Organisations are using coaches as a key strategy to help develop leadership capabilities and increase the performance and productivity of their employees. Individuals who are coached recognise the value in working with coaches to help them achieve challenging goals and gain greater satisfaction at work and in their lives.
There are many different types of coaching that can take place, some examples are Performance, Skills, Career, Personal, Wellbeing, Business, Leadership, Executive, and Team facilitation.
Effective leadership is becoming more challenging in the current complex and changing business environment, executives need to learn how to handle the pressures from increased work demands, and the challenges of running cross-functional projects while working with diverse teams.
Coaching can help by providing support and strategies for individuals working under these challenging circumstances. “Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance, It is helping them learn rather than teaching them” Whitemore.
Coaching is a personalised process that provides clarity on what success would look like, a clear understanding of the obstacles and barriers that get in the way of achieving it, and an action plan that will lead to a positive outcome.
Coaches work with the coachee to maximise their potential and move toward a preferred prospective, facilitate change, provide a flexible and tailored approach to development through active listening and powerful questioning.
This powerful form of development leads to change and results. It increases productivity, offers career advancement, improves performance, communication and relationships with key stakeholders and provides a greater balance between life and work. Which leads to higher retention and engagement rates and therefore increases profitability, decreases cost and enhances employer brand.
Through building trust and rapport, coaches can help their clients get unstuck, shift their thinking, see new possibilities, try different behaviours, and achieve breakthrough results by:
• Helping the client become aware of certain behaviours that either help or hinder their progress and growth.
• Clear alignment of what the client wants to work on and what is significant for the organisation. In some cases it is recommended to have buy-in from a sponsor such as a direct boss or human resources representative, so there is a common understanding of the focus of the coaching as well as internal support for the process.
•Creating clear goals and a written action plan that provides a road map for achieving the vision and tracking progress toward the desired goal.
• Creating conditions for the coachee to take responsibility for their growth, and built-in accountability. Coaching cultures enable radical transformation through fostering certain types of conversation on daily basis. Creating an environment where people can give and receive effective feedback, support thinking, challenge performance, and engage in developing conversations & critical reflection.
This can be achieved through identifying clear business goals, developing the right blend of coaching talent, fostering effective communication, providing organisational support, forecasting talent and measuring performance of both individuals and organisation.
Today’s corporate culture requires a coaching mindset in order to develop adaptable strategies to manage change.
