Anyone who's worked with a professional coach knows how helpful it can be to have an objective third party offer advice and guidance for your career or personal life. Not everyone has the time or resources to develop a relationship with their own individual coach, but as a leader, you can bring the benefits of coaching to your whole team by building a coaching environment.
Like any workplace endeavor, developing a coaching culture takes time and dedication. However, the effort is well worth the benefits your staff will reap from your investment in their careers.
We asked 16 Forbes Coaches Council members for their tips on creating a coaching environment in your organization.
1. Share Lessons Learned
A coaching environment begins with sharing knowledge and information. One of the biggest gaps that I see in many organizations is the lack of knowledge transfer from those who have experience into the rest of the workforce. The simple addition of formalized "lessons learned" knowledge-sharing events can foster a positive shift in the culture towards coaching rather than thinking in silos. - Erin Urban, UPPSolutions, LLC
2. Build Your Listening Skills
Listening is the most powerful skill a coach possesses. Listening is a skill, not something you learn how to do by reading a book or watching a presentation. It must be practiced to be honed, adapted and turned into a powerful habit. The employees in your organization who needs this most are any and all people managers. They serve as coaches for their teams so equip them with the skills to do so. - Aaron Levy, Raise The Bar Consulting
3. Ask Open-Ended Questions
A company can nurture a coaching environment by embedding informal feedback protocols into the culture. Questions posed before a meeting such as, "What do you want to walk out with at the end of this meeting?" and "What are you bringing to the table?" and after a meeting like, "What could have gone better?" opens up for coaching in a safe space, which in turn builds trust and creativity. - Deborah Goldstein, DRIVEN Professionals
4. Incorporate The Values Of Respect, Curiosity And Accountability
The foundation for building a coaching environment in your organization must include three values: respect, curiosity and accountability. First, respect recognizes individual strengths, people's capacity to learn and to take action. Next, curiosity drives the question, "What's possible here?" Finally, accountability connects the fruit of the first two values and turns them into action. - Kathleen Taylor-Gadsby, KTG Leadership Solutions
5. Ask, Clarify, Repeat
Train your leadership to ask clarifying questions. Too often, managers tell teams what to do rather than ask them what they think. To have a stronger, empowered team that has confidence and solves challenges, regularly ask them questions about how they're doing, what they're doing and why they're doing it that way. You will be surprised at the creative thinking and what you learn. - Natalie Hahn, ARIA Coaching & Consulting/Dirty Girls Consulting
6. Invest In Your People
Coaching is fundamental for growth. Organizations that focused on learning about their employees' needs and wants has an unstoppable advantage in the marketplace, and I believe that tapping into or taking an interest in developing your leaders will make a huge impact, not just personally or professionally but an impact on the companies overall bottom line. It's a win-win for everyone. - Nadidah Coveney, CTM Consulting Group LLC
7. Provide Employees With Feedback
Organizations can foster a coaching environment by providing employees with feedback. I often hear employees say that they get little to no feedback. Encouraging leaders to provide regular feedback, both positive and negative, is one simple way that companies can encourage more growth. - Dan Ryan, Ryan Search & Consulting
8. Keep Coaching Consistent And Simple
Coaching is most successful between a boss and their employee if they keep it simple and do it consistently. Short sessions that are regularly scheduled and have a simple, direct, repeatable format provide the curiosity, encouragement and data employees need to grow. Asking a few simple questions can lead to feedback that will consistently improve and deepen trust in the relationship. - Lynda Foster, Cortex Leadership Consulting
9. Encourage Coaching Through Mentoring
Every person in the organization should have a mentor. Mentors have a way of seeing things from a different perspective. They challenge thought processes and stagnant behaviors. When companies develop mentoring relationships throughout the organization, coaching will become a byproduct. People don't always want coaches, but everyone wants a mentor. - Ken Gosnell, CEO Experience
10. Turn Errors Into Earnest Conversations
Create a corporate culture where team members are encouraged to do their best without fear of making a mistake. And if they do make a mistake, turn the situation into a coachable moment. A manager can help the person understand the error and its consequence. This coaching time will serve to improve their professional performance and personal satisfaction in their position. - Rick Itzkowich, 501 Connections Inc.
11. Adopt A Coaching Mindset
Establishing a coaching culture starts at the top. Senior leaders must shift their thinking and actions from telling to asking, from pushing their ideas to drawing thoughts from others, and from giving the answers to helping people think through solutions. Being intentional and taking the time to fully engage others through inclusive dialogue helps people feel involved, valued and appreciated. - Brent Carter, Leadership Excelleration, Inc
12. Lead By Example
Leaders need to demonstrate their commitment to coaching by being coachable themselves first, as well as coaching others in the organization. A healthy environment of coaching celebrates and rewards people who demonstrate active listening, learn to harness the power of rich questions and show courage and grace in sharing difficult feedback with each other. - Ali Merchant, Ali Merchant
13. Establish A Culture Of Emotional Connection
The best way to foster a coaching environment is through the process of emotional connection. Help your people learn how to work with emotions, how to send clear emotional signals to each other and how to lead bonding conversations where they can reconnect with each other when they get disconnected. - Lola Gershfeld, PsyD, Level Five Executive, Inc.
14. Give Your Leaders A Coach And Coaching Training
Equip your leaders with a performance coach outside the organization who can have honest conversations and objectively reveal blind spots to the individual. There is significant value in providing training to your employees on the basic principles of coaching as well. It arms them with the ability to lead powerful conversations with key stakeholders, team members and clients. - Leanne Wong, Leanne Wong
15. Give Leaders The Opportunity To Practice Coaching
Training is not the problem. Facilitating practice sessions along with positive reinforcement allows managers to feel good about getting better. Coaching can often feel like a foreign language to most leaders. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us as training leaders and coaches to facilitate the application of coaching to build a long-term application. - Tim Hagen, Progress Coaching
16. Let Go Of Being Right
It's impossible to coach anyone or to use a coaching style if you believe you are "right." Instead, choose curiosity and own that what you think is right is likely just your preference. Use a coaching style with seasoned employees and teams who don't need to be told what to do, but instead, need to be supported in their innovation and creativity. - Daphne Scott, DS Leadership Life
