Coaching improves performance

What is coaching? We’ve talked about the importance of coaching before − managers can benefit from coaching, not just for their own improvement, but to help them be a better leaderto their team as well. After all, everyone could use a little coaching.

Training isn’t just something you do for a couple of weeks at the beginning of a job, it’s an ongoing process. Regular coaching prepares management and staff alike to adapt to our rapidly-changing world.

But what is coaching, exactly?

According to Coaching for High Performance, by the American Management Association, coaching is defined as “an interactive process that helps a person improve, learn something, or take performance to the next level.”

Features of coaching

Coaching has many facets, such as building a feeling of trust and confidence between mentor and mentee, sharing the knowledge and insight born of experience, and inspiring others to perform at their best.

Coaches also model the ability to identify problems and propose solutions that work for everyone concerned. They give feedback to help the “coachee”see what isn’t currently working and determine the best path to take.

These are all important aspects of coaching, but the one of the most valuable skills of a good coach is not their ability to teach, but their ability to listen.

Each one of us is an individual, and coaching does best when tailored to your personal traits and quirks. Your rapport with your coach can do a lot to motivate and assist your development, even without a structured training program.

Learning also takes place from observation, like watchinghow a mentor deals with a situation, such as a conflict or meeting. Another way of coaching is to have the “coachee” do work that pushes them beyond their comfort zone and forces them to expand their capabilities.

Purposes of coaching

Of course, you and your coach will discuss the specific results you want from your coaching sessions, but the purpose of coaching in general can be broken down into three broad areas.

Learning

Coaching is a great way to help you get a new skill down cold. Even if you have a lot of general experience, learning something new can still be a challenge. A coach can help you absorb information more quickly and easily and refine your technique until you achieve mastery.

Improvement

If you’re experiencing problemsin a certain area and want to improve your performance, hiring a coach to help you is an excellent way to overcome your issues.

The coach can draw from their business experience to see where you’re going wrong, and from their experience with people to help you get it right. Correcting people’s mistakes can be a delicate task that needs finesse and sensitivity for them to make the most of the feedback they get.

Growth

Even if you’re happy with where you are, coaching can help you make the most of your potential. A good coach can show you how to make tweaks that allow you to achieve maximum growth, or draw out talents and aspirations you didn’t know you had.

A good coach helps you and your staff do better professionally and personally. They can help you learn new skills and build on the strengths you already have. Coaching can give a sense of satisfaction on the job and in life, retaining top performers and helping those who need improvement.

If you’re interested in discussing a coaching session, please don’t hesitate to contact me, or comment on this article. I’d love to hear your views and experiences.

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