Magdalena Nowicka Mook
CEO, International Coaching Federation
The COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed the way we work. For organisations to thrive in the future, they must create an agile culture that invests in employee wellbeing and development.
Coaching is a powerful tool for you and your organisation to navigate change and adopt for the future. According to Building a Coaching Culture research conducted by the International Coaching Federation and the Human Capital Institute, coaching, such as one-on-one and team coaching with a trained professional coach practitioner, is rated as the most helpful in achieving goals of organisational change initiatives.
A workforce equipped for change
Through a thought-provoking and creative process, coaching helps individuals, teams and whole organisations maximise their potential. It is also a proven method for addressing challenges, such as adapting to dynamically changing circumstances.
By investing in coaching, you are also demonstrating that you value your employees and their development.
Think about the adjustments required for remote and hybrid work. Instead of the traditional office “pop-in”, individuals must now find effective, virtual ways to collaborate with colleagues. We’re re-evaluating our work-life balance and creating new boundaries to prevent burnout. Leaders and organisations are figuring out how to keep their teams engaged and aligned with organisational goals from a distance. As technology continues to evolve, we will need to continue adapting the ways in which we accomplish our work.
To address these changes, there is not one blanket method that works best for everyone, that is why coaching is key. Coaching is individualised to the person, team and organisation.
A win-win strategy
By investing in coaching, you are also demonstrating that you value your employees and their development. Our research has found that 80% of coaching clients indicated their work performance, communication skills, productivity, well-being and/or business management strategies were strengthened as a result of their coaching engagement.
Plus, upskilled employees offer a huge organisational benefit, especially in this era of Great Resignation. Organisations with strong coaching cultures have better retention of high performers, higher employee engagement survey scores and better senior leadership bench strength than those without.
The nature of coaching lends itself to help individuals, teams and organisations explore resistance and fear, enhance communication and promote resilience in the face of change. No matter what the future holds, these are things that could benefit us all long term in our work.