Coaching at Work: Does my organisation need coaching?

There are numerous obvious reasons why an organization may be eager to include coaching in a set of learning and development interventions. It usually takes place at the actual work setting and so, not only avoids the expense in terms of time and money of the traditional face to face event, but also ensures that coaching is rooted in genuine 'live' situations. As I've stated elsewhere, coaching is a learnt skill and so regular coaching sessions will also be developmental for the coach as well as the coachee.

Before we get into the detail of these and other reasons for coaching, let's consider some more authoritative views

The coaching literature provides a comprehensive list of the benefits of coaching for the organization. For example:

Improved performance and productivity - given that coaching brings out the best in individuals and teams

Improved relationships - since the questioning style he advocates clearly values the coachee and his/her answer

More time for the manager - based on the argument that those who are coached welcome responsibility and do not have to be chased or watched

Greater flexibility and adaptability to change - given that coaching is about being responsive as well as responsible

John Whitmore

Many advance this argument by suggesting that coaching produces results which are not only desirable, but an absolute necessity in today's environment:

'In a modern, high performance world, every organization requires highly competent staff, who frequently provide its principal 'competitive edge'. Without skilled, motivated and confident employees, which organisations will succeed in the long term. Training alone cannot hope to deliver this fully, especially since it is generally accepted that as much as 80 per cent of work related training is actually acquired on the job. Staff need to be guided, supported, enabled and encouraged to obtain such learning within work. This is what coaching should provide.'

Peter M Pay

It is worth noting that Pay goes on to point out that off the job training should not be abandoned but supported by good coaching so that development needs, large and small can be facilitated and met.

The benefits described above are developed by the thoughts of Bernard Redshaw who claims that when good coaching is widespread, the whole organization can learn new things more quickly, and can therefore adapt to change more effectively. Moreover coaching tends to be self-perpetuating because people who are well coached more readily become good coaches themselves. So the more coaches an organization has, the more it keeps on producing them.

Every piece of literature I've ever consulted in the reseacrh for my training programmes and books outlines a number of benefits (mainly variations of those described above) with no suggestion anywhere that coaching is not a worthwhile activity.

I intend to follow this piece with further articles concerned with putting forward a detailed and hopefully compelling argument for coaching in organizations. I hope these points will help you convince both the skeptical coachee and the circumspect senior team - who will need to be convinced that coaching creates value if they are to release the resources needed.