The Accordion Approach
Intensive periods, integration windows, behaviours that hold.
Most coaching engagements run on a steady weekly drumbeat that rarely matches how leaders actually change. Rethinkery uses an accordion cadence, intensive periods of work followed by integration windows, so new behaviours have time to take root before the next round of pressure arrives.
How the cadence works
An engagement opens with a diagnostic, stakeholder interviews, pattern mapping, and a calibration session with the sponsor. From there, the work moves through alternating intensive blocks and integration windows over four to six months.
Intensive blocks are dense: weekly or biweekly coaching, working sessions, and live practice. Integration windows are intentionally lighter, enough touchpoints to keep the work alive, but room for the leader to actually try the new behaviours under real conditions.
Why it works
- Behaviour change requires repetition under varied conditions, not just frequency
- Pressure-tested behaviours become the leader's default
- Integration windows surface the patterns that didn't quite stick
- Sponsor-aligned check-ins keep the work honest
What's measured
Each engagement starts with the specific behavioural shifts the work is targeting and the metrics that will tell us whether it's landing. Sponsor-aligned check-ins surface progress and re-scope where needed.
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