In the world of ‘expect the unexpected’, leaders, managers, and thought leaders need to aim for clarity, be agile with ‘emotional intelligence’, and have a ‘coaching perspective’ to handle this world’s changing times.
During the last two years, so many things have changed rapidly. The effects of the pandemic have seen some companies suffer severe financial losses while others seized new opportunities and thrived and flourished. We have seen business winners and losers – some shine while others barely breathe. We can confidently say that adaptive leaders who acted early benefited, and change management has become a critical factor in business success.
Talking about performance, being a good decision maker alone doesn’t make one stand out from the crowd. As a leader, coaching is one of the best ways to transform one’s potential into limitless performance. It’s also the best tool to develop one’s team into a high-performing one, a crucial step towards success. Coaching benefits the individual, the team and the institution.
Let’s take a look at what will change in an institution from a coaching perspective;
· Coaching provides a different perspective – it allows individuals to see what’s below the waterline, understand the whole iceberg and what may be next. Many conflicts occur because of misunderstandings or insufficient information. Most opportunities are missed because they are not fully understood, or inadequate action is taken.
· Coaching makes a huge difference in communication skills, and active listening is one of the indispensable elements of coaching. Listening without judgment improves creativity and reduces stress levels at the workplace.
· Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, said, “Great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people”. Individual coaching of team members combined with coaching of the entire team results in a high-quality approach from the team.
· Almost every business has its mission and vision written in a document, collecting dust on a shelf. It is worth reviewing the way one works as well as one’s targets to ensure the work is aligned with the mission and vision of the business. Coaching is like a good friend calling one back to the right path. When a strategy meets a goal, it is working!
Surveys and researchers show us the effects of coaching in tangible and visible ways.
In 2013, Stanford University and the Miles Group polled over 200 chief executive officers (CEOs), board directors, and senior managers of North American public and private enterprises.
The CEOs responded favourably to coaching, with almost all of them enjoying the process. The CEOs as well as the directors identified team building as an essential leadership skill and one that they are currently developing. Team building is one of the most critical areas for their leadership development. And yet, two-thirds of the CEOs and about half of the senior managers polled were not receiving outside or external advice on team-building.
Research released by the Association for Talent Development in 2014 revealed that coaching:
· Improves communication by 69 per cent
· Raises engagement by 65 per cent
· Enhances skills-to-performance by 63 per cent
· Stimulates productivity by 61 per cent
In summary, utilising coaching creates more effective leaders and can be a driving force in business. For 360 degrees of success and happiness, I recommend hiring a coach for oneself and one’s team. It is a golden key that returns golden standards.
Take the first step. Experience coaching for yourself
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the world’s largest organisation leading the global advancement of the coaching profession and fostering coaching’s role as an integral part of a thriving society. Founded in 1995, its 40,000-plus members located in more than 145 countries and territories work toward common goals of enhancing awareness of coaching and upholding the integrity of the profession through lifelong learning and upholding the highest ethical standards.
Through the work of its six unique family organisations, ICF empowers professional coaches, coaching clients, organisations, communities and the world through coaching.
In India, ICF is represented by six vibrant chapters, all led by volunteers — ICF Bengaluru, ICF Chennai, ICF Delhi NCR, ICF Hyderabad, ICF Mumbai, and ICF Pune.
The author, Dilek Kıroğlu is on a mission to touch people’s lives and unleash their potentials to fulfil their dreams. Trained as an engineer and equipped with an MBA, Kıroğlu spent ten years in corporate life. After experiencing coaching, she made a significant career change and recognised coaching as his life purpose. Dilek has, from that time, worked passionately to improve her coaching career/life. She has trained in NLP, breath technique coaching, team & executive managerial coaching. She holds an ICF ACC credential and works with individuals and corporations. She is a fan of chess and also plays the piano.
