What is Workplace Coaching?

Workplace coaching is a process that equips individuals with tools, knowledge, and opportunities to enhance their effectiveness and commitment. It supports people in becoming the best version of themselves by building on their skills and talents.

It also provides a safe space to uncover and develop strengths. This process fosters positive change in both thought and behavior.

Coaching as a Critical Leadership Skill

Many experts consider coaching a vital leadership skill and a core management competency. Employees today expect a coach, not just a boss.

Coaching enhances flexibility and performance, helping organizations navigate transformation more effectively.

Defining Workplace Coaching

We define workplace coaching as a combination of skills, knowledge, and processes that empower individuals to create meaningful impact and thrive in a constantly changing environment.

It is not just an evolution of management—it’s a must-have for increasing results.

Coaching vs. Management

Management focuses on control, oversight, and meeting goals. Coaching, on the other hand, supports individual growth and removes barriers to creativity and innovation.

Coaching vs. Other Approaches

• Not Therapy: Coaching focuses on the future and action, while therapy addresses past issues.

• Not Mentoring or Consulting: Coaching draws on an individual’s own knowledge to create solutions.

• Not Teaching: Coaching encourages self-discovery and growth through personal learning styles.

A Tool for Change and Growth

Coaching supports creativity, performance, and adaptability—crucial for staying competitive in today’s fast-changing environment.

Companies like HP and IBM have integrated coaching into their leadership development programs.

Coaching vs. Traditional Management

The old model of “command and control” no longer works. Today’s environment demands rapid response, creativity, and flexibility from individuals.

Coaching builds these abilities by shifting focus from control to empowerment.

Coaching Improves Commitment

Employees who are coached show higher commitment and are more motivated than those who are merely managed.

Training alone often fails to deliver lasting behavioral change. Coaching ensures new skills are internalized and used.

Coaching as a Continuous Process

Training is an event; coaching is a process. It ensures sustainable growth and real-world application of skills.

Additionally, coaching enables direct on-the-job training as well as timely training that is appropriate to specific situations. By enabling behavioral changes, coaching allows projects and individuals to move forward and progress quickly and with less effort. Today, business change is often non-linear and requires rapid change to completely new models. Coaching supports individuals in making these rapid changes that are necessary to meet changing business demands.

Supporting Rapid Business Changes

Coaching delivers on-the-job, timely, and contextual learning. It helps individuals adapt quickly and effectively to changing models and demands.

Empowering Career Self-Reliance

Coaching nurtures self-reliant employees who take ownership of their career growth. This is crucial in today’s world of shifting employment dynamics.

Creating Value Through Coaching

Coaching increases employee satisfaction, creativity, and productivity—adding value to both the individual and the organization.

It also promotes diversity by recognizing and developing unique strengths.

The Role of Positive Attitude

Employees coached with a positive approach perform better and feel more fulfilled. Positivity boosts engagement and long-term success.

Driving Team and Organizational Performance

Coaching enhances team collaboration, motivation, leadership, and appreciation of diversity.

HR professionals now prioritize hiring employees who align with organizational culture—and coaching helps assess and nurture this fit.

Coaching Across All Levels

Managers use coaching to support their team members—and each other. Some even coach upward in 360-degree feedback processes.

The best coaches tailor their style to individuals and use the coaching process intentionally and effectively.

Managers and leaders develop their coaching competency in the following ways:

• Increasing their awareness of coaching and its benefits, as well as accepting the concept and process of coaching
• Learning coaching concepts and tools
• Recognizing their own coaching style and skill level and learning how to recognize others’ preferences for being coached
• Practicing coaching using their best coaching tools and strengths, as well as continuously developing their coaching competency through feedback and ongoing coach training

Even those initially unfamiliar with coaching can become powerful coaches when supported by a strengths-based framework.

Source: integral.org

Taymour Miri is an ICF master coach and a Gallup certified strengths coach and more recently one of the first 136 coaches world wide to be awarded an Advanced Certificate in Team Coaching. He has 30 years’ experience in leadership roles and 20 years of experince in coaching. Taymour has trained over 1,500 coaches across five continents and is the founder of International Coaching Education (ICE).