Integrating a Coaching culture within the organization

Let me start by highlighting the leadership lessons learnt from one of my favourite sitcom characters, Leslie Knope, a fictional character, and the main protagonist of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. For most of the show’s run, she serves as Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department of the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana.

Knope has strong beliefs about what her organization can accomplish and isn’t afraid to go for it. She is also notoriously organized, something that leadership development programs emphasize. While projecting confidence and aiming high, she doesn’t trample on others to get what she wants. Leslie genuinely wants to elevate everyone else in her life along with her. We should all be so lucky to have such a leader in our lives.

These words by Knope are more relevant than ever in today’s hybrid and hustle work environments.

In many organisations, culture-shaping projects are underway to help boost performance and productivity by creating a more positive work environment. But the common issue lies in the lack of clarity on what these initiatives typically aim to change and how it ties into the company’s larger strategic vision. As the economy evolves, so too must the skills, processes, structures and ways of thinking required to thrive within it. No single person has all the answers to these changes, which is why creating a coaching culture will be crucial to success in the new economy.

To build a successful coaching culture, it is important to evangelize coaching and spread awareness of its tangible and intangible benefits. Managers who receive training on how to coach their team effectively can provide the best possible support for their employees. By creating a more positive work environment, culture-shaping projects like this can help boost performance and productivity. In this new economy, creating a coaching culture will be all the more crucial to success.So how can you get the positive benefits of creating a coaching culture? Here are a few steps to consider for deploying a coaching culture.

1. Catalyzing Coaching — To have a strong purpose

First, you need to ensure your coaching policies are clear, concise and tie into the company’s vision. This will ensure buy-in from senior leaders. Having a vital purpose is not about achieving goals or pursuing profit; it is about aligning your goals with your purpose. In essence, the coaching strategy should seamlessly integrate with the organisation’s business strategy and moral compass.

Also, employees need to know what is expected of them when it comes to part in a coaching ecosystem and the resources available to them. Organizations must also make sure that coaches and coaching partners have the authority and resources they need to provide quality coaching.

It is important that employees across all levels of an organization understand and are aware of the solutions, answers, and shifts that will help them achieve goals and reach a state of thriving.

2. Create a supportive environment

Create a climate where employees feel comfortable seeking help from their peers. It’s important that your team feels like they can trust one another, and can open up about their challenges without feeling threatened. This can be achieved by having a strong culture of support, promoting collaboration, and empowering employees with the information they need to be successful.

Case in point, here is April Ludgate from the same sitcom, Parks and Recreation. Ludgate went from being a snarky intern who didn’t want to do anything asked of her, to becoming the Deputy Director of Animal Control while also managing Andy’s music career. Her success was due in part to the support and motivation provided by her boss, Leslie Knope, and the mentorship offered by a like-minded Ron Swanson, who was the director of the Parks and Recreation department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, and the immediate superior of series protagonist Leslie Knope. It shows that a positive work environment can help with individual growth.

3. Develop effective coaching skills

To imbibe a coaching culture within your organization, start by introducing coaching to leaders and managers where they are encouraged to listen and ask the right questions, while encouraging others to reflect and develop insights before taking action. These very leaders and managers can then guide them to coach their team members, leading to a trickle-down coaching culture being imbibed through the organization. Over time, a coaching culture will emerge.

4. Democratizing Coaching

Coaching must be integrated into the organization to be truly impactful. Participation from all levels is essential. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as embedding coaches within functional areas, promoting a culture of learning, and creating an environment that is conducive to coaching. Involving everyone in the process will allow coaching to reach its full potential and provide tangible benefits for the organization overall. The organizational structure should support collaborative work, which allows coaches and employees to share best practices and learn from each other.

5. Create Accountability by setting the right expectations

Coaching sessions require setting clear expectations from both coaching partners and the coachees. Only by setting uniquely tailored goals for all levels of employees, can organizations build true accountability for creating a successful coaching culture. An organization with a strong and nuanced coaching culture is noticeably different from a traditional work environment and often provides greater success.

Coaching can also lead to more developing effective leaders who can in-turn develop teams of people who feel supported and empowered to make their own decisions and grow into true stakeholders within the organization. The resulting accountability system encourages employees to take ownership of their performance and encourages managers to take ownership of how they coach others. This can help create a more positive and productive work environment for all.

6. Feedback and Advancement

Employees may not always be as excited about coaching. Many may perceive coaching as a form of negative feedback — for example, “You are not doing something right so let me tell you how to improve.” The objective of coaching is to drive better leadership outcomes for all involved and is not meant to be a performance evaluation tool. Leaders should provide feedback that is specific, helpful, and actionable in a setting that is designed for it. Employees should know what to expect from coaching and be able to set realistic expectations. This will help everyone feel comfortable with the coaching process and improve the quality of the feedback.

7. Celebrate Success

A successful coaching culture celebrates every individual’s and team’s successes. Companies should develop a system that tracks progress and awards certificates or prizes for performance milestones. This encourages employees to stay focused on their goals and reinforces positive behaviours. When team members know that they are able to receive support and guidance when needed, they are more likely to be successful and empowered. Celebrating successes with your team members can also foster a sense of togetherness and kinship.

In essence, building a coaching culture involves focusing on shifting unwritten rules, values, norms, behaviours, and practices to spread a coaching mindset and coaching practices throughout the organization. This ensures that coaching becomes a key part of the company’s identity. Coaching is a demanding process that requires emotional investment, time, and resources. It is not a quick fix or a one-time effort, but a long-term journey that requires dedication and hard work to change people’s mindsets and behaviours. The goal is to influence people, not force them.

If you are looking to build a comprehensive coaching program in your organization across any level, then you may have questions about how to go about this. That’s where we come in! Drop us a follow on LinkedIn or reach out to us at information@mentoring-matters.com and get started on your journey to nurturing better leaders across the organization.

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MEERA RAGHUNANDAN

Meera Raghunandan is the co-founder of Mentoring Matters, a platform for businesses and individuals across industries to drive holistic professional growth across mid and senior-level positions through dedicated coaching by certified professionals.