By Rajat Garg
Executive coaching is growing rapidly in India, in fact, according to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the International Coach Federation 89% of consumers surveyed in India said they were aware of the practice. India reported the highest level of awareness of coaching of the 30 countries included in the study.
The popularity of coaching in India is due to the tremendous results reported by clients. Around 97% of the study participants in India said they were satisfied with what they gained through the process. They cited benefits such as increased productivity, improved work/life balance, and improved business management strategies amongst others.
Executive coaches partner with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires clients to maximize their personal and professional potential. Clients can be individual employees, company leaders or even all the employees of a company or department. In a competitive business environment, coaching can help make a team more collaborative, fulfilled and impactful in realizing the companys goals.
Helping transition new managers into company leaders
When an employee steps into their first management position, they need an entirely new perspective and skill set to do well in the role. As they continue to settle in, they can either struggle with or evolve into an inspiring leader their company needs.
An executive coach can help such a new manager find their own leadership style and address areas of weakness. As an employee takes on their first management position, they must discover ways to shift from being a task-manager to being a people-manager and an inspiration to their team. They must help their team come together for the bigger goal of the project and the company.
For some new leaders, this may come naturally. For many others, this transition entails significant challenges as they learn from trial and error over time. A coach can accelerate this process by helping a new manager understand the importance of this shift in perspective, as well as identify the new skills they need to master in this new role and strengthen existing talents they need to leverage for success.
Investing in the full teams potential
Additionally, when a new leader grows as a result of the coaching relationship, the benefits are passed forward to other employees on the team as these new managers apply the same coaching techniques to help develop their own team. Hence, when a company invests in providing coaching for a new manager they are also investing in the entire team as well as in the future of the company.
When company teams are coached together there is a bigger shift in the development of the company’s leadership. The common benefits of such coaching include:
- Better communication among team members
- Creation of trust within the team
- Better alignment of individual employee goals with the companys vision
- Improved employee work/life balance
- Enhanced longevity of employees careers with the company.
In particular, this final benefit of coaching for company teams magnifies all the others. By investing in the team, a company also helps grow its future leaders and equips them with the foundational skills they need to succeed individually while also helping the company thrive.
Fostering a pervasive and durable coaching culture
When coaching stretches beyond the individual client/coach relationship, it helps in developing how employees engage with their bosses, teammates and subordinates. Principles of coaching, such as guiding employees with questions to help them find their own answers, become a gold standard and common approach throughout the enterprise.
When working with a coach to implement a program or building a companys own coaching culture, it is best to turn to credentialed coaches and accredited training programs through an organization such as the International Coach Federation. In fact, often, as part of the process of developing a coaching culture, existing employees are motivated to become certified coaches with the training and continuing development to sustain the companys coaching culture over time.
A coaching culture can pay dividends for a companys overall growth. When coaching practices are integrated fully into the ways a companys employees interact with each other every day, human resource issues are reduced, employee performance is enhanced, and overall morale goes up. Hence, promoting a strong coaching culture also can help a company recruit top talent.
Executive coaching builds a companys leaders for today and tomorrow
Executive coaching is an invaluable resource that can help companies get ahead. An investment in existing or new leadership can have a powerful trickle-down effect while expanding coaching to the full team can do even more to strengthen employee skills, increase productivity, and create an enjoyable work environment.