjonen som helhet

This study’s research issue aims to gain insight into what it is that can make leaders open to mental restructuring, in terms of gaining a new conception of one self and the organization, and gaining a feeling that something must happen. Furthermore, the research issue seeks to explore how coaching can be used to open up for, and facilitate, mental restructuring. Finally, the research issue examines how leaders can transfer a new conception to others, and work to create mental restructuring throughout the organization. It has been found in the study that mental restructuring is a necessary skill for leaders of the flexible and successful organization. Mental restructuring can be experienced differently, based on what relations is to be restructured. Task- oriented restructuring seems to be easier to perform than relationship- oriented restructuring. This makes it especially important for leaders to be able to maintain a relationship- oriented restructuring focus. Coaching is a very adequate tool for mental restructuring, development and learning. In addition to receiving coaching, the leaders’ themselves also take a coaching approach when they lead. They emphasize the relationship and approach to communication, when they try to get others to see the same as themselves, or to arrive at shared solutions. Leaders’ mental restructuring is very important to the organization as a whole, in that they increase their own leadership skills and leadership expertise, but also because they have the ability, and intention, to facilitate and create mental readjustment throughout the organization. A mentally adaptable organization possesses the skills to deal with the continuous changes in the environment, and can thus be viable, sustainable and successful