COACHING FOR SUCCESS

THERE HAS BEEN MUCH RESEARCH AND RECENT PRESS REGARDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COACHING IN THE WORKPLACE. MANY MANAGERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEMSELVES AS COACHES, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE TOO OFTEN NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE PERFORMANCE RELATED, PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPALS ON WHICH EFFECTIVE COACHING IS BASED.

Managers that truly have effective coaching skills produce significantly better results. Employees who are being or have been coached perform better and contribute innovatively to the organisation. Where a coaching culture has been established staff turnover is reduced, productivity is increased and employees appear happier and more satisfied.

So what is coaching? We have all seen a sports coach in action, be it on a football field or any other competitive arena. A lot of coaches in sport are actually not true coaches; they are team directors or trainers. As such they direct, they yell commands, devise plays, pass on advice, advice usually based on their own knowledge and experience. A true coach facilitates learning, is self-aware, listens intently, questions and challenges a person. They can direct, but only when appropriate, and they only use their own experience and knowledge when they know it will benefit their employees in moving forward.

While it may seem easier to simply tell employees what to do, empowering and developing them through coaching will allow each employee and the organisation to perform far more effectively.

Manager Coaching skills are best developed in conjunction with structured Leadership Development programs and should first of all focus on building interpersonal relationship skills.

Results Coaching is based on a number of underlying principles. It supports people to come up with their own answers rather

than directing or advising. It focuses on solutions giving a very different result to taking apart the problem. It is a way of delivering encouragement and belief in people that really moves them forward. Coaching is effective because it provides a step-by-step systematic approach that slowly produces real change.

People perform at their best when they are appropriately challenged. Too much pressure can cause stress, too little produces boredom. But how much is just right? Many people do not challenge themselves. An effective coach focuses on empowering the individual to develop their own answers, maintain a firm focus on solutions and then challenges them to be the best they can be.

The coach function is to bring out the best in people through a process of setting goals, developing strategies, maintaining momentum, providing accountability, keeping the focus on the big picture, building on strengths and reducing weaknesses while delivering honest feedback and support.

To become an effective coach a manager needs to also maintain a focus on the business strategy and outcomes, increase their competence in the processes which transform teams and organisations and be aware of the underlying factors that can derail the coaching process.