Coaching

What is it?

There are many definitions for what coaching is all about. The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as;

'Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential'

We don't drive cars without mirrors to see where we have been or without headlights to see where we are going. Leading without coaching is like driving with your headlights off on a road you don't know you are on.

Why is it important? The benefits !!!

Personal and performance goals are a way of mapping/tracking improvement shifts in staff, a lead to engagement and satisfaction at work. Accountability for personal growth, which comes from coaching, is critical for a healthy organisational culture.

Quite simply, coaching staff in achieving personal and organisational goals shows an organisation is serious about people development and creating engaged and skilled staff who are immersed in the beliefs and behaviours of the organisation. Customer satisfaction increases as staff are more skilled and more ready to take ownership of and solve problems. Reputation increases as staff and customers alike praise the organisation online and elsewhere. But more than that, developing coaching skills in staff is a game changing activity.

Measurement

Assess staff Performance:

1. Conduct pre- and post-coaching surveys to measure the degree of improvement in staff behaviour, performance, and confidence
2. Look for tell signs in staff behaviour pattern like staff engagement, confidence in task performance, and need for manager support

Assess Team Performance:

1. Establish a team performance benchmark and monitor post-coaching performance to identify coaching impact
2. Track pre-coaching turnover vs. post-coaching turnover to gauge staff engagement
3. Conduct focused group discussions with staff to understand effectiveness of coaching on job satisfaction and retention, or use more informal methods like water-cooler conversations to establish interest and coaching success.

Assess Manager Performance:

1. Align managers' coaching goals to business objectives, and monitor their achievement. If managers miss their goal, record the gap-to-goal and reasons for the gap.
2. A regular record of a coach's progress helps to track individual managers' coaching skill and improvement areas over time. For this, real-time coaching observation (preferably, by a neutral third-party) can help understand the quality and effectiveness of coaching delivery.

Assess Business Performance:

1. In addition to tracking results/performance pre- and post-coaching, companies can also track performance of markets with formalised coaching programs vs. those without.
2. Companies can also consider weighing and tracking coaching impact relative to other factors like training, promotions, incentives, that contribute to results.