A Case for Leaders Using Coaching Skills

There is a strong case for why leaders should be using coaching skills. Leaders who coach their team members create greater engagement and enhance the development of their direct reports. Have you considered how using coaching skills can enhance your leadership? 

“Coaching is designed to be the leadership approach of the 21^st century.”

~ James Belasco

From 33% to 70% Employee Management

First, “The Gallup (2017) State of the American Workplace Report” helps make the case for leaders using coaching skills. The report shed light on what makes some organizations relish in 70% employee engagement versus the norm, which is 33% employee engagement. The enhanced engagement was attributed to leaders’ ability to hold coaching conversations. Here is a previously written article about the report.

In the Gallup report, they defined coaching as: “a conversation about progress, obstacles to progress, and triumph in progress. Coaching also teaches the coach to initiate and drive conversation about progress.” The following are the five conversations that leaders can have using a coaching style:

1. Role and relationship orientation – Occurs when employees join the company, when job responsibilities shift and when employees change roles
2. Quick connects – Allows managers to assess quickly how an employee is doing and to identify successes and barriers
3. Check-ins – More formal opportunities to seek and give feedback on goal achievement, priorities, progress on projects and employee needs
4. Developmental Coaching – Aims to direct and guide an employee to improved performance and individual career development
5. Formal reviews – Formal reviews of progress on goals, expectations, and planning for future opportunities

Effective Bosses

In 2017, Michael Schneider, made a case for leaders using coaching skills in his article titled “Google spent years studying effective bosses. Now they teach new managers these things.” In the list included six items and two of the six times related specifically to leaders using coaching skills. Google defines coaching as: 

The following is a graphic from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for “Managers and leaders using coaching skills.”

In addition, The ICF 2017 Global Consumer Awareness study revealed that 670 respondents from human resources, learning and development, and talent management, internal coaches, and individual contributions – indicated that 65% of organizations aim to expand the scope of managers/leaders using coaching skills over the next five years. 

If you believe that a case for leaders using coaching skills was made there is more to come. In the next article and Leader’s Turn video, we will share a study that reveals how long leaders need to acquire a coaching approach. The study also illustrates what strong skills leaders already have to leverage in coaching. Moreover, the study sheds light on what skills leaders thought they were proficient in…but; in reality, were not. (link to Leader’s Turn Video) 

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References 

Gallup (2007). State of the workplace report. Retrieved August 11, 2019, from https://news.gallup.com/reports/199961/7.aspx?utm_source=SOAWlaunch&utm_campaign=StateofAmericanWorkplace-Launch&utm_medium=email&utm_content=nonopener-reminder

Shneider, M. (2017). Google spent years studying effective bosses. Now they teach new managers these things. Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2019 from https://www.inc.com/michael-schneider/analysis-10000-reports-told-google-to-train-new-managers-6-areas.html