What is Workplace Coaching?

Workplace coaching means providing workers opportunities, tools, and knowledge about everything they require to become more productive, efficient, and content with their work. Workplace coaching adds value to employees, who in return will add value to the organization. The purpose of workplace coaching is to enhance efficiency and creativity among employees and bring a dynamic environment that ensures smooth functioning of things. Workplace coaching is important because only when everyone is working at their maximum capacity can the workplace make progress. Workplace coaching has various benefits like improving an individual’s performance, identifying and developing high potential employees, increasing employee engagement, identifying strengths of both organization and employees and providing development opportunities. Workplace coaching leverages an individual’s abilities and strengths for maximum performance.

A conversational coaching style in the company will strengthen communication skills among all employees of the organization. Through coaching, an employee’s weaknesses such as communication or active listening can be strengthened. The employee has to listen to the workplace coach and make necessary changes that the coach suggests, and at the next meeting,  the employee can express doubts over the techniques suggested by the coach. This repetitive process improves the listening, questioning, following, and overall communicating skills of the employees. If there are team coaching sessions, the members of the team get to communicate and bond with one another. When team members become more comfortable with each other and the leaders, they’ll be more willing to seek help when problems arise.

Workplace coaching develops leadership skills by enhancing the overall performance of an employee. Skills like communication, confidence, trust-worthiness, developing strategies and people skills which are the dominant traits of a leader are improved through workplace coaching. Coaching helps employees come up with solutions and implement their ideas proactively.

What is the Purpose of Workplace Coaching?

The purpose of workplace coaching is to increase efficiency in areas like:

• Communication 
• Leadership qualities
• Management skills
• Resilience
• Accountability and responsibility
• Gain more job satisfaction
• Self-reliance
• Commitment to work
• Confidence
• Creativity
• Productivity
• Self-awareness
• Loyalty towards company
• Overall well-being of individual and company
• Empathy

What is the Importance of Coaching at the Workplace?

The importance of workplace coaching is to improve performance quality of employees and for overall betterment of workers and the company. When employees know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, they’ll perform better and at a higher level. Through coaching, employees will feel included in the matters of business. Employees will look out for the company’s best interest as their own, once they feel included.

Examples of companies having Workplace Coaching :

1. Amazon: 

Amazon offers coaching programs such as Associate2Tech, Machine Learning University, Amazon Career Choice, Amazon Apprenticeship, and AWS Training and Certification for its employees. In July 2019, Amazon announced a $700 million effort  called “Upskilling 2025” to retrain its U.S. workforce.

2. AT&T:

AT&T Invests about $220 million every year in internal training programs, providing nearly 20 million hours of training a year, and over $30 million annually on tuition assistance.

3. Marriott International Inc:

The coaching in Marriott International Inc focuses on developing skills, and provides professional and career development training. Topic areas include work-life balance, leadership and management.

What is the History of Workplace Coaching?

The history of workplace coaching is comparatively less. Research on workplace coaching began in 1995, but there are traces of workplace coaching publication dating back to 1997. The history of workplace coaching is stated below:

• In 1937, C.B. Gorby published  “Everyone Gets a Share of the Profits” which is considered to be one of the first publications on workplace coaching. Gorby observes that “the dual generic goals of coaching are to deepen a person’s self-awareness and to increase the individual’s personal responsibility” 
• In 1995, “Creative Action in Organizations: Ivory Tower Visions & Real-World Voices” was published which was edited by  Cameron M. Ford and Dennis A. Gioia, focused on concepts like organizational development, creative training, innovation and self-evaluation.

What does a Workplace Coach Do?

A  workplace coach’s responsibilities are to keep discussions focussed on a clear goal, encourage creative thinking, exploring different possibilities, provide constructive feedback, ask relevant follow-up questions and to actively listen. A workplace coach can implement any coaching method to improve overall working performance of the employees and the organization.

The role of workplace coach is listed below:

1. Engage, support and motivate staff in development and integration of positive value and culture.
2. Provide guidance and opportunities to enable transfer of learning into effective practice for staff and their managers.
3. Use any coaching method that creates an environment that is engaging, participatory, supportive and provides constructive feedback on performance.
4. Assess the values, knowledge and skills of current and new staff against the standards that apply to their role in order to devise individual, sector and service development plans.
5. To contribute as required to all external quality assurance audits and action points.
6. Support the growth of leadership capability and develop leadership performance in others.
7. Provide learning opportunities related to the assessed needs of staff, including induction and induction mentorship and continuing development opportunities, regularly reviewing and evaluating their experiences over their employment journey. 
8. Provide appropriate and timely analysis and feedback to supervisors on their staff’s progress and support needs.
9. Attending work reliably and punctually.

What can a Workplace Coach Help With?

A workplace coach can help with these problems faced by the companies are:

1. Feeling stuck:

The business can hit a point where you feel that there is barely any progress, or working at minimum efficiency. One might lack guidance, motivation and clear vision to turn the business around.

2. Lacking Accountability:

It is difficult for some people to take accountability for their business’ progress. They need someone to keep them accountable. 

3. Not productive enough:

Even though everyone’s working, one can realize the company is not working at peak productivity. One might also be unclear about tools and techniques required to enhance productivity.

How workplace coaches can help companies:

1. For feeling struck:

  A workplace coach gives clarity and guidance about business goals. The coach will assist in prioritizing various goals. A coach gives an honest outside perspective for the business to flourish.

2. Lacking accountability:

  A workplace coach doesn’t do your work, but instead keeps checking up on you to make sure you are doing your work. When the employee can’t be accountable for their actions, a coach keeps them accountable by suggesting tools and techniques and giving feedback when they find problems

3. To enhance productivity:

 A workplace coach will enhance everyone’s potential, which will ultimately lead to a boost in productivity. Workplace coach also develops one’s passion, love and interest in their work, which will lead to employees doing the work dynamically.

What Qualities Should You Look for in a Workplace Coach?

The qualities you should look for in a workplace coach are:

1. Expertise:

A workplace coach must have expertise over the field of coaching. Only when a coach has expertise and experience in their field, they can confidently maneuver clients into maximizing their potential and enhancing their performance.

2. Active-listening skills:

Active-listening skills and communication skills are of utmost importance, because only through listening can a coach understand the client’s needs, problems and wants and provide right suggestions accordingly.

3. Result-driven:

A workplace coach must ensure that employees along with the organization are making progress. It is the responsibility of the coach to track progress and give the extra “push” needed to move even forward

4. Commitment:

Coaching is a long-term process and the coach must be committed to invest their time, energy and efforts to better the employees and the organization. The coach needs to be consistent and patient and always pull the organization in the right direction

5. Self-awareness:

Only when the coach is self-aware can they be aware of other people’s needs, wants and obstacles. A coach must know what coaching style to use on specific clients, and when to change the present coaching style when it isn’t showing any progress. This requires self-awareness.

What are the Benefits of Workplace Coaching?

The benefits of workplace coaching are:

1. Encouraging specific skill development:

A workplace coach can sense one’s true talent and potential and provides suggestions  to maximize potential. The coach also provides tools to overcome obstacles. This will increase specific skill development. 

2. Increased employee engagement:

A coach increases employee engagement by improving their performance and productivity. The coach motivates employees to be more passionate about work and encourages them to improve their skills.

3. Accomplishing organizational and personal goals:

The coach sets a goal and directs employees and the organization towards the goal in a structured manner. Overtime, this will lead to accomplishment of goals both at a personal and organizational level.

4. Better personal awareness:   

Through the process of coaching, one learns more about their strengths and weaknesses and becomes more aware. The employees understand how to be in order to have a better image in the company.

Can Workplace Coaches Help Companies to Enhance the Work Environment?

Yes, workplace coaches can help companies to enhance their work environment.

Coaches can create a happy work environment between employees by building more meaningful relationships between employees and clients. Employees will be encouraged to honestly pinpoint any concerns they may have and express any ideas to enhance the workplace environment.

What are the Mistakes Of Workplace Coaching?

The mistakes of workplace coaching are:

1. Trying To Help Everyone:

Some people will be reluctant to get coached or would not have similar understanding, values and beliefs as that of the coach. A coach must strive to improve everyone, but shouldn’t waste too much of energy and time helping those who do not want to be helped.

2. Giving too much advice:

This mistake is done by coaches who aren’t active listeners. Coaches make the mistake of giving too much advice too quickly without understanding if the employee will benefit from the advice. The coach must completely understand what the employee needs before giving any advice.

3. Spending Too Much Time Getting Everything Set Up Just Right:

It is essential to have everything set up right for coaching to be most effective. But that’s not realistic. A coach shouldn’t waste too much time and must find the right balance between setting things up and coaching employees.

4. Trying to be somebody else:

Coaches must have an authentic style of coaching, instead of trying to be  somebody else(like the coaches they aspire to be). A coach can be motivated by somebody they look up to, but shouldn’t imitate someone blindly.

What are the Common Problems at Workplace Coaching?

The common problems and solutions of workplace coaching are:

1. Culture of the company:

If the company runs by the pyramid approach, meaning the employees are constantly addressed by managers and supervisors on how to run the business, then coaching might not be the best option. When leaders dictate to their employees, there is no scope for development of communication or leadership skills amongst the employees.

Solution:

Gradually change the company’s culture: 

The company’s culture must be evaluated and slowly made changes accordingly.

Though it might be difficult at first, once everyone understands the importance of changing the culture, things will flow smoothly.

2. Time and Distance:

Most coaching types require some amount of travel and demand time. Travelling to far away locations or multiple locations will waste time and also reduce productivity from the employees.

Solution: 

1. Usage of video conferencing and recording:

Usage of video-conferencing saves time and expense of travelling, while also giving the flexibility to watch whenever and wherever the employee wants to.

2. Encourage teams to coach one-another:

Along with saving time and expense of traveling, when teams coach one another, there is scope for development of awareness and communication skills. Through the process of constructive feedback, team members get to bond with each other.

3. Lack of interpersonal skills and objectivity:

When there is a gap between successive coaching sessions, there is a possibility that the coachee, might forget the details and feedback given by the coach and this may result in repetition of the feedback or disputes between coach and the coachee.

Solution: 

1. Promote self-reflection:

Instead of the coach suggesting ideas, try various coaching techniques to get ideas out from the employee. This improves the chance of employees remembering and implementing the idea.

2. Earn employee’s respect and trust:

Disputes between employee and coach occur when there is lack of respect and trust between both the parties. Therefore, it is of utmost necessary to gain the employer’s trust and respect. This will make the employee pay more attention to you and will accept their mistakes if they have any. 

4. Lack of long-term planning:

When a coach suggests changes to the employee without completely understanding the logic behind the employee’s behavior, it results in a frustrated and confused employee who lacks direction.  

Solution: 

1. Creating a plan:

Considering how the plan fits in the wider scope of organization is the key for implementing a successful coaching plan.

2. Tracking progress and making changes in the plan:

Tracking how the coachee moves with the plan and making necessary adjustments along the way and assisting the coachee further is essential.

3. Remembering the “why”:

It is important for the coachee to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing. The process of coaching gets easier when the coachee understands the logic and reasoning behind the plan.

How To Find a Successful Workplace Coach?

1. Research:

Note down what the organizational goals are, what is the topmost priority? What needs to be done? Then research for coaches who specialize in what you’re looking for.

2. Check for accreditation and affiliations:

It is important for coaches to be up-to-date with their practices, and accreditation and affiliations ensure that.

3. Search for chemistry:

How the employees and coach interact with each other is essential to know how impactful coaching sessions will be. Ask for feedback from the employees after initial sessions and ensure there is chemistry between the coach and the employees.

4. Manage your expectations:

Coaching doesn’t change the organization overnight or make drastic changes instantly. Therefore, manage your expectations and understand that coaching is a slow process and needs time to see effective results.

5. Try workplace workshops to know the process of coaching:

Attend workshops of coaching and observe how employees of the company receive the suggestion made by the coach, and evaluate the culture of your company and readiness to change by your employees. You’ll get an idea of how impactful coaching sessions would be.

How Much does a Workplace Coach Cost?

A workplace coach can cost approximately $85-170 per session in the year 2021. The price varies depending on the zip code and region you live in. The average price for a session is $115.

Coaches who do not have any prior coaching experience costs $40, and professional expert coaches can cost a minimum $300 per session.

Are there Any Free Workplace Coaching Services?

No, there are not any free workplace coaching services. However, you can find free or complimentary trial sessions on some online workplace coaching services.

Is It Possible to Take Online Workplace Coaching Service?

Yes, it is possible to take online workplace coaching services. Along with saving time and travel expense, online workplace coaching services gives the flexibility to attend sessions when you are in the right mindset.

What is Workplace Coaching Certification?

A workplace coaching certification provides employees training and experience to achieve accredited certification through a coaching organization. The certificate proves the required training and possess knowledge about business coaching. This can be added to your resume.

How Do People Become Certified As a Workplace Coach?

To become an ICF accredited coach, one must complete 60+ hours of accredited training, engage in 10+ hours of mentoring, log a 100+ hours of coaching sessions and apply to the ICF where you’ll go through a multiple choice competency based assessment. You’ll then be a certified ICF coach.

How to be a Coach in the Workplace?

Here’s how one can be a coach in the workplace.

1. Give employees regular, frequent feedback.

2. Create a culture of team feedback.

3. Set realistic goals and expectations.

4. be empathetic towards employee 

5. Discover certain areas that require improvement (skills, knowledge or talent)

6. Apply appropriate coaching styles and techniques.

What are the Workplace Coaching Statistics?

The workplace coaching statistics are as follows:

• According to a 2009 ICF Global Coaching Study, 62% of workplace coaching clients state they improved career opportunities because of coaching.
• According to studies by Human Capital Institute, 51% of organizations having a strong workplace coaching culture report a higher revenue than similar organizations.

62% of employees in such organizations rate themselves as highly engaged.

• Studies done by Frontiers in Psychology showed that individual and group coaching helped reduce procrastination and strengthen goal development.
• 2009 ICF Global Coaching Study reports that clients have stated:

1. 73% of clients expressed coaching improves relationships.
2. 72% of clients expressed coaching improves communication skills
3. 71% of clients expressed coaching improves interpersonal skills
4. 70% of clients expressed coaching improves work performance
5. 67% of clients expressed coaching improves work-life balance
6. 63% of clients expressed coaching improves wellness

What are workplace Coach Quotes?

1. “Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” 

-Denis Waitley, American motivational speaker, writer and consultant

2. “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” 

– Simon Sinek, British/American author and motivational speaker

3. Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” 

– Sam Walton, Founder of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

4. “A company’s culture is the foundation for future innovation. An entrepreneur’s job is to build the foundation.”

– Brian Chesky, Co-founder and CEO of Airbnb

5. “If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.”

– Simon Sinek, British/American author and motivational speaker

What are the Best Workplace Coaching Courses?

1. How to coach in the workplace- on Udemy:

In 14 short lectures the course teaches you the ‘7 Keys’ to coaching and how to change gears from manager to coach and back with no fallout. It helps you to understand your objective before you start, how to manage expectations and how to use the GROW Model – with its questions to run the session to a great result.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• By the end of the course you can be a competent ‘manager-as-coach’ in a very short space of time.
• How to have effortless ‘performance conversations’
• How to give ‘spot-on’ feedback
• How to coach for better motivation and engagement

Pre-requisites:

None

Price: $38

Course length: 1h 32m total length (4 sections- 14 lectures) 

2. Apple Fundamental Data Analysis to Real Life Problems- Harvard Business School Online:

Business Analytics will help demystify data and strengthen your analytical skills. Beginning with basic descriptive statistics and progressing to regression analysis, you’ll implement analytical techniques in Excel and apply fundamental quantitative methods to real business problems—from performing A/B testing on a website to using sampling to check warehouse inventory

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Interpret data to inform business decisions
• Recognize trends, detect outliers, and summarize data sets
• Analyze relationships between variables
• Develop and test hypotheses
• Craft sound survey questions and draw conclusions from population samples
• Implement regression analysis and other analytical techniques in Excel
•  
• Price: $1600
• Course length : 8 weeks
•  

3. Workplace Coaching Training- on dcm learning:

 This workplace coaching course is aimed to enhance and build on existing skills, boosting individual and team performance and productivity. Our courses aim to improve personal effectiveness and enhance teacher performance, vital to excellent student interactions and overall educational excellence.

Exercises, case studies and role plays will be used throughout to allow staff to self-assess their current skills and identify areas of improvement.

What you’ll learn:

1. Coaching Overview
2. Coaching Overview
3. The Coaching Relationship
4. The Coaching Session Structure
5. Using Models and Tools
6. Achieving Results

What are the Best Workplace Coaching Books?

1. The WE Gear: How Good Teammates Shift from Me to We by Lance Lo

Number of pages: 122

Price: $4.80

2. Behind the Scenes: Secrets from the Top Coaches, Experts, and Consultants by Kim Walsh Phillips, et al.

Number of pages: 237

Price: $5.97

3. Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Organizations Need and Employees Want by Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni

Number of pages: 144

Price: $6.97

What are the Best Workplace Coaching Blogs?

1. Forbes

Popular and trusted site for workplace blogs. Forbes has 942 articles on business coaching for both coaches and clients.

2. Coach foundation

One can find detailed blogs on everything related to coaching.

What are the Best Workplace Coaching Podcasts?

The best workplace coaching podcasts are:

1. The Workplace Podcast in association with YellowWood

The podcast is about all aspects of work life. Subject-matter experts have thought-provoking conversations giving different perspectives of work-life.

Number of episodes: 47

Average runtime: 50 minutes

2. Workplace Innovator Podcast

The podcast offers insights about workplace leaders and top facility management on using tenacity, technology and talent.

Number of episodes: 182

Average runtime: 25 minutes

3. Coaching in the workplace

The podcast talks about the rippling effect coaching have on business.

Number of episodes: 43

Average runtime: 30 minutes

What are the Best Workplace Coaching Tools?

The best workplace coaching tools are as follows:

1. Before session questionnaire and check-in:

A simple questionnaire done before the coaching session can be effective to mentally prepare the coachees to expect what the session is going to be about.

2. Open-ended questioning:

Asking questions boosts coachee’s participation and interest and increases self-reflection and awareness. Open-ended questioning helps the coach to better understand the requirements of the coachee.

3. Follow-up feedback:

Follow-up feedback in between consecutive coaching sessions helps the coach track and evaluate progress made by the coachee.

What is the Difference Between a Business Coach And a Consultant?

The goal of both the business coach and consultant is the same i.e., to improve your business. The path they take to reach the goal is different. A business coach provides tools and techniques to improve yourself to better your business, whereas a business consultant provides specific solutions for your business.

What is the Difference Between a Business Coach And a Mentor?

A business mentor shares their business learned experiences, earned knowledge with a mentee. Having faced the same obstacles, a mentor helps the mentee not to make the same mistakes the mentor did and guides them in the right direction. Whereas, a business coach helps the coachee overcome obstacles by structured learning and development of skills. 

What is the Difference Between a Business Coach And a Life Coach?

A business coach deals with your professional life, whereas a life coach deals with your Personal life. A business coach focuses on your business wellbeing, and a life coach focuses on personality development and your attitude.

What is the Difference Between a Business Coach And an Executive Coach?

A business coach is more group-oriented and a business coach is more individual-oriented. A business coach aims for the betterment of the business, therefore targets the workplace as a whole and less focus is given on individuals. An executive coach coaches an individual client to be better and lead the business forward.

What is the Difference Between Coaching and Training in the Workplace?

Coaching in the workplace refers to developing existing talent and maximizing performance. Whereas, workplace training means to develop skills. Workplace training establishes high-performing and well-informed employees. Whereas workplace coaching sustains high-performance and well-informed behavior.