You’ve probably heard people talking about coaching in the workplace. You might have even received some coaching in the past, or you might have used coaching to improve a person’s performance, even if you didn’t actually describe it as „coaching” at the time.
But what actually is coaching, and how do you use it? And what skills do you need to be an effective coach?
In this article, we’ll look at the basics of coaching in the workplace. We’ll clarify what it involves, and review the key approaches that you can use to be a successful coach. We’ll also review some situations where coaching can be useful, and look at some examples of coaching questions.
About Coaching
Coaching is a useful way of developing people’s skills and abilities, and of boosting performance. It can also help deal with issues and challenges before they become major problems.
A coaching session will typically take place as a conversation between the coach and the coachee (person being coached), and it focuses on helping the coachee discover answers for themselves. After all, people are much more likely to engage with solutions that they have come up with themselves, rather than those that are forced upon them!
In some organizations, coaching is still seen as a corrective tool, used only when things have gone wrong. But in many companies, coaching is considered to be a positive and proven approach for helping others explore their goals and ambitions, and then achieve them.
Coaches in the workplace are not counselors, psychotherapists, gurus, teachers, trainers, or consultants – although they may use some of the same skills and tools.
Most formal, professional coaching is carried out by qualified people who work with clients to improve their effectiveness and performance, and help them achieve their full potential. Coaches can be hired by coachees, or by their organizations. Coaching on this basis works best when everyone clearly understands the reason for hiring a coach, and when they jointly set the expectations for what they want to achieve through coaching.
However, managers and leaders in the organization can be just as effective as externally hired coaches. Managers don’t have to be trained formally as coaches. As long as they stay within the scope of their skill set, and maintain a structured approach, they can add value, and help develop their people’s skills and abilities.
Note 1:
The key challenge for managers is to separate their management role from their coaching role. Our article Informal Coaching for Managers includes ideas and best practices on how best to do this.
Note 2:
Although coaching in the workplace is just as important as coaching in sport, the approach is different. Sports coaches mentor their athletes, using technical skills, experience, and a „telling” style of direction. By contrast, questioning and reflection are often more important in workplace coaching.
Where Coaching Can Help
Here are a few examples of questions that you can answer with the benefit of coaching:
- How can I manage my time better to achieve all I want in life?
- What should I do next in my career within the organization?
- How can I reduce the stress in my job or my life?
- How can I achieve a better balance between work life and home life?
- What skills do I need to grow and develop further?
- How can I improve my relationship with a specific colleague?
Tip:
Our articles on Coaching for Team Performance , Coaching with Feedback , Coaching for Talent Development , and Coaching Through Change look in more detail at specific situations where coaching is useful.
Golden Rules of Coaching
These are the fundamental „rules” of coaching:
Coaching is Founded on Confidentiality and Trust
Coaching can be successful only if coachees are able to discuss every aspect of an issue or challenge with their coach. The coach may need to listen to personal problems or private information that must be kept confidential. (Unless, of course, it involves criminal activity or activities harmful to the team, its clients or the organization; or affects the safety and welfare of other people.)
The Solution to the Coachee’s Issue Lies Within the Coachee
This may sound unusual, but it means that the background of an issue and the options available are generally known to the coachee. The coach’s job is to ask the right questions to help coachees arrive at their own conclusions. As we’ve said before, this is a very powerful way of helping people to change.
Of course, the coach can provide helpful input or suggestions, but the best answers usually come from the coachee.
Tip:
There’s a difference here between the type of coaching conducted by a professional coach (who doesn’t know about the day-to-day functioning of the organization) and coaching conducted by a manager (who does). As a manager, you probably have useful knowledge and experience, and you’re responsible for helping people find the right answers to questions they’re asking. However, be sensitive and humble in the way you help people – situations may be more complex than you initially think!
There’s no Judgment or Fixed Agenda, but Have an Agreed Goal for Each Session
For a coaching session to work well, there should be a lot of relaxed conversation, and the session should be free from the fear of judgment and should not follow any set pattern. At the same time, coaching conversations must be focused in order to be effective.
The coachee should have a general idea or outline of the objectives of the coaching, both within the specific session and in the longer term. The coach then helps the coachee arrive at that destination by whatever route seems appropriate. The coach should check with the coachee during the session to determine if they’re both moving in the right direction.
Coaching is About the Whole Person
Although a coaching session will probably focus on one issue, coaches must remember that they’re having a conversation with a whole person who has specific experiences, emotions, and patterns of behavior.
Workplace coaching will probably focus on workplace issues, but coaches must recognize that other factors and issues will likely enter the conversation.
The Coach and Coachee are Equal Partners
The best coaching conversations are set up so that the coach and coachee are equal partners, whatever relationship and hierarchy might exist in the workplace. The coachee will define the actual issue, while the coach will use his or her skills to help deal with the issue.
Coaching Looks to the Future and Next Actions
Coachees are typically looking for some change to their performance, career, or life direction. Determining the right path may require the coachee to look at past experiences and decisions.
However, the most positive coaching experiences are sessions that conclude with an agreed set of next steps or actions to take.