In short, because it works! And there is a growing evidence-base of research that points to the effectiveness of coaching for both organisations and individuals for improving wellbeing, performance, and results. Chat to any Chief People Officer and they’ll tell you that coaching is no longer considered an executive perk, but now viewed as an essential part of the business strategy of successful organisations. And that it’s a particularly effective intervention to upskill leadership capability, increase employee engagement, support large scale business transformation, or to effect sustained culture change.
Check out your organisational needs against the top 5 reasons clients come to us to invest in coaching for their leaders and managers.
01. Creating a coaching culture and growth mindset to fuel innovation and creativity
A coaching approach sends a clear message to the organization, “we are committed to and invest in our people leaders”. It emphasizes the importance of a learning culture and a growth mindset.
Coaching skills encourages everyone within a team to take a creative approach to problem-solving. Through creating a safe environment where risks can be taken and by asking impactful questions, a coaching culture creates free thought, new insight and greater flexibility to unlock new and innovative solutions. Creative and innovative thinking is supported by learning agility and flexible teamwork, helping to foster a culture that is able to adapt quickly to change and challenge.
Employees start to see setbacks and challenges as opportunities for growth and are more willing to tackle challenging projects. Coach skills training and coaching are hugely effective interventions to support the implementation of a new company culture as it enables leaders to model, establish and reinforce behaviours that support the change.
02. Improved wellbeing and productivity
Coaching enables leaders to understand the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence in the workplace, which when applied to the way they manage their team can significantly reduce work related stress and absence levels, which ultimately affects the organisation’s productivity and bottom line.
We encourage the development of healthy habits that we know from research and experience are key drivers of effective leadership. We build the skill of awareness to inform better decision making. We encourage a focus on self-care to maintain personal resilience and wellbeing and encourage a regular reflective practice to sustain lifelong learning.
03. Increased individual and team performance
A coaching approach leads to:
Better outcomes: It encourages leaders to focus on outcomes, set measurable goals and communicate performance expectations clearly.
Better conversations: It builds leaders’ confidence and capabilities for giving feedback, asking probing questions, active listening without judgement, dealing with difficult situations and challenging people, which enables them to have more effective performance conversations with their team. Better feedback helps employees flourish and thrive.
Better connection: It helps leaders promote collaboration between people and departments, bringing people together, and breaking down silos, to focus on common goals.
04. Improved diversity & inclusion
Coaching skills helps individual leaders develop empathy, which encourages them to examine biases and consider different perspectives. It also promotes a non-judgmental approach, which ensures everyone they engage with feels valued and respected and equips leaders with the skills and confidence to have conversations about differences and reinforce inclusive leadership behaviours that ensure employees are treated equitably in a diverse workforce.
05. Managing change well - Future orientated
Coaching helps people and organisations to thrive through extended periods of change and uncertainty. A coaching approach helps to develop a mindset that is curious and optimistic about the future. It allows people to plan, prepare, pivot and respond to whatever comes. It helps people prepare and navigate the predicable and the unpredictable in an effective, healthy and sustainable way.
06. Better succession & future leadership capability
A coaching approach encourages leaders to focus on team strengths and development which leads to the earlier identification of future leaders and a stronger talent pipeline. It also increases leaders’ level of curiosity, self awareness and willingness to examine their own developmental gaps against the future needs of the organisation. Being curious about what skills they might need to tackle future strategic challenges enables the organisation to get a clearer understanding of organisational capabilities gaps, and therefore take action to future proof its leader capability.
If you’d like to explore how our programmes could support your people and organisation please visit us at Work Stories Coaching here.