Today, organisations are investing in coaching, and when done well, coaching changes the individual at the seed level (otherwise known as mindset). Psychology promotes that behavior follows mindset. So, to achieve different results, a powerful strategy is to change the mental models we hold about ourselves, how we view the world and our assumptions about challenges we face. Albert Einstein explained this nicely with one of his quotes: “You can’t solve the problem at the level it was created.”
Typically, when an organization or an individual is facing a problem, the focus is always on fixing the issue, usually by some type of behavior modification or changing something in the process. In the short-term, you might see results, but in the long-run, systems (or people) usually return to the same state, unless the problem is addressed at the root cause. Root cause analysis explains that we need to understand what caused the problem, not just focus on the symptoms. (Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_cause_analysis)
Coaching, as a tool, teaches managers and leaders how to develop and use skills to empower their staff. The result is improved employee engagement and retention, increased productivity and results, and increased accountability for managers developing talent. In a white paper by the Center for Creative Leadership and the Client Group, Creating Coaching Cultures: What Business Leaders Expect and Strategies to Get There (http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/CoachingCultures.pdf), numerous insights were cited. One insight found that when coaching was embedded into the organization, leaders felt the culture became more positive, specifically noted was greater levels of trust, more innovation, greater transparency, and participative decision-making. Another key insight: because coaching requires medium to high levels of trust with employees, coaching skill simply can’t be taught. For coaching to authentically get embedded in the organization, leaders must also learn how to build greater levels of trust in their relationships.
To build these higher levels of trust in organisations, it’s paramount to invest in leadership development that focuses on self-leadership and building self-awareness. It also requires that you address coaching skills in all leadership programs.
