© Katarzyna Głowacka-Stewart, Personal Coach, HR Director at SAP
Poland; Edyta Ponarad and Lidia Sawicka, Business Coaches and Board
Members at The International Coach Federation (ICF) Poland
There are many situations where coaching could be of great value.
Where to identify the ‘coaching need’?
The best way to identify the development need is to use the already
existing and implemented HR processes. For example, in SAP Polska,
managers have used Performance Feedback, Talent Management, Succession
Management, 360 Feedback and the Development Center. Another good
source of information could be the Assessment Center.
Once the development area has been described and agreed on, the
analysis of options how to develop it (what tools or methods to use)
should follow. Coaching can be considered as a development method
similar to: Training, Mentoring and On-The-Job Training.
External or internal coaching?
Both internal and external coaches have many assets. The Internal Coach
knows the organisation, its strategy, culture and characteristics. The
External Coach may be seen as more objective and discrete, and will be
more comfortable while working with political and relationship matters.
External coaches will also be more professional in certain specific
areas. For this reason very senior executives requiring top-level
inspiration and knowledge will look for external coaches (the more
senior the executive, the more likely it is that an external coach is a
better choice).
Internal coaching (also with the manager as coach) can be engaged in the following areas of development need:
- Performance coaching (improving present job performance)
- Professional development, preparing someone for a new role in the
organisation (e.g. coaching for high potential, coaching for newly
hired or newly promoted managers)
- Professional/technical/SAP skills development (with the assumption that the coach has excellence in this field)
- Leadership coaching (e.g. clarifying strategic vision)
External coaching will be a better choice in development needs such as:
- Leadership coaching for senior executives
- Beliefs, values, self-esteem, courage, purpose
- Awareness of one’s strengths and limitations
- Difficult political/relationship issues
- Complex team situations
- Resolving career and personal work-life conflicts
- Coaching for improvement of employees with the possibility of terination of employment contract.
Managers may ask the question: In what kind of situations can I be a coach for my people?
Training literature has defined coach, mentor and manager in a great
variety of ways. Some say that the coach, the mentor and the manager
are three distinct approaches – different in position, role and
responsibility. Others say they are one and the same. In fact they are
intertwined. The best managers do some coaching and mentoring as part
of their management or leadership responsibilities. Those who subscribe
to the latter definition invest heavily in training their managers in
both of these roles.
Well performed coaching can be a great tool to support managerial
tasks. Managers can use it to give guidance and feedback and promote
professional development. They can use acoaching approach in day-to-day
work with employees and combine it with Performance Feedback and Talent
Management processes.
As a coach, a manager must remember that the coaching can be successful
only if there is a common understanding (between him/her and the
coachee) of the area do be developed, the goal ahead, if the coachee
shows real willingness to work on it, and the relation between them
allows for full openness.
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The person being coached must be willing to change and grow, willing to
think beyond their own assumptions, mindsets and preferences, willing
to engage in whatever it takes to resolve the coachable issue and be
ultimately responsible for the success and effectiveness of the
coaching.
How to find a professional external coach?
Looking for a coach, apart from knowing what is our goal, it is well
worth knowing what to expect from a professional coach. According to
the International Coach Federation, the most recognised international
coaching organisation, the core competencies of a coach include:
- Meeting ethical guidelines and professional standards
- Establishing the coaching agreement
- Establishing trust and intimacy with the client
- Coaching presence
- Active listening
- Powerful questioning
- Direct communication
- Creating awareness
- Designing actions
- Planning and goal setting, and
- Managing progress and accountability.
The coach must also represent high professional ethical standards. In relation to clients this should entail:
- Constructing clear agreements with clients, and honoring all
agreements made in the context of professional coaching relationships.
- Ensuring that, prior to or at the initial session, the coaching
client understands the nature of coaching, the bounds of
confidentiality, financial arrangements and other terms of the coaching
agreement.
- Accurate identification of qualifications, expertise and experience as a coach.
- Not knowingly exploiting any aspect of the coach-client relationship
for personal, professional or monetary advantage or benefit.
- Respecting the client’s right to terminate coaching at any point during the process.
- Being alert to indications that the client is no longer benefiting from this coaching relationship.
- Suggesting that clients seek the services of other professionals when deemed appropriate or necessary.
- Taking all reasonable steps to notify the appropriate authorities in
the event aclient discloses an intention to endanger self or others.
- Showing respect, being constructive
- Guaranteeing confidentiality.
When preparing to choose a coach, it is helpful to:
- Gather information on the area of coaching that best applies in the particular situation
- Be sure what exactly is the reason to hire acoach
- Meet and interview three coaches before you decide on one
- Make sure that there is a ‘chemistry’ between the coachee and the coach.
When looking for potential coaches, good sources of information could
be: the ICF Coach Referral Service, contacting other professionals (HR
Directors, General Managers), searching the web for coaching websites
and vertical press.
When interviewing the potential coaches, it is important to ask
questions that relate to: specialisation, area of expertise,
experience, level of competencies, qualifications, references, methods
of work, prices, possible languages and locations.
A good coach develops the individual and the business. It is good for
the employee, the executive and for the company. And now you are fully
equipped to find one. That was the hard part. Good luck with stage two!
˘
The authors addressed the BPCC morning workshop on 11 May 2005
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