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Utilising coaching effectively in an organisation

Guest post by: Stephanie Ward

Article Overview: Coaching is proven to be an effective way of increasing and maximising staff productivity – but do HR Professionals have enough first-hand experience to encourage buy-in at the top let alone to communicate the benefits of having a coach. Stephanie Ward explains why a coach is beneficial to staff - whether for intercultural training or the development of business skills - and how it differs from training.

Utilising coaching effectively in an organisation

Coaching is proven to be an effective way of increasing and maximising staff productivity – but do HR Professionals have enough first-hand experience to encourage buy-in at the top let alone to communicate the benefits of having a
coach. Stephanie Ward explains why a coach is beneficial to staff - whether for intercultural training or the development of business skills - and how it differs
from training.

Coaching has proven highly beneficial when applied appropriately Janice Caplan, author of the book Coaching for the Future, recalls coaching a senior manager
who had to deal with people from Germany, the Far East and the US. "We
covered some cultural mapping so that the senior manager was able to build
up his understanding of the differences between each of the countries in a
general way," says Caplan.

"Of course, not everyone fits their cultural mould," continues Caplan. "And
so, in the privacy of the coach-learner relationship, we were able to discuss
certain individuals and identify where they fitted in with the culture of their
country, of their local organisation and of the wider organisation. This enabled
the senior manager to identify how to adapt his style to suit each of the
individuals concerned and it enabled him to increase his effectiveness at communicating with these people and also at influencing them."

The best way for coaching to become a valued method of employee development
is to get buy-in at the top of the organisation. If the CEO doesn’t understand,
or believe in, the value of coaching it will be very difficult to introduce the concept
on a wider level. It follows that if the leaders of the company endorse, and utilise coaching themselves, this can contribute to the desire for people in the rest of
the organisation to work with a coach.

Coaching is most effective when it is proactively requested by an employee.
There must be a commitment and a willingness on the part of the client in order
to achieve maximum results. Coaching by force does not work.

In addition to specific business and developmental issues, coaching is very
effective for employees within an intercultural context. Some issues that
expatriates face may be rooted in the situation of being in a cultural situation
that they are not familiar with. By working with a coach these issues can be
identified and addressed.

"In complex environments the need for learning and developing of skills is
ever-lasting. Hence education and training are necessary," says Paul
Melessen, Amsterdam-based international strategy consultant and coach of multinational teams.

"However, in particular for managers, they are not sufficient," continues
Melessen. "Managers continuously transfer knowledge and sell ideas learned.
You cannot learn this from a book or in a classroom. Managers need to be
aware of their behaviour and its consequences. Otherwise their messages
won't land. A personal coach is perfect as a mirror. He or she helps you to
bridge the gap between the knowledge and ideas in your head and what you accomplish in practice. It is all about effectiveness. In particular in multicultural environments this is true—the knowledge gap is often so wide there."

Many companies already embrace the concept of coaching as noted in their
level of investment. According to C2M: Consulting to Management in
September 2001, "Motorola say they expect to spend in the low millions this
year on executive coaching for their best middle managers."

This trend is also echoed by CNN.com which reported in May 2001, "Once
used to bolster troubled staffers, coaching now is part of the standard leadership development training for elite executives and talented up-and-comers at IBM, Motorola, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and Hewlett Packard. These companies are
discreetly giving their best prospects what star athletes have long had: a
trusted adviser to help reach their goals.”

For HR Professionals to be able to recommend coaching to the CEO and
others it is logical, and extremely helpful from a credibility standpoint, to have
worked with a coach themselves. By being coached, HR Professionals
accomplish several things: they set the example for others; they gain a
first-hand perspective of how coaching works so they are better prepared to
talk about the benefits; and they gain value for themselves in the process.

Since people within the organisation may hire coaches without informing
the HR department, it may be worthwhile conducting a confidential survey
to find out how many people: are aware of what coaching is; are currently
working with a coach; have worked with a coach in the past; and are
interested in receiving coaching.

Some issues that expatriates face may be rooted in the situation of being in
a cultural situation that they are not familiar with. By working with a coach
these issues can be identified and addressed.

If the leadership of the organisation is not supportive of coaching on a company
wide level, HR Professionals can still play a valuable role by being a resource
and providing referrals for people who request information about coaching.

HR Professionals can also communicate the option of coaching on a
one-on-one basis as they interact with business leaders. It is not uncommon
for leaders to hire a coach and make the investment themselves. Some
leaders have budgetary discretion and are able to choose the development
process for themselves and their employees.

Coaching should always be kept confidential and if the person who is getting
coached wants to talk it about it that is up to them. Some people don’t want
anyone to know they have a coach, they see their coach as their secret
success weapon and as a competitive advantage.

Others are proud to have a coach and like to brag about it. It is up to the
individual whether or not they want to disclose a coaching relationship. Trust between the coach and client is a critical component of an effective coaching relationship.

The difference between training and coaching

The International Coach Federation (ICF), the largest non-profit professional association worldwide of personal and business coaches with more than 7000 members and over 132 chapters in 29 countries, defines coaching as:

"Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help
people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.
Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customise their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the
client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's
job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that
the client already has. "

Julio Olalla of the Newfield Network said the following in a report that was
delivered at the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) in
May of 2003, "Coaching goes beyond skill development. While not about
transferring information or skills, it can transform traditional practices of
teaching and training. By integrating coaching into your training initiatives,
you build in a system for on-going learning and sustained behavior change
that can exponentially increase the results of your initiatives.”

Author and experienced coach Donald Clark says about the difference between training and coaching: "Training is about teaching a particular skill or knowledge. Coaching, on the other hand, is about increasing an individual's knowledge and thought processes with a particular task or process. It creates a supportive environment that develops critical thinking skills, ideas, and behaviours about
a subject. Although it is closely tied to training, it is more personal and intimate
in nature."

There are many definitions of training and coaching, the chart below highlights
some general differences.

TRAINING
- Usually a one time event with little or no follow up
- One trainer to many trainees
- Designed to appeal to many people
- Mainly one way: trainer to trainee
- Trainer talks more than trainees
- Delivery of information regarding skills

COACHING
- On going over time, allows for follow up and accountability
- One to one
- Tailored specifically to the individual
- Two way: a partnership, an interactive discussion
- Client usually talks more than the coach, the coach listens
- Discovery of the client’s unique situation and challenges and specific
solutions for him/her

Even though coaching is different from training in several ways, they can
compliment each other very well. An article in Public Personnel Management
(Winter 97, Vol. 26 Issue 4, p. 461, published by the International Personnel Management Association) revealed a study where training alone was compared
to coaching combined with training. The study showed that training alone
increased productivity by 22.4 percent while training plus coaching increased productivity by 88 percent.

C2M: Consulting to Management reported in September 2001, "Unilever, the
Anglo-Dutch conglomerate, has thirty coaches working in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa with 250 top managers."

Although coaching is often offered mainly to people at the highest levels in organisations, coaching can benefit employees at all levels. The culture of the organisation and the emphasis on development can dictate how widely coaching
is offered.

Coaching resources for HR professionals

Word of mouth referral is a fantastic way to meet qualified and effective coaches. There are also several referral sites available for people who are interested in
finding the right coach.

Coachville (http://cvcommunity.com) provides free information as well as a coach referral listing.

Coach Inc, a coach training institute, also has a referral site http://www.findacoach.com as does the ICF at http://www.coachfederation.com/referral/index.asp

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