Coaching – A Primer

Coaching is one of the primary tools that organizations use to optimize organizational performance. Broadly defined, Coaching is a process that facilitates the development of self-awareness, skill building and behavioral change in key business areas. Often these include:

  • Strategic Thinking
  • Executive Presence
  • Organizational Effectiveness
  • Conflict Management
  • Team Development
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Effective Communication
  • Performance Management
  • Change Management           
  • Self-awareness
  • Onboarding

Coaching has evolved to be an effective tool in talent management practices that assists organizations in pursuit of their strategic objectives and allows them to gain a competitive advantage by leveraging and accelerating the development of their people.

More specifically, our experience has shown that coaches help organizations gain competitive advantage by integrating and aligning coaching interventions to organizational strategy to:

  • Engage senior leadership in supporting the development of key talent
  • Increase leader engagement, grow leader skills and build bench strength throughout the organization
  • Energize the development of high potentials and assist with their integration through increased levels of responsibility
  • Accelerate the on-boarding process of new leaders for quicker alignment with the organization
  • Facilitate effective and efficient transitions to positions of increased responsibility to reduce the learning curve and accelerate levels of proficiency.

Coaching takes place in an organizational context. We employ a systems perspective by ensuring that the coach has knowledge of the organization as well as the individual.

We believe that for coaching to be successful, it is critical to identify and leverage the strengths of the individual receiving coaching. Building leadership capability and capacity is the single, greatest leverage point to change organizational culture, performance, and results. Leaders, through coaching, can optimize their own potential – benefitting their organizations, and most importantly those they lead.

It is also important to recognize that coaching is very much about people, their interactions, communication, perceptions, and influence. Our coaches are committed to honoring confidentiality and bringing backbone and heart to the special nature of the coaching partnership. Successful coaching is based upon trust and the establishment of a relationship between the individual and their coach. The “chemistry” and proper match of the coach and leader is a key component of successful coaching and, whenever possible, coaching should take place in person. When in person meetings are not feasible, the use of technology that enables “face to face” engagement is the next best alternative.

Coaching involves helping clients to create a crystal-clear vision of exactly where they want to go, how that aligns with the goals of their organization, and how they are going to get there. Coaching assists individuals in creating detailed plans to achieve goals and objectives and help them overcome any limiting beliefs or barriers that may be standing in the way of success.

Where there is a willingness to invest in managers’ and leaders’ development; where the coaching candidates have already demonstrated success and have a desire to continue to learn; and, where coaches adhere to the highest and best practices of coaching, we believe there are always opportunities for growth and for positive, measurable impact for individuals and their organizations.

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