Whether it’s about stress at work, a critical discussion with an employee, a manager or a business partner, or questions about personal development – “Find a good coach, then you’ll get ahead!” This recommendation is often given by colleagues or personnel developers in these and similar situations. But what can coaching really achieve and when is a coach “good” for you?
Using coaching as a means of transportation to the goal
Alongside training and workshops, coaching is one of the most important standard instruments for personnel development in HR work today. It is rightly being used more and more frequently, especially for individual, person-related tasks. So let’s take a look at how this can work.
A very important part of successful coaching is the active cooperation between the client (the “coachee”) and the coach. Companies often hire external coaches to get “the team” or simply “Mr. Meier” back on track. A so-called “visitor” then sits in front of the coach who doesn’t really know what he is supposed to be doing here. These are unfavorable, even quite common, but not impossible conditions for successful coaching. In this case, the coach’s first task is to create a common basis for the collaboration in order to turn the “visitor” into a truly responsible, self-determined coachee. This has nothing to do with persuasion. Voluntariness on the part of the client is the top priority. This would create the best conditions for coaching: a client who wants to do something for themselves, wants to achieve something, and wants to do it as concretely as possible.
The term coaching comes from “carriage”. Coaching is therefore to be understood as a kind of means of transportation that the coachee uses to achieve their goals. The above-mentioned voluntary nature of the client is often underestimated. For the company, it should be borne in mind that the goal that the company wants to achieve with the coaching is not necessarily the goal of the employee. This often results in a so-called triangular contract, consisting of three contractual partners: the client (company) with its goals, the coachee with any deviating goals and the coach. The coach’s task is to address and resolve this dilemma, which may or may not occur, so that a sustainable relationship can develop for all parties involved. Ideally, to work out a win-win situation for all parties. Once this has been achieved, nothing stands in the way of a successful coaching process.
Definition: “Coaching refers to guidance and feedback about specific knowledge, skills, and abilities involved in a task.” (Quote from “The Bass Handbook of Leadership”, Bernard M. Bass, New York, 2008)
Does coaching even pay off?
Definitely: yes! In the past, coaching was only reserved for top management and elite sport. Today, companies have recognized the benefits of coaching and know that, provided the client cooperates, coaching pays off. Studies have shown that the benefits of coaching measures sometimes exceed the costs by up to 120%. According to Uwe Böning, one of the pioneers of business coaching, who has devoted hundreds of scientific studies to the subject of coaching, better conflict resolution, better handling of risks, smoother change processes and fewer sick days are repeatedly proven effects of coaching processes. Especially in the area of employee management, coaching can make a difference, as the coach is a mirror for the manager and can therefore create a balance between self-perception and the perception of others. This also has a positive effect on careers, as it makes the manager more authentic and, as brain research shows, creates more trust in employees. Congruence and transparency create trust. Trust has an extremely positive effect on employee motivation. Another win-win situation for employees and management.
As clear goals are set and developed in coaching, willpower is also trained as a positive side effect, so to speak. Willpower is a key factor in professional development. After coaching, clients have much clearer goals in mind and better implementation strategies. Inner conflicts that have an inhibiting and energy-sapping effect are also recognized and dealt with. This allows more energy to flow into the actual goals and inner turmoil is reduced, which leads to greater satisfaction. This is not an insignificant aspect, especially for interpersonal cooperation and the family at home. For relevant experts in the field of scientific studies on the effectiveness of coaching, it is clear that no further training program can better support managers in finding their way in a new role than coaching. It is precisely on the path from employee to manager that role conflicts and uncertainties can arise and make coaching the method of choice.
Science thus provides clear and unambiguous evidence that coaching has an indirect positive effect on careers.
How do I find “my” coach?
What should I look for when choosing a coach? As coach is not a protected term, you should look for qualifications and standards. According to widespread opinion, qualified coaching training should comprise at least 250 hours. The DVNLP Master Coach training course, for example, is currently the most comprehensive coaching training course on the German market with over 360 hours and a good 60 days, and includes defined training and examination standards. There are different approaches to the methods used by coaches. In my opinion, a sensible mix of methods is an important prerequisite for good coaching. Systemic work, transactional analysis and NLP, for example, form a sound basis for keeping an eye on the effects of change, keeping an eye and ear out for limiting, unconscious behavioral patterns and having the appropriate sensitivity and know-how for change-effective techniques. After all, what good is it if you have recognized your limitations but have no effective way to bring about profound change? This means that the coach not only applies the methods, but has internalized and understood them in such a way that they can adapt flexibly to the wishes and goals of the client and coach. A completely new and individual coaching approach is developed for each client. Every person is unique, which means that professional coaching should also be unique. To ensure this, the coach uses certain systems that help to understand the client’s individual personality. Only then can they offer something that helps on the path to change. Some people may be put off by the term “change” and say that they don’t want to change. A nice quote comes to mind that says: “if you always want to stay the same, you have to be prepared to change all the time”. In our fast-moving times, standing still is a step backwards. Even if we don’t change, our environment changes. In order to be able to continue to deliver good results and survive in this environment, we need to adapt in ways that have less to do with subordination and more to do with flexible autonomy. You’ve probably heard the saying: “The more flexible one leads.”
What can coaching be used for?
No top athlete would ever have made it to the top without a coach who constantly gives them feedback and confronts them constructively. Why should only top athletes and top managers enjoy this privilege? Today, every employee has the opportunity to take advantage of coaching. And it is by no means a question of something not “working” for an employee and needing to be “fixed” with the help of a “shrink”. Rather, it is about uncovering and developing the potential that lies dormant in every person. It’s about providing support where external reflection is needed. For example, to be more satisfied, to develop more motivation, to create a better working atmosphere and much more.
A good recommendation: “If a prospective coach can’t tell you exactly what methodology he uses – what he does and what outcomes you can expect – show him the door.” (Anne Scoular: How to Pick a Coach? Business Coaching, 2009)
The coach uses various methods to help with this, regardless of the topic that the coachee makes the subject of the coaching:
– Formulate clear goals and find solutions for them.
– Enabling access to one’s own potential and resources.
– dissolve blockages and inhibitions.
– to get clarity of roles.
– Initiate self-reflection and a change of perspective.
– develop options for action.
– To develop new patterns of behavior and thinking that the client finds useful.
In addition to conventional methods and direct support on the job, there are also more unusual approaches, such as outdoor coaching: here, the coachee spends some time, from hours to several days, with the coach in nature. This offers plenty of space for peace and reflection. The effect is sometimes impressive, as the change of perspective can be initiated much more strongly than in the consulting room. Another approach is the support of animals, such as horses. This can be extremely useful, especially when it comes to a crystal-clear and unreserved reflection of one’s own charisma and impact. This is because a horse unconditionally reflects your behavior and inner attitude. This is not always pleasant, but it offers a great deal of potential for rethinking. Ultimately, the occasion, initial situation and budget determine the choice of means and methods to advance the coachee’s goals.
by Marco Plass, trainer at Lorenz-Seminare