Coaching needs to be fully embraced strategically and systematically within the business environment to realise the full positive impact. For this reason, it’s no surprise that half-hearted attempts are unlikely to succeed.
We believe coaching within the business environment has the potential to impact the organisation and every aspect of the business.
In this blog, we discuss coaching within the business environment to help you understand the how, what, why, and when of coaching.
Why?
Let’s start with why. The Institute of Coaching lists the benefits of coaching as:
Establishing and taking action towards achieving goals
Becoming more self-reliant
Gaining greater job and life satisfaction
Contributing effectively to the team and organisation
Working more efficiently and productively with others (manager, direct reports, peers)
Communicating more effectively
They also report that 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, and an additional 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. Furthermore, 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment in coaching.
So, in a nutshell, coaching provides better retention, engagement, well-being, productivity, relationships, agility, empowerment, and performance.
The ‘why’ for coaching within your business must align with your ‘why’. This 'why' is the purpose of your business, which will be unique to you.
As we continue to look at coaching within the business environment, let us move on to look at how.
How?
Our blogs, “Creating a Coaching Culture: Getting Started” and “The Importance of Developing a Coaching Culture”, provide great further reading on this topic.
Here are some points to consider:
Begin with the end in mind and articulate with clarity what coaching in the business will look, hear, and feel like.
Have buy-in and commitment from the senior team and significant stakeholders. What is the level of their psychological commitment?
Create a strategic plan with timelines, evaluation points and criteria for success. How will you know it is going well? How will you know if it is not going well? Where will you start? Who are your innovators and early adopters?
What?
When it comes to considering what coaching is, our “8 frequently asked questions on leadership coaching” blog is a good place to conduct further research.
Here are some points to consider:
Use expert, highly accredited, external coaches with evidence of impact to train, coach, and work alongside your business.
Begin to make coaching conversations your normal way of working, in meetings, one-on-one meetings, passing conversations, customer conversations, and stakeholder conversations.
Work on the philosophy of how things get done in your organisation. Is this through instruction or empowerment? What do your leaders believe, and how is this lived out in their leadership style? What is the gap between this and a coaching leadership style?
Embed a learning culture that prioritises development and prevents task completion from taking over.
When?
In terms of when to launch, be 80% ready - no one is ever 100% ready. But what does this 80% look like in terms of when to launch? What needs to be in place first? Here are a few ideas:
Run a pilot with your innovators and have case studies presented by the individuals involved.
Introduce external and internal coaching to key stakeholders.
Research how other organisations have already implemented coaching within the business environment.
Employ an external expert leadership coaching organisation as your partner in the project.
Develop a clear strategy that includes staff surveys and training that is ready to go.
Summary
Coaching within the business environment requires skill, expertise, commitment, strategy, evaluation and monitoring, development and learning focus, and partnerships to experience the full positive potential impact on the organisation.
Written by Leadership Coach Ian.
Sources:
Benefits of Coaching, Institute of Coaching
Coaching and Mentoring, CIPD
