Times have changed. We are doing more with less. Performing at ever increasing speeds, to ever increasing demands, and in many cases with fewer and fewer tools. As leaders we have less time to spend with our employees and are stretched beyond our means. Research has shown leaders spend less than 20% of their time coaching, developing and mentoring. Yet we need our teams to take initiative in the presence of ambiguity, make the tough calls where necessary, make decisions without all the facts and to execute at optimum performance; all while being accountable for their commitments.
Transform Your Culture
A coaching culture enables you to energize and engage your team in the dynamic, changing times with which we are faced. Coaching empowers employees to look at things from different perspectives, explore options and be more decisive, enabling quicker decision making.
The SAGE strategy leverages four simple tips for building a coaching culture within your organization:
1. Set Goals. First gain alignment around the ultimate outcome you are trying to achieve. Then set SMART, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound goals with your team. This helps motivate employees, ensures everyone is on the same page and that goals are achieved in a timely fashion.
2. Ask questions. When an employee reaches a stumbling block and needs your help, don’t immediately offer a solution but rather ask a question that gets them thinking. Such as; what ideas have you already thought about or what action have you already taken? This helps the employee develop the critical skills necessary for making decisions on their own.
3. Generate options. There may be more than one option for solving a problem. It’s important to empower employees to think on their feet with you as the facilitator and not the problem solver. Discuss and weigh the pros and cons for each option before choosing the best course of action.
4. Establish ownership and accountability. Empower employees to select the needed action with your guidance and hold them accountable for following-through. Ask them what support they need from you to be successful.
The result of a successful coaching culture equips leaders to:
• Improve problem solving and decision making skills
• Act decisively; despite ambiguity and uncertainty
• Take ownership and accountability
• Execute successfully
Implementing a coaching culture leads to improved productivity, increased employee engagement and overall effectiveness that helps leaders in today’s changing and dynamic times.
Sage Alliance, a Leadership Performance Company, provides coaching, teambuilding and assessments, workshops and speaking on topics including; leadership development, empowering teams, communications, lasting impressions, personal branding and building a coaching culture for executives and high-potentials – for both team and individual leaders.
Contact us today to discover how your organization can get the most through improved productivity, efficiency and direct impact to your bottom line, while leaders gain powerful insight, crystallize opportunities for growth and fine tune their strengths, enabling them to make the greatest impact. You can contact Shelley Hammell directly at shammell@thesagealliance.com.
One thought on “Transform Your Culture into a Coaching Culture”
I like it; and whether you’re large or small, for profit or non-profit, this is doable. I think for the “S” piece, I would suggest that one needs to gain agreement or consensus vs. alignment. I substituted your word because that’s just clearer language for me. It’s also a critical component that is often omitted in many strategic initiatives. Might you add an example of where you established SMART goals, but failed to gain agreement on the ultimate outcome up front. I think this will be telling for some.
Thanks.
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