Via skills workshops or accredited qualifications, employers are seeing the benefits of equipping their people managers with the skills and knowledge to coach their colleagues and approach their role with more of a coaching mindset. But why is this, and what makes these modern managers-coaches so effective and such an important organisational asset?
Feedback & Recognition
Not providing helpful feedback and failing to recognise their efforts – two of the most common complaints individuals have about their line manager. Coaching is first and foremost a development technique, so manager-coaches give effective and motivating feedback, and distribute praise readily.
Empowerment
Individuals and teams with manager-coaches in charge are empowered to take ownership of their work and decisions (and responsibility for their mistakes). This fosters a sense of autonomy that is particularly valuable within a hybrid working environment and has a profound effect on the vital metric of trust.
Goals
When it comes to managing people and teams, coaching skills elevate everything to do with goals. Manager-coaches are better at setting them, monitoring them and aligning them with organisational objectives. The broadest benefit of this is how it creates a sense of purpose and direction, even when times are tough or the future is uncertain.
Innovation
In a similar vein to empowerment, most coaching approaches to management encourage people to come up with their own solutions, rather than wait to be given them. A manager-coach might say something like, “I’m pleased you’ve brought me this problem, but rather than me telling you what to do, why don’t we go through your first ideas to address it?” This drives innovation, ‘outside the box’ thinking and fights the dangerous ‘we’ve always done it this way’ mindset.
Listening
Manager-coaches build strong and lasting relationships with their teams not least because they know how to listen to them. ‘Active’ listening is a core coaching skill and managers with this ability have developed their ability to know, at any time; how their team is feeling, what they are concerned or worried about and what support they need to succeed. People need to feel ‘heard’ and this makes them more engaged with the work they do (and the company they do it for).
Flexibility & Adaptability
A well-drilled manager-coach is highly flexible and happily adaptable. They know when to switch their manager ‘hat’ for their coach one, and they are continuously assessing conversations and situations to choose the appropriate method of approach. These skills and behaviours benefit the whole spectrum of their management and leadership responsibility, allowing them to factor in the needs and preferences of their team members, communicate more effectively and proactively choose new and different ways of working.
The learning that will equip your managers with coaching skills (and creating your own cohort of manager-coaches) can take many forms – from workshops that introduce the concept of managing & leading in a coaching style, through to ILM accredited coaching & mentoring qualifications:
• Coaching Conversations (90 mins)
• Coaching as a Leadership Style (90 mins)
• Coaching & Feedback (120 mins)
• Values-Centered Coaching (120 mins)
• Coaching Skills for Managers (1 day)
Introduction to Coaching & Mentoring (1 day)
Available via Face-to-Face, Virtual or Distance Learning delivery
• ILM Level 2 Award in Effective Mentoring Skills
• ILM Level 3 Award in Effective Coaching
• ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching & Mentoring
• ILM Level 7 Certificate for Executive & Senior Level Coaches & Mentors
Eliesha is an experienced provider of bespoke learning and development solutions that fit all budgets and objectives, so get in touch to arrange an informal, exploratory chat around your requirements and find out how we can help.
