Managers are not born coaches, but the benefit of having trained in-house coaches is about engaging and developing employees for the betterment of themselves, the team, and the entire organisation.
An advantage of in-house coaches start with the fact it can be a much more cost-effective solution than using specialist external coaches over time, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Understanding the Business
An in-house coach also has an initial advantage in that they know the company and can align coaching with the organisation’s core values. Any external coach will take time to get to know the company, its strategy, objectives and goals. It can also take more time for an external coach to understand the cultural norms of an organisation each time they are required.
Leadership Development
Coaching and collaboration have taken over as an effective way for managers to lead. Having managers trained to coach employees, as opposed to simply manage staff, is an excellent way of engaging line managers in developing leadership skills in a business. In addition, the experience of coaching also provides development for the manager doing the coaching.
Inspire Quality Work and Retention
The benefit for staff from coaching is to have someone to help you become better at your job. This support lets employees feel that their needs are being cared for and they feel valued by the company. Coaching can help people feel more empowered to make a difference and improve their own effectiveness. In turn, this leads to the development of a greater sense of belonging which is ultimately what helps a company retain employees.
Time Saving Benefits
A longer term benefit of coaching over managing and a positive side effect is the opportunity to create time savings. Through regular two way feedback for both individuals and teams, tasks can be delegated effectively and with confidence. By providing a deeper level of trust in their abilities, not only are the staff more productive, but the management can be too. They no longer have to worry about overseeing every aspect of their employees working day.
Identify Issues Early
Regular communication as part of coaching has the clear benefit of fewer surprises for both the manager, team members and individual employees. It means that potential issues are identified, raised and discussed early on, helping to avoid awkward conversations, leaving staff feeling engaged, supported and focused on achieving their targets.
Make Work a Pleasure to be There
A fun and inspiring atmosphere at work will equal satisfied employees. Developing the culture and climate of a workplace is key to ensuring employees are motivated and want to come to work. A coaching culture is naturally more creative and focuses on opportunities, it also nurtures and builds confidence in people to share their thoughts and ideas more. Coaching is about connecting with people, inspiring them to do their best and helping them to grow.
Coaching principles underpin a management style that leads to a high performing culture. Although a coaching culture is a business change and developing this will require time and support for all concerned. Moving to a coach-like approach undoubtedly has long term benefits for employees, managers and the business as a whole.
View the Blog