HR & Talent Leaders, do you have an established leadership development program you routinely guide emerging leaders through?
If so, have you considered the power of providing coaching for the highest potentials as part of this leadership development program? If not, I invite you to consider why coaching is a fantastic solution to elevate your emerging leaders to the next level at an accelerated rate.
Most organizations today are understaffed and rapidly moving employees into new roles to cover the most critical openings. They may also be promoting talented individual contributors into their first leadership opportunity. Organizations need employees to transition into their roles faster than ever and coaching is an incredible way to successfully accomplish this.
These are some of the common issues I’ve seen when employees are transitioning from an individual contributor to a leadership role:
- They know how to be a technical expert and thrive with execution (getting the work done), but haven’t learned how to effectively lead people yet
- They are trying to do all the tasks themselves since it is “easier” than delegating or training someone else to do the tasks efficiently
- Their focus is on individual daily tasks rather than the strategy for the department
- There may be procrastination or avoidance when it comes to leading difficult conversations
- They aren’t sure how to provide effective feedback (positive and constructive), so the feedback is not given timely
- They don’t understand how their employees are intrinsically motivated and why this is important
- They neglect to have career management discussions with their employees since they are too focused on the day-to-day
- They may struggle with holding employees accountable effectively, which may result in alternating between being too demanding or not implementing consequences for lack of results
These issues can leave team members feeling frustrated and ready to look outside the organization, and we all know how critical retention is.
Do any of these issues resonate with what you are seeing?
If so, you may be wondering how coaching can help.
These are just a few reasons why partnering with a coach can lead to powerful outcomes for leaders at all levels in your organization:
- There is strict confidentiality and a safe space to explore without judgement (this is critical, so the employee doesn’t need to “filter” what is being shared or worry about perceptions)
- The employee increases self-awareness and understands how they are being perceived, typically through a 360 assessment or stakeholder interviews, in addition to insights gained through coaching conversations
- They can discuss real-time situations and learn how to navigate them more effectively
- There is a focus on specific areas of development with the structure of support & accountability
- The employee experiences an increase in confidence, creativity, and commitment
- Increase in effectiveness of decision making through considering new perspectives & potential outcomes
- Loyalty and commitment to the organization are built through the employee seeing the organization investing in their development
- Every session focuses on insights gained and action planning, which creates momentum and powerful results
- There is alignment between the sponsor (typically the employee’s supervisor), the coach, and the employee through a kick-off, mid-way check-in, and a wrap up meeting
If you haven’t experienced coaching, you may be wondering how it differs from mentoring. Mentoring is when an employee receives guidance and expertise from another employee who has more experience in a particular area.
However, coaching is a partnership between the coach and the client which unlocks creativity and new perspectives while maximizing their personal and professional potential. This is accomplished through the coach asking powerful questions and sharing observations, rather than giving advice.
Many individuals who had never experienced coaching previously share that it was a lifechanging experience for them.
Are you interested in learning if this is the right solution for your organization? Let’s have a conversation to identify the best fit for developing your leaders and accelerating your results.
Angela Bonner is a Chief Talent Strategist & Executive Coach at Evolutio LLC. Angela partners with Leaders ranging from the first-time manager to the senior executive, to elevate their leadership impact and accelerate the growth of their organizations through coaching and the development of high-performing teams.
Angela’s Contact Info:
(262) 225-3268
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