A coaching culture is needed for individualised development for people within business. Read on to learn more about this idea.
Business is tricky these days. Companies operating in the 21st century are tasked with handling an ever-increasing pace of change and complexity. High staff turnover, market competition and lack of innovation are challenges that plague small businesses and larger organisations alike.
Where do these challenges stem from?
The core of many of these challenges is a lack of problem-solving ability and motivation. The clear need for individualised development for people within business has given rise to a growing trend – a coaching culture.
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Nurturing a coaching culture
Executive coaching within an organisation is a great tool for increasing productivity and retaining skilled, qualified employees in small to large businesses. Essentially, the same problem is at the heart of both issues – inattentiveness to personal growth. The impact of a coaching programme on an organisation can prove startling in this regard.
Case studies have shown that overall staff morale and an increase in productivity levels have been cited as the most noticeable benefits of rolling out an internal coaching programme within an organisation. Coaches can identify and foster high performers, while opening the lines of communications between lower-level employees and senior management. Employee job satisfaction is generally increased as individuals establish goals and set action plans to see that these goals are achieved. It is for this reason that nurturing a coaching culture within an organisation has been recognised as a very successful way to optimise performance.
Internal or external coach?
Both external and internal corporate coaches serve a vital function, and sometimes a combination may be the best solution, GetSmarter recommends. Perhaps the more senior managers will have relationships with an external coach, and other employees have access to an internal coach. Using an external coach avoids a potential conflict of interest, as well as anxiety over confidentiality. However, in adopting a company-wide strategy, having an internal coach is great. In many modern companies, HR professionals can take on coaching roles, as they have the deepest understanding of the culture and structure of the organisation.
According to Dale Williams, an experienced executive coach, one of the benefits of having an internal coach is their deep understanding of the organisation in which the client works. He says, “While there are some complexities relating to confidentiality that need to be managed carefully when a coach works in the same organisation as their client, many companies are starting to realise how immensely cost-effective and valuable an internal coach is. In addition to internal coaches, many organisations are using coaching skills to enhance the leadership skills of their managers.”
The right coach
The “right” internal coach may need to be recruited for a specific company or they may be working within the company or business already. Many professionals employed in the fields of HR, social work, counselling, psychology or managerial positions would benefit from extending their training to the field of corporate coaching in general – and, who knows, for some individuals it may just come as a welcome career change.
Corporate coaches who have applied themselves in the theory and practice of adult learning and change will have developed a personal model of coaching, which is influenced by various individualised inputs. As such, it is important that any company seeking an internal coach find the “right fit”.
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