Creating high-performing and engaged workforces through professional training and coaching
Nurturing a coaching culture in organisations has long been considered an effective means to achieve a happy, healthy workplace. As South Africans and businesses start to feel the effects of an economic slump caused by Covid-19, the value of coaching has proven invaluable in creating positive, success-driven workplaces able to weather the storm.
While many businesses were retrenching employees and shifting into survival mode when the Covid-19 lockdown period was first implemented, one South African institution stood out for making a difference – not only to the lives of its employees but the community at large.
From office politics, cliques and favouritism to employees being overworked and feeling under appreciated, an unhappy, disengaged workforce is one of the main reasons many businesses will not reach performance targets.
Through my experiences in training and executive coaching, I have often noted with surprise how, time and time again, c-suite executives overlook the very obvious connection between toxic culture and poor business performance. What could have gone wrong, when all the boxes – strategy, innovation, forward-thinking – were all ticked?
There are many factors constantly at play and contributing toward the overall culture of an organisation. Leadership teams have an important role to play in this regard, ensuring there is effective communication and dialogue taking place between employees and management, that there are measures in place to prevent favouritism, bullying, and unhealthy workplace practices.
The truth is that Peter Drucker’s famous quote, “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, rings truer than ever, reminding us that no matter how well considered your strategy may be, it’s nothing more than a paper exercise without engaged employees who contribute meaningfully to company culture to execute it.
What do we mean when we talk about a ‘holistic’ approach? Find out more over on the blog.
On our blog, you will also find a case study in excellence, JET Education Services journey to overcoming the challenges dealt by Covid-19. And, in keeping with our theme of positive organisational cultures for positive bottom line impact, our insights into the importance of creating a coaching culture are an absolute must read for organisations preparing to brave the socio-economic impact of the Covid waves.
I sincerely hope you enjoy our content this month. Reach out and let me know if there’s anything else you’d like us to cover in upcoming newsletters and blog content – or even if you would like to collaborate!
Warm regards,
Dr Mariam Sha,MD at Awakening Excellence
Author of The Engaged Workforce: 6 practical steps to creating a coaching culture
“Improve business bottom line through coaching at work.”
One of the fastest growing industries in the world, coaching, is embedding itself as a widespread development tool. It is being used by organisations across the UK and increasingly worldwide. In South Africa, a number of larger organisations encourage and pay for their management teams to receive coaching, whether it is from an internal or external coach. Many leading organisations in South Africa have also empowered and developed managers to become coaches at work. Coaching is being used in numerous areas, both in and outside of the corporate environment, including for personal development, change management, performance management, communications, team development and career development, personal wealth, stress, relationships and, most recently, for work/life balance and lifestyle change.
Coaching is unique in that it is based on the belief that every person has all the mental, physical and emotional resources they need to be successful doing whatever they choose to do.
What then, are the impediments to achieving our goals? Often, as individuals we question our journey direction and experience challenges in meeting our life goals as we easily get side tracked. Often we give up because of our own limiting beliefs, irrespective whether these have been acquired through circumstance or self imposed.
A coach can help us to unpack limiting beliefs, embrace supportive beliefs and ensure we are accountable for actions agreed with the coach. Furthermore, a coach assists to unlock any hidden or as-yet-unrealised potential. With the use of effective questioning techniques a coach can help us to clear any limiting beliefs by bringing clarity and purpose to our lives.
Coaches do not impose their solutions, opinions or products on the organisation or individual, they: –
• Specialise in and use modern continuous improvement and personal development tools and techniques (e.g. GROW Model, NLP, Inner Game, Self Assessment models, improvement planning)
• Create an ‘outside-in’ viewpoint and awareness, in which solutions and actions are seen very clearly
• Offer a non-directive form of development
• Focus on improving performance and developing an individuals’ skills
• Deploy activities that address organisational and individual goals
• Challenge the ‘normal’ way of doing and thinking about things
• Create an atmosphere of openness, honesty and the desired (but rarely achieved) states of ‘relaxed concentration’ and ‘flow’
• Focus on the specific needs of the person or organisation being coached
• Provide an independent sounding board
• Are able to hold people accountable to actions whilst maintaining rapport
• Do not have to ‘manage’ (e.g. enforce policies, standards and rules)
• Do not carry the baggage of previous relationships or the organisation’s history – in the case of external coaches
According to a survey by the International Personnel Management Association, training and development has shown that, following training, employee productivity increased by just over 22%, whereas training combined with coaching produces an increase in productivity of 88%.
Many experts and I, in my own experience, have observed marked improvements in the individual’s focus, clarity and purpose, work life balance, confidence in abilities and future, being equipped with tools to effect real change in ones life whenever it becomes necessary, achieving goals they could never reach on their own and being more organised according to ‘first things first’ – after receiving coaching.
Corporate coaching is used in a number of different ways to achieve real value for the organisation and its people, including: –
Contact us on Mariam@awakeningexcellence.co.za to book a coaching session.
The shift over the last century from agriculture to manufacturing with specialisation of labour being the predominant business operating model, an authoritarian style of management was prevalent. In the current knowledge economy, there is greater globalisation and talent mobility, quicker decision making, shorter time to upskill people, necessitating a different management style.
This is further confirmed by Valerio & Lee (2005) – Since the mid-1990s, the pace of change in the business world has accelerated. Greater demands are now placed on leadership. Corporations have grown lean and lost a great deal of talent in their downsizing. Those left in charge have often lacked the years of experience needed to inform their decision making. This means there has been precious little time for consensus building or intelligence gathering, and so the risk of errors by a leader or a leadership
team has increased. Coaching has emerged as the preferred just-in-time lesson to help leverage the areas that would have the greatest impact on results.
Coaching taps into the potential of individuals, the belief being the individual with the challenge often has the solution. Coaching has a holistic approach – shifting behaviour patterns, creating awareness of the management of emotions impacting self and others to changing thinking patterns with clear focus on end goals.
Organisations wanting to change the style of managing people often call in coaches to create a coaching culture. In this instance managers are trained to be coaches and are themselves coached to bring about the swell of culture change over a short period. These organisations see coaching as a strategic business imperative.
One of the frequent requests for Executive Coaching is working with the dilemma faced by executives to achieve business targets and results at the expense of supporting people. Thus, both Executives and people are fatigued, this impacting productivity, employee engagement and wellness. Targets may be achieved but levels of illness, absenteeism and staff turnover are on the rise. This begs the question of actual business results verse perceived results. What is it costing the organisation in absenteeism, and to recruit, re-train, and manage a disengaged workforce.
Each executive coaching intervention is unique to their situation. The benefits measured and observed has been tremendous; more self-awareness, improved communications at all levels, reduced stress levels, better relationships in the personal and business space, improved team engagement and clear focus and achievement of objectives.
Coaching in general and executive coaching works because the ownership rests with the individual being coached, through self-awareness changes are made by the individual. The coach is the facilitator of the change but the client is the one driving the process.
“The people, led by wise leadership, will come to the realisation, “we did it ourselves.” Lao-Tsu
Globalisation of business; flatter, leaner organisations; rapid changes, restructuring and cost-cutting strategies; and the inadequacy of training on its own have been some of the driving forces behind the greater need for coaching.
The demands placed on organisational leadership in the new business environment has expanded greatly; talent, skills and leadership have been lost through downsizing. In the mean-time, those left in charge often do not have the years of experience needed to inform their decision-making.
According to Valerio and Lee (2005), coaching emerged as the preferred “just-in-time” learning to help leverage the areas that would have the greatest impact on results.
There is much confusion as to what coaching really is and how it differs from counselling and mentoring. The general definitions of coaching suggest that a coach works with an individual to unlock their potential with a focus on taking an individual from their current state, to a positive desired future state.
Counselling, from a psychological perspective, addresses historical issues of the past and focuses on understanding and working on how past experiences impact on an individual’s current behaviour.
Mentoring is the transfer of skills from an experienced and skilled individual on a specific subject to another requiring this skill. A coach does not need to be a subject-matter expert to coach an individual.
It is the technique of questioning, listening and motivating as well as being goal-oriented that is key to the coaching relationship.
In South Africa coaching has been introduced in organisations for a number of reasons. Retaining talent, refining leadership style, enhancing and supplementing training, and addressing under-performance are among the many outcomes an organisation anticipates from coaching. And what transpires as coaching is often a combination of teaching, mentoring, counselling and coaching.
In organisations where it has been introduced as an under-performance improvement measure, coaching as a positive tool is often tainted by negative perceptions, where people shy away from the experience. When clear and measurable objectives are not set by coach and coachees for the coaching intervention, imprecise outcomes are formed that call the value of coaching into question. In this way and for this reason, some organisations are reluctant in creating a coaching culture.
However, research confirms that coaching taps into the natural way the brain functions, improving and enhancing individual performance. Because of this, coaching is certainly valuable for underperformers, talented individuals or anyone wanting to change behaviour or achieve a goal. Creating a coaching culture empowers every individual in the organisation to take on a leadership role by applying the coaching methodology in their leadership style.
In addition, the move away from instructions and authoritarian styles of management means that individuals are respected for their contribution through an ingrained belief that they have the answers to their problems. As such, coaching is powerful and effective, because individuals reach their own conclusions, deciding on actions that they willingly commit to. This culture creates a climate that empowers individuals and teams to generate results.
Furthermore, research shows that training supported by coaching is significantly more effective than coaching alone. According to a survey by the International Personnel Management Association, the impact of training on productivity is 22.4%, whereas, training plus coaching achieves a dramatic 88% increase in productivity. Hence, coaching in the workplace has a positive impact on the bottom line.
The International Coaching Federation (2009) reported that executives who were coached for a minimum of six months experienced a 77% improvement in their working relationships with direct reports; 71% with supervisors; and 63% with peers. Additionally, job satisfaction rose by 61% and organizational commitment went up 44%.
Coaching is not a fad, nor the latest trend in management, neither is it seen as a ‘feel-good’ exercise unrelated to business objectives. Coaching is increasingly recognised as a methodology for creating effective conversations, assessing and reformulating values and goals, and reaching solutions (Zeus and Skiffington, 2002).
The need for coaching and training interventions within organisations is now widely accepted and acknowledged, with 75% of organisations currently offering coaching and mentoring, according to a 2014 survey report by CIPD*.
The impact of implementing a coaching programme is certainly significant and measurable, however there are a few common mistakes that organisations tend to make when applying a coaching programme. To ensure practices are embedded in the culture of the organisation and there is long term sustainability, consider the points below when implementing a coaching programme.
What follows is an extract from Dr Mariam Sha’s book, The Engaged Workforce: 6 practical steps to creating a coaching culture): –
Ignoring the bigger picture, the larger map
Employees do not work in isolation, behaviour is impacted by groups and peers. In an organisation, cultural norms prevail that can either enable or prevent an employee from implementing change in a positive way. When offering coaching to an employee, an organisation should adopt a holistic approach. Employees being coached cannot change their behaviour if the system does not allow and welcome the change.
Set clear measurable objectives/goals – measure return on investment
Neglecting to set individual, team and organisational goals prior to commencing with a coaching programme leaves little room for measuring improvements and achieving outcomes. Track progress on the achievement of individual, team and organisational objectives. Encourage feedback on the programme and make the necessary changes to ensure that the strategic goals are met.
Participation is voluntary
Not every manager has the competencies or perhaps even the desire to be a coach. When deciding to implement coaching, an organisation needs to account for those managers who may lack the will or ability to coach their employees. Start with those managers that are committed to changing their style of management to a coaching style. Their success will encourage other managers to do so.
Skills and competencies
Workplace coaches should be carefully selected. The sponsor or HR need to be clear and in agreement on the specific competencies and behaviours of a coach, taking into consideration how these will be acquired and applied to ensure success.
Continuation of coaching after training
Training may be a step towards accreditation for a workplace coach. It’s vital that organisations provide ongoing supervision and monitoring for sustainability.
Coaches don’t have the answers
The explanations and expectations of coaching should be discussed upfront with all stakeholders. Everyone needs to understand that the coach should not be providing answers and solutions. The coach has the techniques and skills to listen, probe and question. If or when a coach responds to pressure from the coachee or the organisation to achieve ‘quick’ results, the outcome is likely to be superficial rather than a sustained behavioural change.
Coach and psychologist
Whether or not a coach is qualified in the discipline, psycho-therapy should not be brought into a coaching session. A coach can state and acknowledge the need for a psychologist where necessary, stepping away from the relationship. Note that people being coached may have major interpersonal difficulties, and, as such, it is essential that a coach determines at the outset why such a relationship would not reap the expected results.
Make time for coaching
Often managers raise time constraints as obstacles coaching their staff. Coaching is a style of management, it’s not an add-on requiring additional time. Create coachable moments: apply the coaching methodology during one-on-one meetings, performance appraisals or discussions on key issues. This serves to encourage individuals to think of solutions rather than the manager always providing solutions. Individuals are more likely to implement solutions they had thought of than those they have been instructed to carry out.
Order your copy of “An Engaged Workforce: 6 practical steps to creating a coaching culture”. Contact info@awakeningexcellence.co.za
The idea of achieving our goals can often be daunting; with so many of the people I’ve coached, it was commonplace to turn negative thoughts into reality, allowing destructive beliefs about ones’ self to place limitations on one’s abilities. These “limiting beliefs” are assumptions about reality that are not true, and are what stand in the way of us realising our full potential.
Have you built walls to block success in your life? Ask yourself: –
Do you find it difficult to realise and fulfil your goals?
Are you clear on what needs to be done, but unsure of how to go about it all?
Does it sometimes feel as though someone is blocking you from achieving more?
Are there inner “voices” telling you that you are never good enough, leading you to believe you will never be a success?
Do these sound like the type of statements you might be telling yourself?
If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, you’re one of many who think in this way. But there are ways to change this habitual thinking.
There are times when most of us experience a sense of helplessness and despair – when we have tried every option to reach our goals and none seem to work. More often than not, we stand in the way of our own success, and we sabotage ourselves, by indulging in beliefs that do not serve us.
What are you saying to yourself that is working against your efforts to improve your life?
I frequently encounter people who struggle with limiting beliefs, especially when it comes to finances and finding a fulfilling career. Business owners, managers and individuals alike will have put time, effort and valuable resources into achieving their goals, and sometimes to no avail. What separates them from people who are successful, when we are all born with the innate ability and talent to reach what we set out to achieve?
Limiting beliefs
Our thoughts are powerful, if we think we can’t, we won’t; if we think we can, we will. Here are 6 tips to improving your life by changing limiting beliefs: –
You and only you have the power to achieve success, tap into your inner strength and stop self sabotaging!
There is a Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times. Chaplin is portrayed as a factory worker employed on an assembly line. There, he is subjected to such indignities as being force-fed by a malfunctioning “feeding machine” and an accelerating assembly line where he screws nuts at an ever-increasing rate onto pieces of machinery. He finally suffers a nervous breakdown and runs amok, throwing the factory into chaos.
From early history prior to the industrial revolution, it seems that humans took responsibility for their lives, made decisions favourable or not, but took ownership for those decisions.
The industrial age through to the manufacturing age introduced the division of labour and specialisation. It was a time when one or a few individuals made decisions, the often-heard phrase “you were hired to work not to think” stripped workers of their most valuable and liberating asset – the human brain. Most workers were destined to become mere “a robots with a pulse”. The Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times, provides a glimpse of the role of the employee through those ages.
Now, in the information age and moving into the digital age, we expect people to keep up, to make decisions, to think for themselves, to innovate and lead; but the pattern of behaviour created over time will not allow for this.
How do we create work environments that encourage thinking, where people take ownership and responsibility for their deliverables and decisions, where people solution focused and there are opportunities and leadership possibilities? A more relevant question would be: Why do we need to have these changes in the work environment?
From an organisational point of view, it is vital that we have solution focused thinkers in the workspace. Many individuals’ collective actions and behaviour create the culture of the organisation and ultimately impact on the all-important bottom line. Gone are the days when a few senior leaders could make a decision and see the results of that decision as planned. Firstly, a few people may not have all the answers, nor have the capacity to do so and secondly, the workforce makes these decisions a reality or not through the collective behaviour and actions of people. Do you often wonder as a manager or leader why plans and decisions do not transpire into results?
From an individual perspective, we have always made decisions. It’s part of our make-up. If we don’t re-programme our brain we will be left behind amongst those that allow others to drive us in our personal and professional lives while remaining in the passenger seat with little or no say. When we reach our destination we, wonder how we had arrived and how life has passed us by without an active role and choice in designing it.
What you could consider as an individual: –
Have awareness of your patterns of thinking and behaviour. What do you do and say? What reaction and result do you get from this. If the behaviour or programme is not working, consider an alternative and observe the results.
You spend over 70% of your life at work – choose the work you do that puts you in flow. Where your passion and energy is ignited. Motivated people are healthier, happier and more engaged. We don’t have all the answers, seek information and collaborate with people around you. Be with people who support and empower, not those that pull you down. Take responsibility and make decisions, be a leader in your space. Seek feedback from friends, family and colleagues – continuously learn, grow and improve in all that you do. Build relations don’t break them.
What do high performing organisation do?
Bring back the human being into the workplace – a thinking person is healthy, happy, engaged and high performing.
A new year is typically accompanied by a fresh approach and reinvigorated drive to make improvements to our lives and lifestyles. Whether it’s dropping a few kilograms or achieving that promotion you’ve been after for a while, it’s important to go about achieving what you want in 2022 in ways that are sustainable and SMART.
By, SMART, we mean SMART goal setting – making your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. This entails:
Unlike new year resolutions that can often be vague and unsustainable, setting a goal according to the SMART methodology is a more efficient way of achieving what you really want. That doesn’t mean it’s easy or a ‘quick fix’ – sticking to goals takes hard work, determination, planning and support.
If sticking to a goal feels too overwhelming, or perhaps you’ve been down the same road before unsuccessfully, a coach can support you in achieving your goals. Awakening Excellence offers executive business and life coaching on a one-on-one and group basis to help with this very challenge, and we can certainly help you start achieving the life you want today!
While 2021 may have been a whirlwind for many of us, 2022 can be the start of a new, more fulfilling life where we open ourselves up to opportunity, possibility, and the power that is inherent in all of us.
Let’s get started on building the life, career and business you want and deserve from 2022 onwards. Get in touch with us by sending an enquiry email to info@awakeningexcellence.co.za or call 0113262314 for more information.