Coaching is proven to be an effective way of increasing staff productivity and HR managers play a critical role in its effective utilisation within the organisation. But do they have enough first-hand experience to encourage buy-in at the top let alone to communicate the benefits of coaching?

Coaching has proven highly beneficial when applied appropriately

Janice Caplan, author of the book Coaching for the Future, recalls coaching a senior manager who had to deal with people from Germany, the Far East and the US.  "We covered some cultural mapping so that the senior manager was able to build up his understanding of the differences between each of the countries in a general way," says Caplan.

"Of course, not everyone fits their cultural mould," continues Caplan.  "And so, in the privacy of the coach-learner relationship, we were able to discuss certain individuals and identify where they fitted in with the culture of their country, of their local organisation and of the wider organisation. This enabled the senior manager to identify how to adapt his style to suit each of the individuals concerned and it enabled him to increase his effectiveness at communicating with these people and also at influencing them."

 The best way for coaching to become a valued method of employee development is to get buy-in at the top of the organisation.  If the CEO doesn’t understand, or believe in, the value of coaching it will be very difficult to introduce the concept on a wider level.  It follows that if the leaders of the company endorse, and utilise coaching themselves, this can contribute to the desire for people in the rest of the organisation to work with a coach.

Coaching is most effective when it is proactively requested by an employee. There must be a commitment and a willingness on the part of the client in order to achieve maximum results. Coaching by force does not work.

In addition to specific business and developmental issues, coaching is very effective for employees within an intercultural context. Some issues that expatriates face may be rooted in the situation of being in a cultural situation that they are not familiar with. By working with a coach these issues can be identified and addressed.

"In complex environments the need for learning and developing of skills is ever-lasting. Hence education and training are necessary," says Paul Melessen, Amsterdam-based international strategy consultant and coach of multinational teams.

"However, in particular for managers, they are not sufficient," continues Melessen. "Managers continuously transfer knowledge and sell ideas learned. You cannot learn this from a book or in a classroom. Managers need to be aware of their behaviour and its consequences. Otherwise their messages won't land. A personal coach is perfect as a mirror. He or she helps you to bridge the gap between the knowledge and ideas in your head and what you accomplish in practice. It is all about effectiveness. In particular in multicultural environments this is true—the knowledge gap is often so wide there."

Many companies already embrace the concept of coaching as noted in their level of investment.  According to C2M: Consulting to Management in September 2001, "Motorola say they expect to spend in the low millions this year on executive coaching for their best middle managers."

This trend is also echoed by CNN.com which reported in May 2001, "Once used to bolster troubled staffers, coaching now is part of the standard leadership development training for elite executives and talented up-and-comers at IBM, Motorola, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and Hewlett Packard. These companies are discreetly giving their best prospects what star athletes have long had: a trusted adviser to help reach their goals.”

For HR Professionals to be able to recommend coaching to the CEO and others it is logical, and extremely helpful from a credibility standpoint, to have worked with a coach themselves.  By being coached, HR Professionals accomplish several things: they set the example for others; they gain a first-hand perspective of how coaching works so they are better prepared to talk about the benefits; and they gain value for themselves in the process.

Since people within the organisation may hire coaches without informing the HR department, it may be worthwhile conducting a confidential survey to find out how many people: are aware of what coaching is; are currently working with a coach; have worked with a coach in the past; and are interested in receiving coaching.

If the leadership of the organisation is not supportive of coaching on a company wide level, HR Professionals can still play a valuable role by being a resource and providing referrals for people who request information about coaching.

HR Professionals can also communicate the option of coaching on a one-on-one basis as they interact with business leaders.  It is not uncommon for leaders to hire a coach and make the investment themselves.  Some leaders have budgetary discretion and are able to choose the development process for themselves and their employees.

Coaching should always be kept confidential and if the person who is getting coached wants to talk it about it that is up to them.  Some people don’t want anyone to know they have a coach, they see their coach as their secret success weapon and as a competitive advantage.

Others are proud to have a coach and like to brag about it.  It is up to the individual whether or not they want to disclose a coaching relationship.  Trust between the coach and client is a critical component of an effective coaching relationship.

The difference between training and coaching

The International Coach Federation (ICF), the largest non-profit professional association worldwide of personal and business coaches with more than 7000 members and over 132 chapters in 29 countries, defines coaching as:

"Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.  Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customise their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has. "

Julio Olalla of the Newfield Network said the following in a report that was delivered at the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) in May of 2003, "Coaching goes beyond skill development. While not about transferring information or skills, it can transform traditional practices of teaching and training. By integrating coaching into your training initiatives, you build in a system for on-going learning and sustained behavior change that can exponentially increase the results of your initiatives.”

Author and experienced coach Donald Clark says about the difference between training and coaching: "Training is about teaching a particular skill or knowledge. Coaching, on the other hand, is about increasing an individual's knowledge and thought processes with a particular task or process. It creates a supportive environment that develops critical thinking skills, ideas, and behaviours about a subject. Although it is closely tied to training, it is more personal and intimate in nature."

There are many definitions of training and coaching, the chart below highlights some general differences.

TRAINING	COACHING
Usually a one time event with little or no follow up	On going over time, allows for follow up and accountability
One trainer to many trainees	One to one
Designed to appeal to many people	Tailored specifically to the individual
Mainly one way: trainer to trainee	Two way: a partnership, an interactive discussion
Trainer talks more than trainees	Client usually talks more than the coach, the coach listens
Delivery of information regarding skills	Discovery of the client’s unique situation and challenges and specific solutions for him/her

Even though coaching is different from training in several ways, they can compliment each other very well.  An article in Public Personnel Management (Winter 97, Vol. 26 Issue 4, p. 461, published by the International Personnel Management Association) revealed a study where training alone was compared to coaching combined with training. The study showed that training alone increased productivity by 22.4 percent while training plus coaching increased productivity by 88 percent.

C2M: Consulting to Management reported in September 2001, "Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate, has thirty coaches working in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa with 250 top managers."

Although coaching is often offered mainly to people at the highest levels in organisations, coaching can benefit employees at all levels.  The culture of the organisation and the emphasis on development can dictate how widely coaching is offered.

Coaching resources for HR professionals

Word of mouth referral is a fantastic way to meet qualified and effective coaches.  There are also several referral sites available for people who are interested in finding the right coach. 

Coachville (http://cvcommunity.com) provides free information as well as a coach referral listing.

Coach Inc, a coach training institute, also has a referral site http://www.findacoach.com as does the ICF at http://www.coachfederation.com/referral/index.asp. 

November 2004

Stephanie Ward, professionally trained Life & Business Coach, is the owner of Firefly Coaching (http://www.fireflycoaching.com). She works with business leaders in organisations.