Coaching Is a Process Within the Organism

Coaching is a process within the organism which results in the capacity for changed performance which can be related to experience rather than maturation. It is not just a cognitive process that involves the assimilation of information in symbolic form, but also an affective and physical process. When coaching is used with senior staff it could be geared to the development of soft skills (so as to complement the more technical skills developed through other forms of training. Most coaching situations address employee performance development issues although it is the high achievers that want to participate in coaching arrangements the most.

1. coaching is often a precondition of successful job design, delegation and empowerment

2. more time for planning and less time spent on 'fire fighting'

3. more responsible and innovative involvement by subordinates

4. positive impact on the manager's own promotion

5. better communication with staff

The advantage of coaching

1. Involvement of line managers- as coach and /or facilitator

2. Lower cost training

3. Job related development

4. Greater and quicker 'transfer of learning'

5. Better and quicker feedback on subordinate development

6. Facilities employee empowerment in flatter organizations with devolved responsibility

The role of HR in managing coaching activities

* Gain top management support

* Align with other HR activities

* Ensure stakeholder awareness of potential benefits, and time and cost involved

* Set up selection, training, support and monitoring systems

* Demystify the programmers through communication / clarification, sensitivity to org culture, and selling the benefits

* Ensure confidentiality in mentoring role

Coaching activities

* Increasing infusion of concepts from coaching in sports settings to business context. Also, introduction of more holistic 'executive coaching or life coaching', and use of specialist coaches

* Face to face discussion, demonstration, modeling, feedback

* Observing a skilled practitioner

* Deputizing

* Secondment