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Graf, Robert, Business Consultant, Austria
"I've been a long time manager in multinational companies and I am since 8 years a self-employed business coach. As a professional coach I support my coachees in finding their own solution of their own problems. Their solution is completely neutral to me.
Managers and leaders can use coaching methods and attitudes to help and facilitate their co workers to find solutions for their problems and questions. By definition a leader canīt be a coach as such solutions must be accepted by the leader - he/she is not in a neutral position.
So coaching from a leader's perspective facilitates solution focused thinking, participation and "growing" of the coworker - if the leader wants to develop the coworker. In some cases leading is the preferred method (e.g. emergency situations, new co workers, single time opportunities, etc.)."
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Coaching versus Supervising
Alidou Moussiliou, Benin
"Leaders can be supportive to their subordinates if they are able to distance situations and make a difference between coaching and supervising.
What can support that different role is to choose a good place (NOT the office of the leader; but rather the one of the subordinate to break the psychological aspect) and clarification of the understanding of coaching by both parties.
Feeling supervised instead of being coached can hinder the coachees openness to share and to ask for coaching by his manager or leader.
A skilled leader can use coaching as a natural method to engage with the coachee when he/she comes with an issue for which he is looking for solution or instructions. It supports the subordinate to grow by learning from his own experience, knowledge and work context." |
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Coaching versus Supervising
Glenn Marshall, Qatar
"An internal coaching role is often mandatory, and the atmosphere becomes a supervisory one.
Indeed as suggested by Alidou Moussiliou it is better in the case of internal coaching to move the coaching experience to neutral grounds (a cafe, restaurant, off site location, hotel lobby where both can feel more comfortable with the role).
When an independent coach is employed, the situation is often different. There's more freedom to enter the personal aspirations of the person being coached, rather than the "fit" between the person being coached and the goals of the organization.
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Coaching by Managers
Charles Oloo, Kenya
"Coaching can be detrimental if not handled properly.
Personal prejudices, supervisory influences and the coaching environment play significant roles in the outcome." |
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Coaching by Managers and Leaders
Madhukar Sakorkar, India
"I agree with you. Using coaching methods leaders can help a person to further enrich a solution, however, this may not be the solution the leader prefers. This is where the catch is.
We know, delegation is also a powerful way of developing people. But in my experience as a leadership coach, I have seen that many leaders-managers do not delegate, they actually outsource - give step-by-step instructions thereby expecting the person to do exactly what the leader-manager would have done to deal with the matter / issue on hand.
Thus most managers actually become "a solution provider looking for problems" love giving solutions and solving their direct reports' problems.
Whenever I have demonstrated the non-directive style of coaching using the GROW model, they are fascinated and realize that there is another way of being available... And that they need to use more an "ask" orientation instead of a "tell" orientation." |
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Coaching Versus Supervision
Prakash Deshpande, India
"In a business set up the supervisor's primary unwritten job description is coaching. But that should be limited to polishing the behavioural and technical skills very subtly and skillfully.
In fact when coaching of new behaviours in terms of new technology operations, cultural amalgamation etc, an external consultant is more suitable as he does not have any personal prejudices and may prove to a better trainer as he/ she has the reputation and continuity of assignments with the organization.
An external consultant naturally behaves very congenially in his own interest and of course that of the organisation.
A participatory method is better for both the coaches, whether supervisor or not. This reinforces and helps internalization of what has been learnt." |
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Leaders Must Be Coaches
Lloyd Madzokere, Zimbabwe
"In the book 'Becoming a Leader' by Myles Munroe, he describes leadership as:
"The ability to inspire others to become and fulfill themselves. Leadership includes the capacity to influence, inspire, rally, direct, encourage, motivate, induce, move, mobilize and activate others to pursue a common goal or purpose while maintaining commitment, momentum, confidence and courage". From this definition, it shows that while leading, people or followers acquire and practice behavior from the leader." |
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Managers as Coaches
JAMIE LOCKWOOD, England
"It sounds like there is a whole debate to be had around how coaching fits with a managers responsibilities.
I work in management development and have just finished a coaching qualification. I have previously worked as a manager and intend to again in the future.
Coaching is a huge part of a managers role but in my organization some managers don't realise that applying some of the coaching models really make a difference.
Some managers have a light bulb moment when you show them that you can "ask" rather than "tell".
So, managers are definitely coaches however there is a totally different dimension to it than when someone is a professional coach. The key here is combining the coaching skills with skills of delegating, directing and guiding.
In my opinion as a manager it is always better to ask your people first before telling them. Sometimes they need mentoring not coaching however sometimes coaching can be the most powerful way to get your people motivated. Getting managers to use questioning skills is key!" |
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Effectiveness of Coaching by Managers & Leaders
COL SUNDER LALVANI, India
"Coaching aims to improve performance at work or facilitate achievement of life-goals.
A coach is obliged to keep the coaching process with a client, confidential; even if a company hires an external coach for their employees. Also, the basic tenets of coaching dictate that there must exist a relationship of trust, openness, truth & equality between the coach & coachee.
Thus, these perquisites preclude effective coaching by managers or leaders of the same org as the coachee. It therefore follows that effective coaching of employees would be ideally executed by competent external coaches." |
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Management Cap and Leader Cap
Madhukar Sakorkar, India
"I completely agree with you, Blanche. I like the metaphor of a manager possessing two caps.
There is a time for wearing the managerial cap when the manager is action oriented - does things and makes things happen.
Then there are times when the manager needs to wear the leadership cap - being reflective, raising appropriate questions, making the members to think and find solutions - individually and/or collectively.
This is where the challenge is - the manager needs to learn to be patient, suspend judgment, trust the process and give team members a chance to arrive at their solutions.
Yes, it is extremely fulfilling, I have seen managers excited with child like enthusiasm learning to build attitude and skills required for being non-directive. Skills on using questioning techniques also helps a great deal." |
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Summary of Coaching
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Coaching Sponsor
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Special Interest Group Leader
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