I wrote an article on how coaching can boost your talent development in march. In this article I would like to focus on the benefits of coaching when securing and enhancing individual performance.
Many of our Corporate clients have established different group processes to setting corporate objectives, managing performance cycles, and focusing to follow-up of target fulfillment. Through the established routines the corporates gain transparency and can better anticipate the future performance. Very often corporate target setting is directly linked to bonus structures and payouts which makes it also very important from the individual remuneration perspective.
Performance targets
Meeting performance targets is rarely a simplified “top down” process which can be steered with one single process. In additional to formal corporate performance systems the organizations will invest in different supportive programs or development activities to ensure their leaders and managers will have right tools to meet the targets.
An increase in need of individual coaching plans
We see the interest towards individual coaching programs are increasing. As mentioned in my earlier articles many managers work in a very demanding VUCA-environment. This means that managers´ work pace is extremely high, full of stress, and difficult to manage.
The solution that many clients are using is to provide coaching support to ensure individual performance. Most of the time coaching is provided by a direct manager, but it´s becoming more common that external performance coaches are relied on to deliver these services.
Positives of having a “performance” coach are well documented and recognized by many organizations
First, a coach can help the leader to prioritize and ensure things get done in in a right order. The essential part of each coaching sessions is the focus on action. Having a coach will ensure that the managers have considered their focus areas from different perspectives and thus you will increase the quality of the management actions.
Secondly, it will increase the accountability and sense of ownership of your targets. Quite often the leaders see that their targets relate to things which are out of their control. Through coaching the leader will focus on areas which fall within their scope of influence. This will increase the motivation and sense of accountability when it comes to the results of your own work.
Thirdly, working with concrete actions which you control and “own” will usually contribute to increased job motivation. The performance coaching identifies obstacles in the managers own thinking and develop more effective approaches to interpersonal situations, solving problems and finding innovative new ways of thinking.
The ultimate ambition for a Performance Coach is to ensure the client´s performance targets are met. Based on ICF Global Coaching Study (2009) 70% of clients benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills because of coaching. There is a good chance that through coaching programs your company will perform better.
At AIMS International we are specialized to support companies broadly when working with Talent Management issues including building new way-of-working and providing Coaching, Leadership Assessments and Executive Search. Please contact us in AIMS International in case you want to hear more from the solutions we can provide.
Mikko Taipale works as Executive Search and Talent Management Consultant in AIMS International Sweden. He is also a Certified Coach by International Coaching Federation (ACC). Before starting in AIMS International in Sweden he worked close to 20 years in large corporates as a HR leader with a focus on Talent Management practices.
