my work
“KERR·NELS
inspiration to help you reach your goals”
Here’s some of my writings and points-of-view. I’d love to hear from you if you use this work.
speaking
Path to Awakening Change®
My first talk on Awakening Change, delivered at the Hudson Institute of Coaching CHIC conference, 2017.
Writings
Path to Awakening Change®
During my graduate studies at Pepperdine, we were asked to create our own model for leading change. This is the original version of the paper that I’ve come to realize is not only for leading change, but leading life, and I'm now calling the path to awakening change. I challenge myself and my clients to live into it every day. Read the PDF.
Thesis on Using the SDI for Organizational Change
During my graduate studies at Pepperdine, we were required to complete a thesis. Being passionate that organizational change is made of up hundreds of thousands of individual change choices, I wanted to look at what happens when change leaders consider the individual wants and needs of their team, instead of using universal change models. I cared about the interaction/ relationship between the leaders and the people they lead.
Research Questions: What would leaders do differently if they knew the motives and values of their team members and what those individuals wanted and needed in times of change? Would their thinking and beliefs about change be different? The study sought to answer: What is the impact of an SDI workshop on individual thinking and beliefs about change? And what is the impact on a leadership team's planned approach to the change?
The short answer is YES. Immediately after the workshop, the leadership team adjusted its approach to the change to fit the needs of the team members. The long answer is 105 pages, which you can read here, or see the Relationship Awareness Conference presentation below for a summary.
Team Coaching White Paper
During my Master Coach Program studies at the Hudson Institute of Coaching, we were asked to do a project that would advance the field of Coaching. My colleagues, Ana Pliopas, Michelle Sosinski and I teamed up to conduct a study of best practices in team coaching. The 30-page research paper has been published on the ICF (International Coaching Federation) Research Portal, or you can access it here: Best Practices in Team Coaching. A summary of the work is available on the Hudson Conference presentation below.
Conference presentations
Hudson Institute CHICoach Learning Conference, Santa Barbara, CA, May 2015
Team Coaching: Results to the Power of Three
What happens when three coaches set out to learn more about best practices in Team Coaching? When coaches work with teams, results multiply. Our research concluded team coaching yields Results to the power of three: to the business, the team, and the individuals on it. Through a lit review and interviews with team coaches, we define team coaching, explore differences between it and other work with teams, find the common ingredients most team coaches use within their processes to show how it is done, and share challenges faced.
To see the presentation in PDF, click here.
Relationship Awareness Conference Presentation, Carlsbad, CA, August 2013
One Size Does Not Fit All: Using the SDI to Raise Differences and Facilitate Organizational Change
Most change models treat change as linear, with formulas and plans to step through a process where one size fits all. Yet change is ultimately an individual choice. And organizational change is about a lot of individual choices. Research has mainly focused on organizational factors, neglecting the person-oriented issues. Could this be one of the reasons change management programs often fail?
A research study was conducted in the OE department of a corporation to determine whether increasing personal awareness of self and others through using the SDI affected planned change actions, as well as individual thinking and beliefs about change. Results suggest the importance of individual differences and relationships in driving organizational change and the value of using the SDI as a vehicle for change.
For the full presentation in PDF, click here.