Why Coaching Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought in Climate/Carbon (or any) Business Strategy
If your organization is beginning a journey with carbon pricing, ESG realignment, or sustainability transformation—coaching may not be the first investment on your mind.
In fact, we’ve heard it all before:
“We need to get the systems right first.”
“We’re still deciding our strategy—coaching is premature.”
“We already have HR and L&D.”
“Let’s bring in coaching later… once the change is in motion.”
It’s understandable. Coaching can feel like the soft stuff, especially when you’re staring down compliance deadlines, shifting financial models, or the complexity of internal carbon pricing.
But here’s the truth: delaying coaching doesn’t save you effort—it often costs you alignment, trust, and momentum.
Let’s explore why.
🚩 Coaching is not a patch. It’s a foundation.
When you wait to bring in coaching until the change is halfway done—or falling apart—you miss its greatest value:
🧭 Helping leaders think clearly under pressure
💬 Creating alignment before misunderstandings spread
🧠 Developing decision-making habits that support sustainability
🤝 Building trust and buy-in across departments and teams
In complex, multi-stakeholder transitions like climate strategy or carbon pricing, how you roll it out often matters as much as what you roll out.
❗ Common Objections — and Why They Don’t Hold
1. “We’re not ready for coaching yet.”
Actually, that’s the best time.
When things are still taking shape, coaching helps leaders:
- See the landscape more clearly
- Communicate emerging ideas with confidence
- Reflect on how their leadership needs to evolve
👉 Coaching helps prevent misalignment instead of trying to repair it.
2. “We’ll focus on people after the strategy’s set.”
The people are the strategy.
No system works without people who understand it, believe in it, and carry it forward.
Bring coaching in early and you’ll build:
- Psychological safety
- Clarity of roles
- Internal champions across functions
👉 Change is easier to scale when it’s rooted in trust, not just instructions.
3. “HR can handle the people side.”
HR and coaching aren’t the same.
Internal HR is vital for policy, performance, and learning programs.
External coaching brings:
- Confidential, neutral space for tough conversations
- Support for emotionally complex leadership challenges
- Tailored development for key individuals or teams
👉 The two aren’t redundant—they’re complementary.
4. “Let’s see if the change sticks first.”
By that point, the biggest damage is often already done:
- Team buy-in has eroded
- Communication gaps have widened
- Resistance has calcified
Coaching helps you:
- Catch drift early
- Support your change agents
- Guide culture and communication from the start
👉 It’s more efficient to build trust than to rebuild it.
🧠 Bottom Line
You’re not investing in coaching because your leaders are struggling.
You’re investing in coaching because:
- They’re navigating unfamiliar territory
- They’re shaping culture under pressure
- They’re the ones who determine whether your carbon or ESG strategy takes root—or unravels
Bring coaching in early.
Make it part of your change architecture—not your change cleanup crew.
Because when your leaders are ready, your strategy has a chance to succeed on purpose.
✅ Ready to Make Climate Leadership Human?
If you’re rolling out carbon pricing, navigating sustainability shifts, or preparing your teams for ESG implementation—coaching can help you do it with clarity, confidence, and care.
📩 Let’s talk about how to support your people while transforming your business.
If you are interested in learning coaching skills, get started with our SFC-eligible (SkillsFuture Credit) course here.