WHAT is this thing we call coaching?

According to Myles Downey, director of studies at the School of Coaching in London, "Coaching has the capacity to bring humanity back into the workplace.

"The ever increasing drive for efficiency (not effectiveness note) the restructuring, the re-engineering, the ever more stretching goals, the apparent expendability of the human resource... all these unfettered, sap spirit, energy and creativity and thus impoverish the human being and the organisation in which they work." Downey goes on to explain that people work better and more productively when they feel cared for and coaching offers a solution to this end. Many companies now recognise the value of coaching as one of the most cost-effective ways of developing staff. Instead of 'sheep dipping' everyone by putting them through training courses, they use coaching that is tailored to meet the individual needs. In a recent survey by the Association of Coaching, 90 per cent of coaching recipients reported increased confidence and self-awareness as a result of undertaking a coaching programme and 98 per cent felt that coaching met or totally met their needs.

Benefits to organisations include increased performance, more rapid staff development, improved retention of key staff, better motivation and deeper commitment to the business... all positive stuff!

Although some might say that coaching is nothing new and effective managers have always coached the people around them, there is evidence that pressures on everyone in organisations today mean that managers are having to manage upwards and may have less time to support the people in their team.

A professional coach can play a key role in the development of that team, bridging the gap between expectations and performance in the same way that the coach of a sports team does.

Fiona Lander of Lander Associates - professional trainers and delivers of coaching - says: "One-to-one skills coaching enables the coach to concentrate on areas of skill and knowledge that the individual really needs and focus on how the person will be able to apply new learning to their role. It is an ideal follow up to attending classroom training courses to help implement learning in a way that directly benefits that person.

Often you can learn a skill, but can lack confidence or be uncertain how to carry it out in the workplace."

Carry on coaching!

LOUISE HEWETT

WWW.HEWETT-RECRUITMENT.CO.UK