11 Ways to Introduce Coaching in Your Company
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Establish Organizational Support
Position coaching as a valuable initiative by appointing a respected leader to champion it. Give managers/leaders the tools, information and guidance they need to explain coaching and its value to employees. -
Use External and Internal Coaches
External coach practitioners often have more experience but may lack in-depth knowledge of a company's culture. Internal coach practitioners and managers/leaders often possess less coach training and coaching experience, but have a better understanding of the organizational system. Companies benefit most from a combination of modalities. -
Offer Coaching to Everyone
Provide coaching across all levels of enterprise to individuals of all ages and experience levels. -
Deliver Coaching Regularly
Coaching can and should be accomplished at regular intervals. Managers/leaders using coaching skills can engage employees daily, whereas internal and external coaches can interact daily, weekly or monthly with an employee as the situation dictates. -
Define Roles Clearly
Define roles for each modality, especially the differences between managers/leaders using coaching skills and internal coach practitioners. -
Set Up Managers for Success
Empower managers and leaders with training and peer coaching to help develop better coaching skills. Emphasize relationship-building and soft skills, such as empathy. Opportunities for accredited coach training should be made available. -
Provide Coach Training
Establish a training track that allows internal coach practitioners and managers/leaders to participate in continuous coaching education. Half of the survey respondents say the ideal number of coach-training hours for managers/leaders is between 30 and 60 hours. -
Establish a Coaching Community
To support the development of managers/leaders and coach practitioners create a community that provides training, guidance and opportunities to explore innovative practices. This group could also strengthen a partnership with HR and foster continuous development and feedback. -
Break Down Barriers
Combat top barriers, such as lack of time, funding and accountability, by ensuring that everyone understands the value of coaching to the organization. Make coaching a regular activity and necessary skill for managers and internal coaches. -
Fund Coaching Adequately
Ensure that your budget reflects the importance of coaching. Organizations with a strong coaching culture typically have a dedicated line item for coaching. -
Set Goals for ROI and Expectations
Establish clear expectations for the outcomes of your coaching initiative and ensure that goals are communicated across all levels of the organization.
Using coaching to enhance executive leadership development is vital for overall employee development. Organizations increasingly realize the benefits of having a robust coaching culture because it is linked to higher employee engagement. But according to a new study, "Building a Coaching Culture," only 13 percent of respondents said they have a strong coaching culture. Conducted by the Human Capital Institute and the International Coach Federation, the report, which surveyed 500 respondents, also found that 65 percent of employees are highly engaged in strong coaching culture organizations, compared with 52 percent of employees in other organizations. Organizations with a strong coaching culture also report greater financial performance: Sixty percent said they exceeded their industry peer group in 2013 revenue, compared with 41 percent of all others. "The most striking finding to me is that 80 percent report that within the next five years, they expect managers and leaders to expand their use of coaching skills," says industrial psychologist Jenna Flipkowski, an author of the report. Below are tips on how to build a strong coaching culture.