Workplace Coaching – what is it, and how can it help me?

What is workplace coaching?

Coaching has been defined as ‘the process of helping people to perform to the peak of their abilities’.* Workplace coaching supports individuals and teams to increase their learning by addressing performance issues.

These may include:

• Team skills
• Interpersonal relationships
• Communication skills
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Dealing with stress

Who is it for?

Workplace coaching is aimed at heads of services, middle managers, team leaders and team members who wish to improve their own or others’ performance at work.

What does it involve?

The coach firstly identifies issues and desired outcomes with the organisational contact. Secondly, the coach meets with the individual or team to further clarify the issues.

Following this initial assessment, the coach arranges a number of sessions (normally 4-6) with the individuals over a period of weeks. Sessions normally last for up to 2 hours, although team sessions may be longer. A review date is agreed at the outset.

Coaching sessions are goal-oriented and aimed at achieving results in short timescales. They enable individuals and teams to identify where they are now, where they would like to be, and how they can take steps to achieve their goals. The time between sessions (normally 2-3 weeks) enables individuals to try out strategies identified in their sessions.

Coaching sessions often cover issues such as work/life balance, career development and managing change – all of which can affect performance and job satisfaction.

The improvement of existing skills and the acquisition of new skills may also be identified, for example, improving presentation skills or delegating more effectively.

Increasing individuals’ self awareness and their sensitivity to the needs of others is often a key factor in improving performance.

What skills does a workplace coach bring to their work?

• Listening and questioning effectively
• Building rapport
• Focusing on goals
• Challenging constructively
• Giving helpful feedback
• Supporting individuals to make changes towards their identified goals

What are the outcomes and benefits of workplace coaching?

Coaching can rapidly increase awareness, learning and motivation, by providing focused training and support for individuals and teams. It is cost and time efficient for the organisation, and its focus on goals enables its effectiveness to be readily assessed. It can lead to:-

• Improved individual and team performance
• New skills and knowledge
• Increased commitment
• Improved working relationships
• Increased staff retention
• Increased awareness of own and others’ needs

Workplace coaching may raise awareness of the culture of the organisation and its contribution to successful performance. Different individuals have differing needs and will respond in different ways to their organisation’s culture.

Identifying strategies to help individuals and teams perform at their best in challenging contexts is often a helpful outcome of coaching.

*Dilts, Robert

 TCL Feb 2010