When I think of how a leader can motivate a team to work together, one of the finest examples that comes to my mind is that of MS Dhoni, the India cricket Team Captain. He is the only captain in the history of cricket to win all ICC trophies. Winning a game like cricket is a team effort. It is an inspiring story of how the Indian cricket had such massive victories under his leadership. It was because of his leadership and coaching style with such a diverse team that the team was able to focus on their goal.
When the word coaching comes to mind, we usually associate it with sports and athletics. The fact is that everyone needs a coach. Be it our professional or personal life, we all have coached or been coached by our managers, elders, friends. Today the workplace is full of innumerable challenges and adopting a coaching mindset as a culture is essential. Managers can play a very important role in guiding and helping employees to advance in their careers and build the right network. This can lead to higher engagement results and better talent retention and performance. It also helps with retaining and transferring critical skills and knowledge which is essential for business continuity.
So, what are the strategies that need to be followed as organizations adopt a coaching mindset to create connection and foster engagement?
Communicate authentically
The first step to introducing coaching is to create an atmosphere of trust. People should feel that they can come and talk freely with their leaders and coaches. Coaches should work on their communication style, both verbal and nonverbal, to make their coachees feel comfortable sharing their challenges.
Coaching can happen in different ways – formal and informal, one-on-one and in groups. A few years ago, I had to lead my team through a big transition. We were changing the way we worked and putting in new processes and performance metrics. The first step was to explain why it was happening. We conducted a workshop, where we explained the rationale behind the change, the new roles, and the performance metrics. We explained how they would be assessed and how all of it tied to the bigger picture. It was not all smooth sailing, but eventually, the employees rallied around. We had to get the team aligned with the new thought process. So good communication takes time and effort but pays off in the end.
Do not tell, but ask
Using clear and purposeful communication and EQ, coaches should follow a non-directive style to give coachees space to explore and learn. The coach steps back and asks questions that help people think through the challenges and arrive at satisfactory solutions independently using their experience and expertise.
Sir John Whitmore’s GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) model is one of the simplest and most practical coaching models driven by a powerful philosophy. Using a few powerful coaching questions, one can trigger conversations and guide members to understand different aspects to a problem and thereby the solution as well. Leaders and coaches value the simplicity of the GROW model for coaching and can see the results in their daily interactions with individuals.
Create a learning organization
A necessary part of a business’s success, coaching is even more important now in the current remote work environment. Many businesses have completely shifted to a virtual model of work with new employees being onboarded virtually. Where earlier people would meet their coaches face-to-face over a cup of coffee for discussion, they can just do it virtually now. This requires a new level of communication and transparency and makes coaching key for building connections within the organization.
Another interesting aspect of coaching that I think we should look at more is flipping the top-down coaching approach. In today’s multigenerational workforce, the millennial and Gen Z are much more technology-savvy and have a unique perspective on problem solving. We need to give them a platform to share their knowledge and expertise. Senior management should be open to reaching out to juniors.
Organizations that want to incorporate a coaching mindset in their culture need to create an open and conducive environment that allows for a safe exchange of information. By creating such a culture, they empower their employees to keep learning and growing.
Author Profile:
Ashwini Moni, Senior People Business Partner, Progress. Ashwini has an extensive 20 plus years of experience in the field of Human Resources dominantly in the IT products and services space.
Industry Speak, captures insights from industry professionals, subject matter experts on areas of business, people processes, workplace practices etc.
Disclaimer: The insights, thoughts, views presented in the concerned post belongs to the author and HrNxt.com may or may not necessarily subscribe to the same.