LEADERSHIP

Coaching: Learn it or lose it!

With nearly $2 billion in annual revenues and almost 50,000 coaches worldwide, the business

of coaching is well and alive, according to a 2012 Global Coaching Study by the International

Coaching Federation. But it is not without its critics. Coaching is an unregulated industry and

the supply of coaches come from all walks of life, but they are typically drawn from the ranks of

senior executives, HR leaders, and professionals trained in psychology or counselling. Remarkably,

46% of organizations polled in the above study do not even bother to track results, and claims of

“success” are mostly anecdotal or a result of many other factors of which coaching is but one part.

» B Y J A C K M U S K AT

W ith such a spotty track record, it is all the more remarkable that coaching in organizations

continues to grow. So what is going on? There are three main areas where coaching continues to be of value in organizations:

1. Coaching as a development strategy: The biggest gripe of the newly hired is how poorly led or managed they are. What used to be the responsibility of the now nearly extinct middle manager (onboarding, advising or “showing the ropes”) has now become the responsibility of more senior managers who are less directly involved in the day-to-day employee activity. It has also been passed along to peers or overstressed supervisors who barely have time to manage the operation, let alone develop others.

Coaching at this level can often provide a much-needed buffer to provide managers with tactical skills in managing and leading employees. In addition, senior managers benefit from gaining insight into their own leadership strengths and gaps and can hopefully take corrective actions. Coaching as a development strategy is very practical

and is embedded in the organization’s overal l succession planning and business strategy. Its goal is to increase productivity, reduce conflict, identify future leaders and maintain a competitive advantage.

2. Coaching as a retention strategy: It logically follows that if you want to keep your people, you had better provide them with reasons to stay. The Millenials have read about the “war for talent” and know they can walk if they feel unrecognized or exploited. Coaching sends a clear message: “We value you and we are prepared to invest in your future.”

Companies that use robust career development coaching programs are better positioned to assess and develop their people. Coaching can uncover hidden talent (for example, the finance person who wants to do recruiting or the software engineer who loves sales), provide appropriate and targeted training (conflict resolution, communications skills) and stem the defection of valuable employees.

Many organizations find, to their dismay, that employees go to competitors to do jobs that were available internally

It has also

been passed

along to peers

or overstressed

supervisors

who barely

have time to

manage the

operation...

32      VOLUME 14 ISSUE 2 MANAGING & COACHING | YOUR WORKPLACE

Finally, consider the question, How “coachable” is the individual? You need both intelligence and self-awareness to benefit from coaching. Intelligence without self-awareness is like the old joke of the professor who knows how to make a watch but can’t tell the time. And self-awareness without the capacity to change is like effort without ability. You can’t succeed by trying alone. Change is hard, but the star employee keeps on growing, and coaching facilitates that effort. YW

if they had only known about them. As North America continues to shift to a “knowledge-based” economy, subtler leadership practices need to be implemented to motivate, challenge and engage the mobile knowledge worker. Command and control or “carrot and stick” approaches are totally ineffective for a bright, well-educated and self-directed workforce.

3. Coaching as a remedial strategy: This is probably the most common coaching assignment. A highly talented manager or executive, good with results, lousy with people, has finally angered so many people that a coach is brought in to “fix” the situation. This is coaching by directive, with tight time lines and daunting expectations. For the hapless executive, behaviour that was once praised or ignored is now vilified. Suddenly everyone springs into action. An external coach is brought in, and is soon seen flying around the organization conducting 360 interviews with direct reports and peers, while the executive toils away online completing multiple test surveys. Three-way meetings with the boss are scheduled where a detailed coaching plan with SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based) and timetable to completion is solemnly signed off on, and the coaching begins in earnest.

Successful coaches demonstrate three critical characteristics: • The ability to quickly establish trust

and credibility with the executive• A high level of professionalism and an

ability to negotiate multiple agendas• A clear and sound coaching

methodology.

The biggest disappointment that organizations report with external coaches is their lack of industry or business experience. Coaching is not about making people feel better, it is about making them do better. And that requires some knowledge of the company culture and industry characteristics.

Consider the question,

How “coachable” is the

individual? You need

both intelligence and

self-awareness to

benefit from

coaching.

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