COACHING – being used effectively or mis-used today?

Coaching is becoming an oft-used and oft-abused word! Coaches seem to be mushrooming in every nook and corner with umpteen certification programmes springing up everywhere. Noone can deny the power of coaching as a tool – the power to empower as well as the power to dis-empower. There’s genuine good that good coaches can do but there’s a lot of bad that bad coaches can do too. How does an organization then evaluate which kind of coaching intervention to go for, or whether to go for a coaching intervention at all?

I believe there are three fundamental questions that an organization needs to to get an affirmation on before plunging itself on a coaching journey

1. Do we have a collaborative and reflective work environment?
2. Are the learners motivated to learn/change?
3. Do we have the bandwidth to provide enough opportunities to the learners to engage in development experiences such as training workshops, reading journeys, result focused projects etc.?

If the answer to any of these is a negative, coaching may end up being a pre-mature effort.  Further, what’s it that one should look for in a good coach? Again, three magic words I believe

1. Accessibility – Can I talk to him, email him, chat with him etc on a regular basis?
2. Knowledge – to build trust and confidence in the coach at first, and to talk specifics with the coach as we progress
3. Concern – Is he genuinely concerned about the welfare of his learners? Is he encouraging, nurturing and caring?

Coaching as a concept sees its origins in the sporting fraternity and if we look at the most successful coach-athlete relationships, they are based on trust, adaptability and a genuine will to bring out the best in people. Sadly however, in the current corporate world, the relationship has been marred and lost its power for many.

Establishing Trust – Story from the Ramayana

A few days back, I was conducting a training session on Inter-personal Effectiveness and we got down to discussing the importance of self disclosure and feedback in building long term relationships. Of course, each of these requires something very basic – establishing trust.

Trust has been the backbone of successful communication for all eternity. Consider the Ramayana – Hanuman’s first meeting with Sita in Ashoka Vatika after she was abducted. Establishing trust with Sita was crucial for any communication to even begin. Hanuman knew that he would not be taken at face value so he had to establish his authenticity. He first started talking about Shri Ram – a subject dear to Sita. Hanuman praised Sri Ram and gave details of Lakshman to gain acceptance with Sita. Sita softened towards him and started paying attention – but she still had her doubts. He then went on to describe her abduction in detail to her – information that a rakshak would not have had. And finally he used his trump card – the ring given to him by Shri Ram.

Innumerable business lessons can be drawn from this simple episode

1. To establish trust, discuss a subject close to the other party’s heart. Wait and watch his response. Has he become more open to sharing or listening or is he still closed?
2. Share information and proceed the conversation only once the other party gets interested and (maybe) concerned.  You don’t want to give offence, so proceed with caution.
3. Finally, show your best card when you have won the other party’s trust completely. Offering everything right away may be viewed as interference or desperation or worse, a lie. Wait for credibility to be established.