For professional coaches or for people who are not new to the idea of coaching, people who have been coaching clients and went through their own personal development, self-discovery and self-awareness journey, the benefits of coaching are so obvious, natural and easy to put into words. However sometimes we forget that we might not speak the same language as individuals who have yet to embark on their journey to become more self-aware and to realize what works and what doesn’t work for them, what holds them back, what they like and who they are.
So, saying to such a person for example that coaching is beneficial because it helps you uncover your vales and strengths or because it offers new perspectives will not necessarily make them see in what way this will help them. We know this is what they need and what will help them, but does it even matter if they don’t see it themselves?
For this reason, before explaining the benefits of coaching we should first answer questions such as:
When do you need coaching? Or in what situation is coaching beneficial?
The answers to these questions distance us from the coaching mindset, according to which we only focus on the positive. However, as much as we try to disguise problems, issues, hardship and suffering into the less threatening and more appealing counterpart called challenges, we cannot run away from the truth, which is that unpleasant experiences are the ones that shake us to the core and make us re-examine our whole life. And in those moments, we wish for nothing more than to reach the light of the tunnel, if only we knew what that was? Here is where coaching and its benefits come into play.
When is coaching beneficial?
- When you feel confused, stuck, lost, misunderstood and frustrated in your personal or professional life.
- When you lack motivation to carry out your plans.
- When you don’t know how to get what you want.
- When you doubt yourself and your decisions.
- When it seems you lost sight of you purpose.
- When you feel there is more for you to do out there.
Benefits of coaching for individuals
- You understand what makes you YOU: what is unique about you, what are your strengths, what guides you in life and how that impacts your behavior and your relationship with others.
- You become aware of your limiting beliefs or saboteurs (the voice in your head that puts you down and always finds something to criticize). Saboteurs are the ones staying in the way of who you are and what you wish. Overcoming saboteurs is essential for getting pretty much anything you want out of life.
- You accept yourself for who you are and by doing so, you are able to accept and better understand those around you as well. This will help you see where misunderstanding and conflict come from and how to best manage conflicts and other difficult situations.
- You find your purpose and meaning in what you do. By truly knowing yourself, learning what energizes you, what is important for you in life and what your gifts are, you are better prepared to take decisions that are aligned with who you are as an individual. This means you will set goals that motivate you, choose a career where you will flourish, have endeavors that uplift you and you will surround yourself with people that are good for you.
Benefits of coaching in organizations
The benefits of coaching do not stop at a personal level. Companies and organizations are made out of people, so the more people experience the benefits of coaching the better for the company as well. Of course, the benefits of coaching at a company level are felt in a different way.
At CoachConnect we see the concept of coaching as going beyond the 1:1 session with the client and we talk about the benefits of coaching in companies as part of the concept of Coaching Culture
What is Coaching Culture?
We define coaching culture as having a certain approach to work and individuals in general, inspired from the mindset that a coach has during a coaching session and how the process of coaching unfolds.
Coaching Culture means to:
- See change as progress
- Be comfortable with and understand the process of change
- Recognize the positive in challenging situations
- Encourage feedback as a learning opportunity
- Easily find tailored solutions to various problems
- See the best in those around you and recognize their untapped potential
- Approach situations and individuals with acceptance and without judgement
- Trust in the process and in the people around you
- Have a clear, individualized goal and celebrate progress
Coaching culture has numerous benefits for organizations both in terms of business results and employee satisfaction, such as:
- Efficient communication and smooth collaboration
- Finding and retaining the right talent
- Loyal and happy employees
- Motivated employees and cohesive teams
- Full-fledged managers and leaders
- Thriving organizational culture
How to introduce coaching culture in your company
There is no perfect recipe for introducing coaching culture. Different companies have different strategies to introducing coaching culture, but the end result is the same: to have a healthy work environment where employees are happy and the business results are thriving.
What we think is important to make coaching culture happen at your company is to have ‘believers’, that is people who know and have experienced the power of coaching, they are ambassadors of coaching and want to bring it to the company or to strengthen the existing coaching culture. Believers can be for example individuals who have been through professional coach education, people who have been coaching client or leaders who use coaching leadership style.
At CoachConnect we can support you with ICF ACTP Coach Training which is a great way to ensure a flourishing coaching culture. Coach education applies to various roles and it provides a set of skills that also helps you get to the next level in your role, be it if you are an Executive, Team Leader, HR Business Partner, Learning & Development Specialist, etc.
Training team leaders and executives at your company to use the coaching approach as part of their leadership style is the next level when it comes to implementing coaching culture. We support leaders to achieve this through the Coaching Leadership in Practice program, based on the trademarked CoachCompanion Propeller® Method for Leadership according to which in order to be a full-fledged leader, you must know how to balance 3 roles and be a clear manager, an inspiring leader, and an attentive coach. Being a balanced leader ensures success in empowering the team, increasing performance, achieving business results and employee satisfaction.
Research
The essential role of coaching in building strong organizational cultures is confirmed by research conducted by the Human Capital Institute in collaboration with the International Coaching Federation.
Source: Building Strong Coaching Cultures for the Future, 2019. Building A Coaching Culture for Change Management, 2018. The Human Capital Institute and International Coaching Federation.
