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Coaching for an IT Business

Written by: Michael Heah

Article Overview: Regardless of whether the business is in IT or other products and services, organizations recognize that they need help to strengthen them in these challenging times. This article explains what a business coach can do for the organization and/or individuals.

Coaching for an IT Business



Question to the Business Coach:

We are in the information technology (IT) business with a 1,000 strong workforce. In our mission to be a premier organisation in our field of IT products and services, what can coaching offers in strengthening us to face the challenges in the present and future?

The Coach's Reply...

In the larger context, coaching can offer a wide number of interventions in almost all key areas. I like to identify four of them that forward-looking organisations like yours may find them relevant:

• Succession planning.

Organisations like yours may be reviewing your current pool of talents for promotion possibilities. Certain individuals may seem fit but are not there yet due to some missing "ingredients". Coaching, being a focused intervention tool, can help to address these areas specifically.

• Organizational skill deficiency in certain staff.

Due to this, it is hampering the organization from meeting its strategic goals. One example is managers who lack the skills to handle cross-cultural diversities in view of the organization going global. Instead of sending them to a global finishing school, coaching can help to address this in the specific context of the individual's current attitudes and behaviors for the most effective change.

• Helping a problematic but highly potential person.

These could be issues related to their personal styles, performance shortcomings and motivational-related problems.

• Executive transitions.

These could be people who are newly promoted or transferred to new jobs, where a transition period is required. Coaching helps them in aspects like how they can build allies, adapt to new culture and equip them with new skills that are now required in the new environment.





Powerful Questions:

• What are the most crucial issues that are confronting your organization?
• What do you want to see happening?
• What specific behavioral changes are required?
• How committed are you to support the change program?

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Article Tags: coaching, executive transition, intervention tool, strategic goals, succession planning, talents



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