Research undertaken in advance of the CIPD’s Coaching at Work conference has revealed that 90% of the 500 organisations invited to participate in the survey are using coaching a key part of learning and development. Many organisations consider it 'crucial to their learning and development strategy'. According to the survey, coaching is being used at all levels (i.e. not just for senior managers and directors) for a number of reasons: - 23% use coaching to build on good performance
- 20% use coaching to improve poor performance
- 23% use coaching in leadership development
It will come as no surprise that the use of coaching is partly in response to the tightening of the budgetary belt for learning and development departments, but it also has the specific benefit that it can be tweaked to meet the needs of the organisation. Most organisations who use coaching believe that it has great scope to improve employee engagement, empower people and boost morale at a time of great uncertainty.
Coaching used by almost 90% of organisations, CIPD reports
- How would you define coaching, and what do consider its benefits to be?
- Update: A recent report indicates that tighter training budgets have failed to reduce the use of coaching by employers. Question: is it a surprise that most firms are still using coaching despite the recession?
I would define coaching as a structured conversation, designed to raise awareness and generate insight, ideas and actions.
ReplyDeleteThe benefits are manifold, but the first one that springs to my mind is that it is a process that provides us with an invaluable opportunity to reflect. A skill which it seems as a society we are practicing less and less.
Coaching, by its very nature (structured conversation and feedback) is engaging. I like the fact it engages the manager as well. Recession or not I think it has a place for anyone who is managing people. I agree, Alex, reflection is key.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it acts as facilitative process that helps to reconnect people with experiences and ways of thinking that can often be lost in the day to day delivery of their roles. From the outputs of this they are then able to make identify alternative choices.
ReplyDeleteI define coaching as facilitating and bringing to life thoughts and ideas. It re-ignites passion and energy levels and empowers people to take charge of their own lives at home or work.
ReplyDeleteThe increased confidence in seeing goals being reached heightens the results and drive of the client.
The BBC has invested a lot in training senior staff in Coaching over recent years. The aim is to improve leadership and move away from a "command/control" view of management. As a new graduate of the BBC Coaching network I have found it a revelatory way of unlocking solutions that are already within the client through "5th level" listening and challenging questioning. David Anderson - posted anon as not accepting my url
ReplyDeleteAlex, Martin, Anonymous, Amie and Anonymous (!)
ReplyDeleteThanks enormously for your input. I've been directing A Level Business Studies students to this debate to demonstrate the growth and importance of coaching within the context of L&D. It's good to see a spectrum of views, but nevertheless a general agreement of the purpose and benefits of coaching