Why focus on coaching?
Coaching is widely regarded as a potent development force.
De Meuse and Dai (2009), in examining research on coaching effectiveness, reported that in one study 96% of organizations saw individual performances improve after they introduced coaching. Nearly as many (92%) also reported improvements in leadership and management effectiveness (Coaching Counts 2007). In another study, 77% of the respondents indicated that coaching had a significant or very significant impact on at least one of nine business measures. Productivity (60%) and employee satisfaction (53%) were cited as being most improved by the coaching (Anderson 2001).
Clearly, coaching makes a difference. To sustain and deepen this impact in the new business era, coaches must refine and continue to build their repertoire.
What are the current coaching themes?
Businesses expect their senior leaders to activate strategy by motivating and managing their teams, peers, and partners to achieve results through others rather than through individual contributions. The coaches surveyed reflect the importance —and the challenge—of this leadership imperative; responses identified interpersonal and communication skills such as influence, listening, and empathy as key coaching topics across all levels of leadership. Self-awareness, a topic identified in research as crucial yet frequently a derailer, ranks high for all leaders and is at the top of the list for C-suite leaders.
Which leadership challenges are being coached most often?
Our coaches indicated the following as the top 10 most frequent coaching topics by level of leader:
C-Suite Level
Self-awareness
Interpersonal relationships, listening skills, empathy
Influence
Leading during times of change
Communication skills
Motivation and engagement, leading with vision and purpose
Building effective teams
Strategy and strategic thinking
Working with uncertainty and ambiguity, decision skills
Mentoring, developing internal talent, succession
Business Unit Leader (SVP, VP)
Interpersonal relationships, listening skills, empathy
Influence
Self-awareness
Communication skills
Motivation and engagement
Building effective teams
Mentoring, developing internal talent, succession
Delegation, empowerment
Leading during times of change
Working with uncertainty and ambiguity, decision skills
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