Coaching and Mentoring

Coaching and Mentoring

Research suggests that, on average, people use only 40 per cent of their potential in the workplace. Just imagine the impact on you and your organisation if it were possible to tap into the remaining 60 per cent.

Coaching and mentoring have been shown to be highly effective in releasing people’s potential. The terms are often used interchangeably within organisations but there is a clear difference between the two.

Two different rolesNon-directive coaching assumes that the individual is the expert in their own life and has the answers within. The coach’s role is to stimulate the discovery/learning of the individual to find their own solutions. A mentor generally has more experience than the individual so the nature of the relationship is more about passing on knowledge and advice. Coaching and mentoring, when applied correctly, can make the manager’s role much easier. Sir John Whitmore, author of 'Coaching for performance', talks about how ‘a manager’s task is simple – to get the job done and to grow his staff. Time and cost pressures limit the latter. Coaching is one process with both effects’.

Good coaching and mentoring increase awareness, personal responsibility, self-belief, learning, skill development, effectiveness and performance. This applies to the individual, the team and ultimately the bottom line of an organisation.

Why have coaching and mentoring become so popular?The business environment is continually evolving and there has been a marked change in the structure of organisations. In those that have downsized and that have flatter structures, individuals often have far broader responsibilities and need to be more flexible. There is a greater emphasis on individuals taking responsibility for their own development. There is also the need for ‘just in time’ personalised development, meaning coaching and mentoring can be effective interventions.

There is also the need for measurement and return on investment for all organisational activities, including training and development. Poor managerial performance affects the bottom line so it is in the interests of organisations to develop their management team in a personalised way. Research by Olivero, Bane and Kopelman (United Kingdom) examined the effects of training and coaching in a public sector organisation. Several managers underwent a management training programme which was followed by eight weeks of one-on-one executive coaching. Training increased productivity by 22.4 per cent. The coaching on top led to an increase in productivity of 88 per cent. This research shows that executive coaching is an important way of ensuring that knowledge acquired during training actually emerges as skills that are applied back in the workplace.

When to use coaching and mentoringCoaching and mentoring are not a panacea for everything that happens within an organisation. There will be times when someone needs to be told what to do; they may require information there and then to get a job done. Sometimes training in a new job/way of working is far more relevant. Coaching and mentoring will not work when:• the individual does not want to change • the individual/team does not want to be coached/mentored • someone needs a skill/knowledge immediately • disciplining someone.
There are many situations for which coaching and mentoring are ideal:• skills development • personal development plans/appraisals • career planning • to support strategic initiatives • supporting leadership development • as part of a culture change • to embed training • as part of a change process • to improve individual and team performance and develop individual and team capability.

Remember that mentoring is appropriate only when there is knowledge/expertise to pass on. It is important to be explicit about when you are coaching and when you are mentoring.
Benefits to organisations and individualsThere is a growing body of evidence around the effectiveness of coaching and mentoring, and organisations that have applied them have reported the following benefits:• improved productivity, quality and customer service • increased employee commitment and satisfaction • support for newly-promoted employees to cope with new responsibilities • support for other training and development initiatives, reducing leakage from training • ability to demonstrate to employees that an organisation is committed to developing staff • improved retention of staff.

Benefits to individuals:• improved problem-solving • improved managerial and interpersonal skills • better relationships with colleagues • more effective/assertive in dealing with people • positive impact on performance • new skills and abilities • improved work/life balance • reduced stress levels.

Top tips for coaching and mentoring Aspects that make coaching and mentoring successful include:• buy-in from the top of the organisation • transparent communication about the purpose and intention of introducing coaching/mentoring into an organisation to all concerned,• having clear objectives for what it should achieve • considering how the effectiveness of the intervention will be measured • what resources (if any) are available internally for coaching and mentoring • considering bringing in external organisations where appropriate • providing sufficient support/training for it to be effective – offering a one-day training course on coaching skills will not be sufficient to change management behaviour • considering how the transfer of learning and embedding the learning will take place.Using external providers

If you decide to bring in external providers to coach/mentor your staff or to train managers on coaching/mentoring skills, then you should ask the following questions:
• What qualifications do the coaches and mentors have? The industry is not yet regulated so anyone can call themselves a coach or mentor with no real training. It would be preferable for their qualifications to have external accreditation
• What are the credentials of both the organisation and individuals involved? What is the size of the organisation?
• What continuing professional development (CPD) process do they have in place? • What kinds of individuals/organisations have they worked with before?
• Can they provide some references/testimonials?People are a crucial resource and an important source of competitive advantage. Developing the potential of the workforce is important both for an organisation and for the individuals within it. Just consider the impact on your organisation of releasing some of that untapped potential.

This article is contributed by CIMA (The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and it first appeared in Insight, CIMA’s on-line newsletter for its members.