Successful in-company coaching requires a planned introduction, support from top management and a genuine belief that performance is important.
“Leadership, investment and creating the environment to allow coaching to become grounded” were all crucial success factors, said Jane Upton, head of Praesta, Spain. It was vital to make sure the context is right for coaching and prepare the way thoroughly. “To train a group of people who don’t understand the concept of coaching is far less effective. There’s work to be done in preparing the ground for even those staff who you’re not going to have as coaches,” she said.
Upton was speaking at the Henley Management College Coaching Services special event held on 9 June.
She cited the example of Imperial Tobacco, which had identified a requirement for mentoring rather than coaching early on. “The culture is still not receptive to coaching it’s not a culture where people can give clear feedback. They are waiting to get the timing right.”
In contrast, mobile phone company Vodafone in Spain is about to embark on a comprehensive and complex management programme of which coaching is a part. “The managing director is genuinely behind the programme and having that top line buy-in is so important.” The company plans to provide coaching to more than 100 managers.
“The approach of managers towards coaching can completely blow the whole thing,” said Upton. She said that it is necessary to be realistic and recognise that not everyone will be a good coach: “Even with a lot of coaching training, some people’s way of thinking is not what it takes to be a good coach.”
Picking the right people to roll out coaching is also very important: “You have to be very careful who you choose as your trainers to push coaching down the organisation,” said Upton. “So much about making coaching successful in companies is about attitude rather than skills,” she added.