Introduction
Coaching can be described as the art of developing the performance, learning and development of another person. It involves unlocking the capabilities of another person in order for him to improve his performance. It bridges the gap between, about performing and performing a certain activity.
It is about performing a certain activity through assistance from another person with the experience of that activity who will challenge and offer guidance.
It is a continuous operation where the coaches stays with the client, and guides him or her in acquiring new skills and achieves the set goals. It is about achieving goals, and assisting clients on the way of solving problems. It can be described as the structured process management focusing in goals and objectives (Lawson and Miller 57).
Developing coaching skills in the work place
Coaching is a leadership style where managers motivate employees to achieve their goals. Managers and leaders use coaching technique to motivate workers and generate better performance. Leaders with appropriate coaching skills usually motivate workers which lead to increased productivity. It is a leadership style which suit many workers in different circumstances.
Developing coaching skills in the work place involves improving leadership in the organization through talent management and leadership development. There are two different styles of coaching, which can be developed, directive coaching and non-directive coaching styles.
Directive coaching focuses on a certain skill for the employee, to be developed into a higher level. This involves developing a specific skill to achieve a specific objective in a certain period of time. For instance, the managers may coach workers on the performance appraisal technique which requires specific skills. After the coaching process, the workers are able to transfer the knowledge to the customers (Lawson and Miller 72).
Non directive coaching occurs usually on a daily basis, where employees are informed about rules and regulations by the human resources department. This involves human resource department answering questions raised by the employees.
Coaching plays a key role in enhancing the overall employee’s competencies. This helps in achieving the organization’s goals and development of individual knowledge and skill. Coaching helps the employees of an organization to have appositive attitude towards their work, and this leads to achievement targets and objectives.
It also helps them to discuss how coaching can be used to achieve overall goals, and objectives of an organization. It helps the managers to establish a training plan for developing skills, and knowledge of the workers in order, to achieve the organization’s objectives. Coaching human resource professionals involve classroom based programs that provide coaching skills for managers and senior executives.
Coaching workshops helps in developing coaching skills to the general audience; it may also target internal coaches in the human resource department. Most organizations develop coaching skills to achieve awareness, responsibility and self belief of the employees.
Development of coaching skills in the work place helps in equipping line managers with coaching expertise. This leads to broadening of their leadership abilities and their performance, which improves the overall performance of the organization (Stoltzfus 137). Development of coaching can be achieved in a couple of days, but it takes sometimes to perfect the art of coaching.
Developing coaching skills should take sometime in order to review success and learn from tough activities. It should also include a lot of practice as practice makes perfect. Development of coaching skills should involve several line managers, who will support each other support in the process.
The organization should ensure that the development of coaching skills is in line with the company’s priorities. The objectives of coaching should also be relevant to the individual needs of the employees. The human resource department should be involved in the early stages of coaching development. This helps in defining goals and objectives of coaching.
Human resources department may also want to integrate development of coaching skills with other activities. In the process of developing coaching skills, the organization should set goals, determines the progress before after development (Kimsey 125).
Development programme should be designed to meet the needs, and circumstance of the team. The first thing is to identify the problem in the organization that coaching skills will help solve. After identify the challenge, determine the managers who can help in developing coaching skills.
Depending on the size of the organization, all the managers may be involved at once. If all managers cannot be involved at once, then the senior managers should start. After establishing, the managers to be involved meet with the designers of the programme, and design the programme, which meets the needs of the workers (Williams 215).
Using coaching style to improve performance in the workplace
Coaching is a leadership style used by managers, to improve performance in the work place, and to achieve the organization’s objectives. Coaching technique is usually applied by the line manager who is the coach. The worker or the employee being coached is the coachee.
The line managers have a direct relationship with the coachee and understand each other in the coaching lessons. He sets targets, goals and objectives to be attained by the coachee. The line manager will evaluate the progress of the coachee in the coaching sessions and appraise success.
The coach will fast track on all the targets, and objectives set by the both parties. The line manager also evaluates the annual performance management system. The line manager may also decide not to have a direct relation with the employee (Beth 215).
In this case, the line manager will set defined targets and objectives. There will be official communication between the coach and the employee. The line manager will establish the training needs and enhance knowledge and skills to the worker. He will also set a time frame for the employee to meet the specific objectives.
The coach may decide to adopt several models to enhance the coaching style. For example, GROW model (I), which enhances, the coach and the worker to have a better understanding about a problem and finding solutions to such a problem (Kimsey 135).
Co-active coaching is where there is active participation in the coaching process between the coach and the client. Behavioral coaching may also be applied; in this case focus is to the behavior of the client rather than his inner goals and motivation. Developmental coaching identifies stages of development, and the coaching depends on the development stage of a person.
This is an assumption that behavior is learnt, and it can be improved or changed. The coach may also apply some coaching techniques to improve performance in the work place. For example defining and communicating the organization values.
This is a communication technique which starts from the top management, and goes down to all workers. This ensures that all workers uphold general values and adhere to the important values of the organization. He should have excellent communication skills to, communicate to employees, and answer all their questions.
The manager may also use the transparent communication technique. This involves engagement of employees in managerial activities. It is necessary for the manager to apply this technique as it implies trust, which will improve the overall performance of the organization (Beth 225).
Implementing coaching in an organization
Organizations willing to implement successful coaching need to consider the most fundamental objectives of managers. Important objectives, such as enhanced leadership skills, and self awareness should be considered. There are several ways in which coaching can be implemented in the work place.
Personal coaching, this is where senior managers have an external coach. In this case, an individual may listen directly to the coach and learn skills and knowledge to improve performance. He may also discuss the coaching session with the coach and evaluate the benefits of coaching. The person can also enhance communication, and present skills through directly negotiating with the coach.
This will help the person to communicate the skills better to the end user. Organizational coaching involves group of managers who work collectively within one coach. This may be implemented through the establishment of a competency development framework (Stoltzfus 142). The frame work will enhance staff development through coaching.
Coaching may also be implemented through improving the overall performance management system. In this case, a system is put in place, to monitor the overall performance of the organization. The system will enhance achievement of the overall organization achievement. It can also be implemented through creating the performance management culture among employees in the organization.
This will enable employees to have a positive attitude towards achieving organization objectives. Coaching may also be implemented through peer coaching.
This is where employees at the same organizational level coach each other. It is developed within programs in management institutes and then applied in organizations. It helps in developing a group of associates, who work interdependently to solve professional problems (Stoltzfus 147).
Organizations may also use different approaches to implement coaching in the work place. For instance, succession planning, this involves introducing the succession planning process to the top management. The top management will communicate about the plan to all the other employees.
The establishment of a work force to ensure that the plan is agreed. The line manager and the training department provide a report to the work force to ensure the plan is implemented as per the agreement (Whitmore 167).
Conclusion
Coaching is an art because it requires high levels of inner awareness and external commitment. It is also a science as it involves understanding of the human mind. It involves unlocking the capabilities of another person to optimize his or her own potential. It bridges the gap between thinking about doing something and doing it. It involves performing a certain activity through the assistance of another person.
Today, coaching is a leadership style used by managers, to enhance achievement of organization objectives by employees. Coaches work with leaders and managers, to develop leadership skills and encourage them to lead by example. Coaching is developed in the work place, to help improve the performance of employees. This leads to the overall organization performance improvement.
Coaching for skills helps the managers to acquire specific skills over a period of several months. Coaching for performance helps the manager to be effective in his current position. Coaching for development helps in enhancing the manager’s competency. Finally, coaching for the executive agenda is concerned with issues surrounding the manager such as company downsizing (Stoltzfus 152).
Works Cited
Beth, Mary. Executive coaching with backbone and heart. Chicago: Jossey-Bass, 2007.Print.
Kimsey, Karen. Co-active coaching:Changing business. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2011.Print.
Lawson, Karen and Karen Miller. Improved workplace performance through coaching. Chicago: Amer Media Inc, 2006.Print
Stoltzfus, Tony. Leadership coaching. Chicago: BookSurge Publishing, 2005.Print.
Whitmore, John. Coaching for performance. New York: Nicholas Brealey, 2009.Print.
Williams, Patrick. Becoming a professional life coach. New York: W.W.Norton & Company, 2007.Print.