In a tweet today the author quoted a “leader” as saying, “I don’t believe in coaching. It’s too fluffy.”
Our initial reaction was surprise – because we believe so deeply in the value of coaching and have seen firsthand how transformative it can be and, also because we dared to hope that we were more evolved by now and had left the coaching naysayers behind. Countless in-depth studies, (such as this one from Bersin & Associates: https://www.hci.org/blog/having-coaching-culture-competitive-advantage), highlight the positive impact of the right kind of coaching on performance.
Our surprise was followed quickly by a certain sadness – for both the leader (whom, we imagine, must not have ever received effective coaching) and for all of the people he leads because if he isn’t coaching or advocating for coaching, then most of them are likely not receiving the support they need to perform at their best.
One way to help reframe someone’s view of business coaching to increase their comfort level with the idea and help them see the potential value of coaching, is to draw parallels between coaching in business and coaching in sports. This article from Deloitte does a good job of explaining those parallels: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/human-capital/articles/coaching-employees-to-reach-optimal-performance.html
We believe that leadership is a privilege and a responsibility. It’s a privilege because you truly can have a significant impact on the lives of the people you lead, as well as the organization in which you lead and a responsibility because neither of those should be taken lightly. Knowing that our leaders believe in us boosts testosterone, our confidence chemical. In addition, the most effective leaders recognize that in order for their people to perform at their best, they need to operate in a supportive, trust-based (high oxytocin) environment. That type of environment has a significant impact on performance, specifically (as reported in Paul Zak’s book, "The Trust Factor") generating:
106% more energy
76% more engagement
50% more productivity
40% fewer cases of burnout
29% more satisfaction with their lives
13% fewer sick days
Those are motivating business outcomes. True developmental coaching is a great first step in achieving them – not what we’d call “fluffy.”
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