Creating a Coaching Culture

By now many employers have returned to the office in some capacity, whether it is a hybrid model or full time in the office.  For many employees—and employers—it has been a tough transition.  As a result, many employers are responding to the new employment experience that their employees are seeking in an effort to retain their employees and create a more desirable environment to attract new talent.  Many are creating a coaching culture to demonstrate that they are responsive to what their employees are looking for.  Those organizations that have survived the Great Resignation (aka The Turnover Tsunami, The Great Aspiration, etc.) have learned that what employees want post-pandemic is a manager and an employer that cares about and understands what is important to them.  They want a job that is more supportive and personally fulfilling and rewarding.  A coaching culture is a great way to provide this for your employees.

Here are some examples of things you can do to move towards a coaching culture and bring the benefits of coaching to all your employees:

• Add coaching to your existing leadership development program.  Emerging leaders may have had great success in their current and previous positions, but that doesn’t necessarily prepare them for the responsibilities of larger roles you are grooming them for.  Coaching can help them apply the new skills you are no-doubt providing them through training, mentoring, etc. as part of your leadership development program.
• Provide training to your leadership/management team on utilizing a Manager-as-Coach model.  This model helps to develop problem-solving skills as well as demonstrates that your managers and your organization are invested in the engagement and development of your employees.
• Offer “on-call” coaching through a professional coach that understands your business and is available for coaching your managers for in-the-moment needs.  That trusted advisor can help them deal with those difficult situations that may arise.
• Offer team coaching for cohort groups of mangers/leadership with similar needs.  Your senior leadership, new mangers or high-potential employees may have similar issues and would benefit from working with a coach in a group setting as well as from the peer support this model offers.  This is a cost-effective way to offer coaching to a larger number of people.
• Build in regular Stay Conversations.  Having one-on-one conversations with employees periodically about what motivates them and what makes their work experience better can not only reveal risk factors for turnover, but demonstrate your interest in what is important to them.
• Incorporate individual coaching into critical career moments or critical initiatives to help improve the likelihood of success.  Providing a coach for a new manager will help to support their transition.  This is an investment in the time, energy and cost you have already spent on selecting an internal or external candidate. Coaching for key stakeholders during a major change in your organization can help them manage the many facets of change more successfully.