We asked our CLO-Network, LinkedIn and Twitter followers: Should coaching be for everybody or only for executives? Will it carry the same weight or will coaches be able to develop the same relationship with their subjects if it’s a tool for the masses?
Via CLO-Network discussion:
Dave DeFilippo: My view is an emphatic yes. However, it is important to have definitional clarity about the kind of coaching being applied to the individual or situation. Grant and Cavanaugh (2004) provide the following coaching distinctions:
1) Skills coaching to address specific skills over a short direction (i.e. time management).
2) Performance coaching involving setting goals, overcoming challenges and monitoring progress (i.e. manager coaching); and
3) Developmental coaching which incorporates a holistic view of the person through self-reflection, professional and personal questions (i.e. executive coaching).
In all of the aforementioned cases, the coaching solution is individualized and contextualized for the person and situation to optimize performance and potential, which is the ultimate goal!
Dianna Anderson: In a world where constant, often disruptive change is the new normal, people need to learn in the moment. That’s why coaching is for everyone; it enables people to learn with and from each other in real time. Everyone needs basic block-and-tackling coaching skills if we are to build resilient organizations that can harness the winds of change and ride them to new places, rather than being blown away by them.
Frank Cota Jr.: “People will go farther than they thought they could when someone they respect tells them they can.” — John Maxwell. My experience dictates that most everyone needs coaching, but not everyone is equipped to coach. John Maxwell’s quote indicates that tremendous strength is given to the words, influence and instruction coming from someone the employee respects, and the positive impact the coach can have for an event, a task or a lifetime. There are those who have the requisite knowledge and skills to coach, but lack the mentality, skills and patience required to do it effectively. Contrary to how many are selected to both teach and lead in organizations, it is not the person who “knows the most” who is always best suited to coach, teach or lead.
Via LinkedIn:
Kenneth R. Pack: Coaching should be offered to everybody. I believe it will carry the same weight if coaching is intentional. If coaching is intentional in helping individuals achieve professional goals, then meaningful relationships can’t help but be developed, in most cases, between coaches and their mentees.
Ashok Bhatotia: Coaching needs to be accepted as an organizational culture. If it is not rooted into the culture then it tends to throw a different dimension altogether. Coaching is an essential element of people development. An organization with a coaching culture is more likely to produce a consistent pipeline of leadership in the organization.
Senthil Athiban: I agree that coaching is essential for nurturing and developing talents within an organization. But coaching need not and cannot be given to all the people in the organization. For many, mere instruction is enough — they will meet the expectations. There are people in the organization who have potential but may not be using it for a higher level of performance. These individuals require coaching. Likewise, there may be individuals with certain behavioral or performance-related issues but who do not know how to address them (but want to address them). These individuals also require coaching. Organizations require executives with skills in coaching to build a coaching culture. Many organizations may not have that many executives with coaching skills.
Michael Sabbag: There is a difference between executive coaching (or any other type of coaching) and having a coaching culture. While the intention is the same across the different types of coaching, the process followed as well as the skill/competency and experience requirements of the coach differ.
It is unrealistic to think that every employee will receive coaching similar to what is done in executive coaching. Therefore, organizations have to rely on their leaders to coach each person they lead. This presents a problem because most leaders are not competent coaches. Organizations that want to evolve their leadership culture to more of a coaching culture need to create a coaching framework redefining the role of the leader through new role descriptions and competencies. They also need to provide a model or process for conducting coaching discussions and develop leaders’ coaching capability.
Dominique Wirz: Coaching can work at any level of an organization. Results are depending on the coachees and their coachability, rather than their level of hierarchy.
The problem with individual coaching is the price: organizations will rarely spend $400 per hour for an employee on a $60,000 salary. That’s where group coaching and leader as coach training can provide more cost-effective solutions with similar benefits to the organization.
Robynne Sherrill: While coaching is value-added at every level of the organization, individuals should be coached based on their particular skill level and coaching need. Coaching an individual contributor with the same approach as one would coach a manager could result in the message feeling elementary to the manager or above-level to the individual contributor. The level of coaching should align with the level of experience and need for development. Although the same tools and resources can be leveraged for coaching, messages should be tailored to the individual. The one-size-fits-all coaching approach can be frustrating to those being coached.
Ilona Shieh: Coaching is definitely for everyone. Although when it comes to business and profitability the extent that coaching is offered has to result in a viable ROI. On a larger scale, group coaching can help bridge the gap in some areas and instill alignment that is so essential to a well-functioning organization.
Craig Mitchell: Coaching should be for everyone, and anybody with the skills within an organization should be given the opportunity to become a coach. To create a successful coaching culture within the organization, you need to start with two things: finding out who would make a good coach and what skills and knowledge they possess. Once you know this, you can develop their coaching skills and set them on their way. A good way of matching coaches with coachees is through the use of technology. Many talent IT tools such as Lumesse and Cornerstone offer staff the ability to search for coaches with knowledge of their development areas. This can be completed with a built-in feedback mechanism where coaches are reviewed as part of the evaluation process and display a TripAdvisor-style feedback on their profile. HR’s job then is to ensure the quality of the coaches and reward coaching sufficiently for people to want to do it.
Via Twitter:
@LeoPink: Coaching should be, and is, learning at the point of need, and it should not be over-structured or prescriptive.
@lwood1stclass: Absolutely coaching should be for everybody, and coaching on how to coach must be provided.
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