30 August 2015Management Magazine

Different levels, different coaching needs

Leaders at different levels of the or-ganisation seek to address different, sometimes overlapping needs, through coaching.

By CATHERINE WAHOME

AND EILEEN LASKAR

Coaching is steadily gaining prominence as an effective leadership, performance and

people development methodology. While every employee, regardless of their level, may benefit from working with a coach, different tiers will engage in coaching for different reasons and results.

Coaching in the leadership context Recent studies by the Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL) indicate that more than 70 per cent of formal leadership development programmes in organisations use some type of coach-ing. This may be partly attributed to the gains resulting from coaching and the environment that present day executives deal with.

Today’s business leaders face more pressures than ever - they are dealing with rapidly changing markets, technol-ogy and workforce, increased financial and legal scrutiny, demanding boards and shareholders. Clearly, traditional approaches to leadership development are no longer effective for today’s lead-

ers. A more personalised approach is necessary for effective development of present day leaders, hence the increas-ing uptake of coaching. It is no wonder therefore that there is a growing shift from viewing coaching as a means to fixing toxic behaviour at the top, to a means of developing the capabilities of high-potential performers.

Three levels of leadershipLeaders at different levels of the organisation seek to address different, sometimes overlapping, needs through coaching. We look at these needs through the three broad levels of leader-ship within an organisation.

1.Executive leadershipResearch and articles on executive coaching appeared as early as 1993 in the United States. However, in other areas of the world, people occupying the C-suite were deemed to have “ar-rived”, knowledgeable and in no need of development. They tended to see those below them as the ones in need of development. Middle-level leaders were put into development programmes, while executives continued to apply the same old, and often outdated approach-

es to business. Increasingly, coaching is seen as one of the most effective tools for executive development, largely because of its personalised and focused nature on the individual executive and what he/she wants to achieve for self and the organisation.

The typical coaching needs for ex-ecutives include:Self-awareness: Important awareness at this level would be around status of emotional intelligence, interactions and impact, and the ability to build trust and inspire others. This awareness coupled with coaching helps executives foster effective personal development plans.

Building and sustaining a competitive organisational brand: Coaching helps executives to constantly devise ways of ensuring that their organisation’s mission, offerings and people remain relevant in the marketplace.

Selling and inspiring the organisational vision: Coaching helps in developing strategies for getting leaders and staff to understand, own the organisational vision and willingly work towards achieving it.

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31August 2015Management Magazine

There is a growing shift from viewing

coaching as a means to fixing toxic behaviour at the top, to a means of developing the capabilities of high-potential performers.”Photo suggestion: A coaching session

Managing competition and change: Competition and change often renders strategies and tactics that worked in the past obsolete. The leader therefore needs to quickly develop new approaches to move the business forward.

Board and other stakeholder manage-ment: This is often a new experience for executives recently promoted to the C-suite. They often need skills to effec-tively manage important business arms.

Succession management and legacy planning: As part of their legacy, most executives need guidance to effectively manage succession to ensure business continuity.

Personal re-engineering: Executives need to constantly re-engineer their thinking and how they do things in or-der to sustain their personal brand and positioning in the market.

Leadership coaching for this level of executives is better provided by external coaches of the highest calibre. The engagement also requires a great level of flexibility because an executive’s calendar is mostly unstructured and unpredictable.

2. Middle-level leadersIn just about everything, the middle makes it happen. This maxim has made businesses wake up to the centrality of this cadre of leaders and therefore the need to adequately equip them for leadership.

Leaders in this category seek coaching in the following areas:

Self-awareness: Taking stock of own behaviours and values, their impact on the team and goal attainment.

Goal attainment: They are the players responsible for attaining organisational goals. Indeed, their growth to the C-suite is heavily dependent on their ca-pacity to deliver on organisational goals.

Strategic positioning and visibility: This is the pool that feeds the C-suite. Being well positioned and visible is therefore imperative for them.

Navigating organisational politics: These leaders must go beyond achieving goals to balancing the needs of all the stakeholders, even when these needs may be in conflict.

Work/life balance: These are the “sand-wich” leaders, owing to demands from the C-suite and staff – which can be conflicting. They are therefore easy can-didates for burnout. Tips for balancing work and life are key.

Personal and career development: With diminishing opportunities for vertical growth, these leaders need to be proactive about enhancing their chances for both vertical and horizontal growth.

Performance and team management: Leaders get results through others. Ef-fective management of the team and its performance is a key success driver.

Talent management: Attracting, devel-oping and retaining the right talent is at the heart of organisational success. Middle level leaders must be good people managers.

Coaching at this level can be provided by senior executives (if they have been trained in coaching methodology and skills) or by external coaches. Wher-ever possible, the former would be best placed to provide coaching as part of grooming their successors. Additionally, it provides room for mentoring through sharing experiences and instituting the organisational leadership philosophy.

3. Entry- level leadersThese are newly appointed leaders with no prior leading experience. These leaders have direct and daily contact

with the largest number of the work-force. Their leadership, therefore, has immediate and far-reaching implications for the business. Additionally, how well this category is developed has a direct impact on the quality of leadership pipe-line in the organisation.

The typical coaching needs for this category include:Self-awareness: Self-awareness is perhaps more critical at this level. It is the first step in creating what a person wants and mastering themselves. Where they focus their attention, reactions, and behaviour determines where they go.

Role transition and leadership etiquette: Understanding and effectively assuming new responsibilities that come with the role, including looking the part.

Defining personal leadership philoso-phy: This is the first experience at lead-ership and coaching helps in establish-ing the right foundation.

Performance and team management: Coaching helps the new leaders manage team dynamics and performance deliv-ery through others. Personal and career development: Coaching helps in refining career goals and remaining on course while dealing with the day-to-day task execution.

Work/life balance: Coaching helps the new leader avoid being overwhelmed by responsibilities.

Mid-level managers would be the best coaches (and mentors) for this level of leaders as they also groom them for future mid-level leadership roles.

Everyday coaching for employeesCoaching is not only for leaders-all employees can be coached for enhanced effectiveness and performance. In a coaching culture, those in leadership roles are inherently appointed coaches (and mentors) for their direct and indi-rect reportees.

In future, businesses that invest in coaching and build a sustainable coach-ing culture will increase their competi-tiveness, productivity and quality.

Email: Eileen.laskar@cdi-africa.com and catherine.wahome@cdi-africa.com

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