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Posted on 2009-03-24 in Training

Coaching in Learning & Development

Monica Murphy looks at some of the misconceptions surrounding coaching and, in so doing, underlines the value of coaching to all employees in an organisation

To view coaching in the sporting sense of the word is helpful in understanding the role of coaching in learning and development. In the same way as a sportsperson benefits from the expertise and attention of a personal coach, so can an employee benefit from coaching in the workplace. Both the sportsperson and the employee agree clearly defined goals, their performance can be measured and feedback is frequent and constructive. Finally, in both cases, the ultimate quality of the performance is up to the individual alone, with the coach providing support and encouragement.

Arguably, any company with a strategic approach to learning and development should have executive coaching included in its plans. There are many types of coaching and it can be provided across a range of levels depending on what stage a person is at. One of the biggest categories of people who are offered coaching are those who have demonstrated competence in an organisation in a highly technical role and who have been promoted as a result. The promotion will most likely bring with it an increasing need for good people skills and emotional intelligence. For someone who has never had to manage people before, this can be quite daunting. In this situation, it can be beneficial to assign a coach who will work with someone, on a 1:1 basis, for period of time, until confidence and competence in the area has improved.

To separate it from learning and development, coaching looks beyond the acquiring of skills and into the area of mental strength and self-belief, which should then help people to face tough times and those of great change. Furthermore, coaching is a method of learning that is highly personal, flexible and individualised. Well planned coaching is customised to suit the needs of the individual, as well as those of the organisation.

Coaching Training Mentoring Counselling
Collaborative partnership that emphasises personal development and problem-solving. The relationship is equal. Involves specific skills, the individual is a passive recipient. The individual is learning from a more experienced person - the relationship is not equal Focuses on personal difficulties affecting performance

Why Coaching?
Critics of coaching tend to think that ‘we are who we are and that, by and large, we cannot change.’ They have difficulty understanding the similarities between a sports coach and a business coach. They doubt the possibility of improving non-physical skills through coaching in the same manner that physical skills can be enhanced. Those in favour of coaching are of the school of thought that change is always possible – even deep-rooted attributes. For example, someone who believes themselves a poor presenter can become a good presenter with a little effort and some skilled coaching assistance.

The value of executive coaching is becoming more widely appreciated in Ireland. However, we have yet to implement it as formally as some countries. In the United States, for example, approximately 95 per cent of Fortune 500 companies avail of executive coaching as a learning intervention.

The increased interest in coaching has its genesis, like many paradigm shifts today, in the changes in work practices brought about by technology. With technological advances, came the flattening out of organisations, which gave rise to employees becoming more empowered and the need for them to make more informed decisions by themselves. In addition, technological change brought more ferocious competition as globalisation become widespread. All of this rapid change has seen many talented people being moved around from role to role with sometimes insufficient interpersonal skills to cope with the inherent challenges that rapid such change brings.

Ultimately, coaching is about improving a person’s self confidence. This base of self confidence is then used to assure the person that, no matter what situation they find themselves in, they will have, or acquire, the necessary skills to deal with it in a professional manner.

Some of the most popular subjects discussed at coaching sessions are:
Business Goals: How can we diversify into other markets?
Personal growth: I am not as motivated as I used to be and need to get back on track.
Dealing with others: How can I become a better communicator and tackle unpleasant situations confidently.
Delegating work: I am not comfortable with my workload and yet seem unable to delegate.
Time Management: There’s never enough time to cover everything and my home life is suffering.
Becoming promoted: My subordinates don’t respect me.

Coaching should not be seen as a soft option. To be truly effective, coaching should be challenging for both parties, sometimes even uncomfortable. The real test of coaching is how the person being coached performs by themselves.

Who might benefit from Coaching?
Despite a common perception, coaching is for everyone, not just high achievers or those with a specific problem. It would seem that coaching has something to offer all employees, as long as the employees enter into coaching in the right frame of mind. Coaching can often be met with suspicion from employees, especially if they have not actively sought to be coached and they may feel uneasy about why it has been suggested and what the feedback might be.

Contradictorily, coaching is not for everyone in that some individuals will refuse to embrace it and the worthy coach should recognise this early on in the process so as to avoid wasting time and ultimately, money.

Before prescribing coaching sessions for employees, keep in mind that the one defining factor in successful coaching is that the individual being coached must be an active participant in the process at all times and accept ultimate responsibility. They must be willing to examine all aspects of their performance and behaviour, and refrain from becoming defensive about criticism or suggestions to change. They must also be aware that they will have a certain amount of ‘homework’ to do in terms of agreed actions between sessions.

The most useful coaching usually takes place when the individual being coached, and his organisation, demonstrate the following qualities:

The Individual:
1. Participates in forming an honest evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses.
2. Has a secure, non threatening environment in which to deal with sensitive issues such as lack of confidence.
3. Is able to divulge in confidence their personal goals within the organisation.
4. Can clarify their own career development.

The Organisation:
1. Empowers employees so that they can deal with change and development continuously.
2. Demonstrates commitment to staff growth and development.
3. Can help identify problems before they become critical.
4. Increases productivity, creativity and communication.
5. Emphasises the organisational learning environment that promotes continual improvement.

Who should be coach?
Another misconception about coaching is that it must be performed by some external person. While it may be more beneficial in certain circumstances to employ a professional coach, the notion that coaching can be performed internally by a senior person in the organisation merits consideration. An internal coach, for example, might be appointed to help new recruits understand the organisation and find their way around. They may be appointed to graduates and other employees to assist them with career development or to help them settle into a new role and develop new skills.

As the employee’s position within the organisation becomes more senior, however, it may be preferable to appoint an external coach. An external coach is not influenced by internal politics and will bring a fresh perspective to the situation.

Because of the speed of growth in the area of business coaching, many coaches have emerged. Inevitably in a profession that is as yet unregulated in Ireland, many of these practitioner coaches have differing levels of ability and experience.

While many coaching practitioners do not regard them, we are not completely without standards in coaching. The Life and Business Coaching association has developed standards for Coach Training and Coach Accreditation in Ireland. There are differences of opinion on whether or not the area should be regulated at all. Professional coaching standards are on their way and should be welcomed suggests David Lane, co-creator of the Global Convention on Coaching, who commented at a coaching conference in October last year that the market will decide what is valued and what is not. If the buyers of coaching want high standards, the pressure of the market will be towards one body. The higher you drive the standards; the higher standards of entry will be in the coaching profession.

Magdalena Mook, Assistant Director of the International Coach Federation (ICF) argues that the profession needs recognition, not regulation. She says that though regulation could mean greater protection for the consumer, making it easier for clients to differentiate between trainers, consultants and coaches, it could also bring about costly, complicated systems for verification, licensing or examination, creating, burdensome pricing structures and different jurisdictions with different regulations.

Arranging Coaching
Deciding on an external coach can be a time-consuming task. There is a wide variety of coaching available, from sales coaching to management development coaching to personal life coaching. The starting point, as with any search is to know what you are looking for. Coaching can be divided into four different categories: coaching for skills, coaching for performance, coaching for development or for a management agenda such as succession planning. These distinctions are helpful in determining the expectations of the coaching, the nature of the intervention, the time it will take and the level of effort required by the learner. For the HR or training practitioner it is useful framework against which to select a coach.

Mark Prime, a HR practitioner with Citigroup points out that any coaching request or suggestion must start with the question ‘what will it achieve for the business?’ He also recommends appointed coaches who have appropriate business backgrounds so that they can empathise with the challenges of those being coached. Interestingly, other practitioners prefer if the coach has a completely different background so as to offer a broader perspective to the learner.

Other elements requiring reflection before appointing a coach are:
Training and Qualifications: What training and/or qualifications does the coach have and are they relevant to your business needs? Why are they working as a coach? Depending on whether you agree with Lane or Mook as mentioned above, you may want to consider the presence of affiliation with a coaching body.

Style, charisma and behavioural expertise: Does the coach engender their own lesson by demonstrating active listening skills? You may be surprised at how many do not at that crucial first meeting. Can they guarantee confidentiality? Do you trust them to deliver?

Success Measurement: What assurances can they give you that the coaching will be effective and what tools will be used to measure success?

The chosen coach must be many things, but perhaps most importantly, they should be an excellent listener. They should also be genuinely interested in helping the individual and have sound communication and negotiating skills. A good coach should be patient; supportive and enthusiastic while also being facilitative and encouraging.

The Cost of Coaching
The cost of coaching varies widely. Based on coaching an individual who would be promoted from a highly technical role into one where people management would be required, I was quoted two options. One coach quoted me €250 for a two hour session, excluding travelling expenses. Another quoted €700 for a two hour session including travelling expenses. The latter coach, when asked, said they were affiliated with the International Coach Federation. The former said that they were not accredited by any awarding body because they did not place any value on the awards. The cheaper of the two options, I must concede, seemed to know more about what he was talking about than the second. Is the higher price for a better service or to distribute the cost of the accrediting course?

The breakdown of the overall cost of a complete coaching solution for one individual is hard to ascertain as it really depends on the person to be coached. On average, most coaches said it would typically take four to six months of coaching to effect a change. The coaching sessions would take place every two weeks for two hours.

The cheaper option of telephone coaching may be an option as you only pay for the coaching session and no expenses or travelling time. However, this option was not a hot favourite with many coaches as they felt the one to one contact was the essence of coaching. I tend to agree.

The Future of Coaching?
So what’s in store for coaching, as we find ourselves in gloomier economic conditions? The pressure is increased on suppliers and indeed buyers of coaching to prove its positive impact. As the economy slows down, budgets will be tightened upon, and organisations will want to ensure their return on investment more than ever.

David Megginson, professor of HRD at Sheffield Hallam University said: ‘People are starting to say that coaching is a fad. I’m not sure that is the case but, if it is, suppliers and coach educators need to change their business plans’. An article in the Financial Times entitled ‘Life of a coach potato’ upset many executive coaching companies by suggesting that ‘having a coach was well on the way to being the biggest status symbol of all’. Such criticism is met with the argument that, as long as the individual is sincerely committed to coaching and is benefiting from it, whether they see it as a status symbol, or not, is irrelevant.

Ultimately, for coaching to be an effective learning intervention in the workplace, two factors must be considered as a baseline:
1. Coaching needs to be married with the strategic direction of the organisation: this could well mean the organisation making an attempt to focus on specific leadership behaviours or help to change the culture.
2. Success of coaching depends upon the learner being truly committed to it. Using coaching merely as a status symbol indicates a lack of focus on genuine objectives.