Coaching Works. Here’s Why.

How Does Coaching Help? 

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to lead effectively in today’s complex and rapidly changing business environment. Employees at all levels are asked to do more and more with less and less and are feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and stressed out. They need help navigating the complicated business landscape and how to handle the pressures from increased demands, high workloads, and the challenges of running cross-functional projects while working on diverse teams.  

Coaching can help by providing much needed support and strategies for not only surviving, but thriving under these difficult circumstances. It is a personalized process that provides clarity on what success would look like, understanding the obstacles and barriers that get in the way of achieving it, and specific action steps to take that will lead to a positive outcome. Through active listening and powerful questioning, a coach will help the coachee maximize their potential and move toward a preferred future.  

What’s Driving the Growth? 

There are many factors driving the growth in coaching. Quite simply, there is evidence that it works. Organizations and individuals are investing in coaching because it is a powerful form of development that leads to change and results. According to the International Coaching Federation, 86 percent of organizations saw a return on their coaching investment, and 96 percent of those who have been coached said they would repeat the process again. 

There are many tangible and intangible benefits of coaching that lead to these impressive results. Key tangible benefits include increased productivity and performance, reduced costs, growth in revenue and sales, and higher retention and engagement of employees. 

Intangible benefits also enhance the effectiveness of coaching. They include increased confidence of those being coached, improved communication, better relationships with key stakeholders, career advancement, and greater balance between life and work. It truly is a win-win for individuals and organizations.  

Why Is It So Powerful? 

A good coach who builds trust and rapport with their client can help the coachee get unstuck, shift their thinking, see new possibilities, try different behaviors, and achieve breakthrough results. Specifically, coaching is most powerful when the following five factors are present during the coaching process: 

Awareness: This is about helping the coachee become aware of the key behaviors that either help or hinder their progress and growth. We can’t change what we’re not aware of, so cultivating awareness in the coachee for how they show up and what they can do differently is crucial. 

Alignment: Coaching works best when there is alignment with what the coachee wants to work on and what is significant to the organization. It is also important to have buy-in and involvement from a sponsor such as a direct boss or human resources representative, so there is a common understanding of the focus of the coaching as well as internal support for the process. 

Action: Creating clear goals and a written action plan will help provide a road map for achieving the vision for the future. The plan also provides a baseline for the current state, pre-coaching, and indicates progress toward the desired state post-coaching. 

Accountability: Coaching by design creates the conditions for the coachee to take responsibility for their growth, and provides built-in accountability because the coach will check in on the progress the coachee made toward agreed-upon action items from the last coaching session. 

Acceleration: Due to the clarity of goals, support in overcoming obstacles, alignment on the focus of the coaching, a written action plan, and a committed coach that holds the coachee accountable, the pace in which a coachee achieves results is often significantly accelerated. Oftentimes, challenges that a leader has faced for many months or even years that they have been unable to address on their own become resolved much quicker and with better results when a coach is involved. This is the power of coaching in action. 

SMART COACHING WORKS: HERE'S PROOF

To your greater success,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

 

Take the Next Step 

Interested in learning how coaching can benefit your organization? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with  Peter Mclees please contact: 

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com    or    Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth. 

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.