When a leader coaching approach becomes pervasive at all levels of an organization, from middle management up to the C-suite, everyone wins—the leader coach, the employees, the organization, and all of its stakeholders.
According to “The Worldwide Employee Engagement Crisis,” Gallup poll done in January of 2016, the top four outcomes for those who receive coaching are:
• improved communication skills (42%)
• enhanced self-esteem/self-confidence (40%)
• increased productivity (39%)
• optimizing individual/teamwork performance (38%)
Coaching is a huge opportunity to develop leaders, improve performance, and position employees for the next step in their careers.
Coaching is collaborative
It is a partnership entered into by both you, the leader, and your direct report to build capabilities that will result in an agreed-upon outcome. Performance is enhanced by enabling your employees to try different approaches to see what works best for them. The leader coach provides feedback and insight along the way to help employees make real progress. This approach helps employees make the necessary behavioral shifts that close gaps and blind spots and optimize strengths.
Coaching provides individualized attention
This enables employees to zero in on the competencies and the associated behavioral changes that will make them more effective. As a result, employees develop interpersonal skills, the softer side of leadership. These skills—including but not limited to speaking up in meetings, forming concise communications, gaining visibility, and increasing one’s influence—are all areas you as the leader can help them address through a coaching approach. Employees become more agile and flexible as needs in the organization continue to evolve and change.
Learning to coach (and not just lead) helps you enhance your influence even further. You likely consider yourself a leader, but are you a coach? Learning to be a leader coach will improve your, and your team’s, performance and help you achieve your business goals.
More and more leaders see the value of a coaching approach and are positioning this as a means to help their teams develop additional leadership skills and become more agile. Learn more about the SAGE Coaching Approach.
SAGE Alliance, a Leadership Performance Company; provides executive coaching, team-building, industry leading assessments, workshops and speaking on topics including: building a high-performing team through coaching, developing and optimizing your top talent, delivering commanding communications, creating a lasting impression, making a greater impact through personal branding for executives and high-potentials – for both team and individual leaders.
Shelley Hammell, is the president, CEO and author of You Think You’re Coaching, But You’re Not! available HERE, and is available for book signings and speaking engagements.