Why All Businesses Should Have an Organisational Coaching Culture & How It Can Be Achieved
Did you know that the average UK employee only stays at each of their jobs for an estimated 4.5 years? With the country’s youngest workforce only committing to an employer for around half that time.
Why is this?
The expression “a job for life” went out the window years ago with today’s employees not placing so much emphasis on their salary and instead, focusing on factors such as achieving a healthy work/life balance, feeling supported in their career aspirations and arguably the most critical aspect for many, company culture.
It has been reported that the UK would be £50 billion a year better off if organisations made a more significant effort to communicate with their employees and improve employee engagement.
So, how can businesses adopt an organisational coaching culture, and what positive effects can it have on both employees and managers alike?
Keep reading to find out!
Start at the top
If you want to create a productive coaching culture within a business, you need to start at the top of the organisation; namely that all managers need to have the ability to coach from an organisational level. This, in turn, will encourage other employees to follow suit and develop positive mindsets and attitudes within the workplace.
Managers need to be able to understand the benefits of leading with a coaching style, with the key advantages for both themselves as leaders and their employees being:
- Improved leadership skills
- Potential to gain a coaching qualification
- Increased employee engagement
- Enhanced team performance
- Increased employee and manager motivation
Foster an inclusive workspace
Organisations that adopt a successful coaching culture are much more likely to target and maximise the potential of every single employee within their company than those that don’t.
The importance of elements such as training and personal development within an organisation should not be underestimated with every member of staff being able to understand the basic principles of coaching and the benefits that it can bring both to a business and their individual professional goals.
Follow up with ongoing support
One of the critical characteristics of an organisational coaching culture is the need for managers and leaders to provide their team with ongoing support as they are encouraged to learn new skills and explore their strengths and weaknesses. Annual appraisals are simply not sufficient and can lead to a breakdown of communication between managers and their employees.
Instead, businesses should ensure that they provide their employees with regular meetings and one-on-one support that can be used to:
- Support staff through periods of transition
- Improve employee self-awareness
- Develop positive accountability
- Promote growth mindsets
Developing an organisational coaching culture will not happen overnight, especially if the business in question has not yet embraced any aspect of workplace coaching, though it can be done. The benefits for business include increased productivity, enhanced employee engagement, a greater sense of achievement, and accomplishment in all employees in the organisation, from management to junior employees.
So, what are you waiting for?
If you would like to explore how we can support the development of your managers or wish to discuss developing an organisational coaching culture and the benefits it could have for your organisation, please get in touch with us here today.
