What is coaching anyway?
Coaching is used to describe a wide range of instructional activities. It spans the motivational sports coaches who train top athletes, and voice coaches who work with world-class singers, to 1;1 training at work or individual lessons for a student at school.
At Oxford Professional Consulting, we focus on the workplace because I truly believe the coaching conversation unlocks potential in each person, enabling them to perform better at work and be more fulfilled.
Want a coaching definition?
In my own book I defined coaching as:
“a structured conversation and a rigorous process which brings results; its aim is to develop an individual or individuals both professionally and personally, optimising their potential in work and life, maximising performance and acting as a catalyst to creative thinking, new opportunities and inspiring results.”
But why gain a coaching qualification?
Because the benefits of the coaching conversation are so many, it’s worth learning the skills to be truly effective. Here are some of the benefits:
- Coaching heightens awareness of communication and language, personal and professional strengths, as well as areas to develop, opportunities and potential.
- It creates and builds confidence, creative-thinking, responsibility and commitment.
- It allows time to reflect, so coaching develops thinking skills, strategic planning and therefore results.
Professional development for managers and leaders – benefits
- Use your coaching skills to elicit answers from the team and encourage ownership of process and results, rather than telling them what to do
- Use the coach’s improved listening skills alongside your other manager skills
- Instead of a once-a-year appraisal, establish a regular “formal coaching” session for each member of the team to develop them in a more sustained way.
Coaching skills for trainers
Trainers know that much learning is lost in the 48 hours following training. However, using the skills of the coach to embed the learning prevents this huge loss. Research called “Executive coaching as a transfer tool”* showed that, on average, training alone increased a manager’s productivity by 22%. By adding 1:1 coaching after the training, the increase in productivity rose to 88%.
Coaching in schools
Coaching is also being used by educators. Unlike mentoring, it focuses on the coachee finding their own best solutions. Coaching was part of the Government’s plans for education in the National Strategy document of 2004 and clearly has many benefits in schools:
- Co-coaching between 2 teachers planning a lesson together who then watch each other’s lesson and discuss it
- 6th form tutors are expected to help pupils decide on career option and solve personal problems. Coaching skills fit perfectly and enhance the benefit
- Internal trained coaches are available to staff for a “thinking conversation” in confidence
- In some schools, the students themselves have been taught coaching skills.
* 1997 research by Gerald Olivero, Denise Bane and Richard Kopelman
Next steps
I’ll be posting regular tips and ideas from our coaching skills workshops here over the next few weeks. If you want to know more and practise the skills with me, and much more, you can attend the 2-day workshop. Learn all the basics here then decide whether you want to continue to the professional qualification.
Want to take the first step now? Then click here to find out more about coaching and this highly rated course. Or contact me direct on +44 1865 436791 or by email. At Oxford Professional Consulting we have a 10-year track-record in delivering highly successful coaching skills training for managers and other professionals working in the UK and abroad. Read more on our website
Wow, it’s interesting that you mentioned that much learning is lost within 48 hours of being trained. I used to think that it was a longer time period, like maybe a week. You did a great job of explaining how one on one coaching can improve the learning rate after training and increase productivity.
Thanks for your comment. It’s great to get your feedback. Yes, it’s an interesting subject. Please take a look at my other posts and feel free to comment and contact me
My brother has always been a sort of uplifting go-getter type of person and I think this career may be right for I’m. The fact that it will help him encourage people and listen to what they need and that sort of thing sounds like it’s right up his alley. I’ll show him this article and try to convince him to take career coaching courses, as I really think he’ll end up loving that job. It’d be a waste to leave him to work in a diner for the rest of his days, he’s more of an extrovert that loves talking with new people and he’ll get to do that a lot more in this kind of career.
Contact us if he needs any further advice, or check out the website for more information on Coaching and Coaching qualifications