Company D.N.A. Must Include Coaching

As a business coach, I am always eager to discuss this crucial topic. I firmly believe that companies that empower their people will not just survive but thrive in this V.U.C.C.A. world we live in today. A coaching culture can bring about significant positive changes, fostering growth and adaptability and instilling a sense of optimism and hope for the future.

As a leader, you are vital to providing a vibrant and engaged Ecosystem for your employees and customers. Your commitment and actions are crucial and empowering for the success of a coaching culture in your organization. You have the power to shape your company's future, and with this power comes great responsibility and the potential for significant positive change.

While specific organizations may still require the old authoritarian structure, such as a top-down management style with strict hierarchies, most can benefit from a more flexible, flatter organization, like a decentralized structure with open communication and shared decision-making, especially in the long term.

So, what is holding you back? It's important to take a moment to reflect and ask yourself some critical questions.

• If you fear losing your grip on the organization, I will question whether you ever had that grip. I would suggest you manage by generating fear.

• If you fear losing your power, you can benefit from spreading that power within the organization.

• If you believe the organization only exists because of your control, I would challenge you to ask whether your control is expanding or limiting the organization. What would happen if you were to disappear for three weeks and not have access to your enterprise? Would it survive?

If you are open to creating a coaching-based organization, get ready to change several things you may have been doing for years. Embracing change is the first step towards building an open and transparent coaching environment. Consider how your current structure may have created roadblocks to progress and be ready to overcome them.

Here are some suggestions that you can use to create a coaching environment:

• Maintain an actual open-door policy with your existing employees.

• Ensure your people feel heard when they bring up a thorny issue.

• Treat your people, customers, and clients regularly with respect, compassion, and trust.

• Encourage and live "management by wandering around" (MBWA) in your business.

• Listen to your employees, customers, or clients' suggestions for improvements.

• Always entertain and execute changes recommended by customers or employees?

• Remember to keep your commitment with everyone, not just V.I.P.s.

• Communicate clear expectations to employees, customers, and suppliers.

• Articulate, listen, and acknowledge expectations you receive from your employees, customers, or suppliers.

• Regularly celebrates victories and dissects failures to learn and grow.

• Always give credit where credit is due every time.

• Accept responsibility for the failure of your teams, or blame them all the time?

How many of these suggestions are you using in your organization or team?

If you can honestly answer the above questions in the affirmative, you have a strong foundation for expanding into a coaching-based organization.

If you can only answer "affirmative" to four or five of them, you will have an uphill battle, but you can prevail.

If you can't answer "affirmative" to any of them, then I suggest you start with the list and not try to make any other changes.

Once you have established some of the communication and EQ-based soft skills required for the list above, here are three points necessary to move your teams to an actual coaching format.

1. Questions: At the heart of being a coach is asking questions that inspire, motivate, and matter to the coachee. Questions are also critical to being transparent and authentic with your people. Do your prospective coaches feel comfortable asking questions? Can they be nonjudgmental and compassionate when exchanging with their assigned coachees?

2. Time: Are your coaches (Managers) willing to take the time necessary to make this happen? It is not easy, nor is it formulaic. It requires genuine compassion, caring, and communication to be effective. I suggest you do this with your, asking them to do it with their departments or teams. If you don't provide an example, don't expect the desired results to come about.

3. Access: Does your current structure allow the manager or coaches to physically deal with the coachees enough that they can see how they work, interact, and communicate? If they have daily access to the people, asking the tough questions or effectively listening will be easy. Ensure there is some level of regular communication between the coaches and coachees before implementing a coaching program. If the interaction is remote, it takes extra effort for the coach and coachee to build a strong relationship that will have a positive impact.

Takeaway: Building a solid coaching organization is a great way to ensure your company's sustainable future, but it requires commitment, intentionality, and effort. Your leaders are the key drivers and examples for all the employees.

Leadership Questions: How do you coach your direct reports or delegate? How do you empower your people to coach or mentor each other? What process do you provide so willing employees can get coaching training?

Keys: |Application: Leaders |Status: Stratactical |Duration: DNA Embed |Impact: High