In my final of the three blogs around internal coaching in organisations, I examine how internal coaches are developed and supported. Perhaps my most controversial blog to date!!
I am going to be bold here put my coaching neck on the line and say that organisational internal coach development is being done poorly at best. Damaging at worst. Have I now got your attention? Search any coaching course content aimed at developing internal coaches and what do you find? The content is very generic and vanilla. One supplier’s programme no different from the next. Many organisations like the idea of having coaches, so train some up, but that is it.
Unfair organisational expectations of internal coaches
The challenge we face is that leaders, managers and pool coaches are trained in the generic and basic skills and behaviours around coaching. The content of this training whilst helping with the basics, do not consider the day today situations faced by internal coaches, and coaching within these. Performance management, transitioning people through change, coaching talent, coaching grads and apprentices, coaching in technical areas are faced daily by internal coaches. Organisations put people on half day, one day or occasionally a two day course, then expect them to go and coach effectively in these diverse areas.
With leaders and managers being continually pulled in all directions, what is the likelihood that they will do this? And, coach well? In my experience, it is a nice idea but not a reality. Organisations expectations around their coaches are unrealistic.
To exacerbate this, organisations rarely offer support or supervision for internal coaches. Let alone CPD offerings. Often internal coaching processes, check ins, communications lack clarity and regularity.
Organisations go into coach development often with a lack of awareness or systemic consideration to their approach. They often want a quick fix (some trained internal coaches) without really considering what effective internal coaching really entails. This has a devastating impact on something which could be so transforming for them.
I therefore argue that if organisations want to ‘do’ internal coaching then they need to do it properly. If they can’t or won’t then they shouldn’t go down the internal coaching road. Harsh but true… I don’t believe that a poor something is better than nothing at all.
Governing bodies aren’t helping internal coach development
Want to know what is even worse? Look at the governing body’s qualification competencies, and you will see this genericness amplified. EMCC, ICF and even ILM and CMI’s competencies specifically aimed at internal organisational coaches do not consider the everyday contexts and situations faced in organisations.
Getting internal organisational coaching development right
Here are my insights into how organisations should be going about developing, sustaining and embedding organisational coaching and coaches.
PLANNING
- Strategy – coaching in the organisation should have a strategy around it. Or, be coherently intertwined with the HR or People Strategies. Coach development will then have a more natural place and evolution within the business. The more important coaching to the business the more it should have a strategy around it.
- Senior sponsorship – coach development programmes with a senior sponsor will have more success. Someone who not only coaches regularly, but also keeps coaching on the people agenda and be integral to organisational coaching ‘life’. This role can be a rotating role amongst seniors if needs be.
- Treat coaching and coach development as a project – this ensures that coaching in the organisation is given the time, focus, support it requires. Can show how it will evolve over time. How it will be blended with organisational policies and processes. How it will be used to support other organisational initiatives. The project ‘team’ can rotate to keep it fresh. HR and L&D will have a key role within and supporting this.
- Pilot in a business area – in my early L&D career, piloting was often used to test and roll out initiatives. Coaching is well suited to this approach. A mini project in its own right it becomes a fantastic test and learning bed. To then be able to scale it for other areas or the rest of the business.Â
PEOPLE and PROCESS
- Vertical not horizontal coaching delegates – so often training programmes consist of similar level managers or peers. Far better to have a vertical slice and selection. It brings much more diversity to the development. Also, people see senior leaders actively engaging and promoting the development. A show of organisational commitment.
- Right people, right roles, right mindset – following on from the above. Google selects people who ‘have capacity and passion for applying coaching skills’ to become coaches. Far greater development success will be had where people choose to be there, see the value in it, or want to make a difference. Not just part of an automatic selection process.
- ‘Cradle to grave’ processes – transparency in the coaching processes supporting both coaches and coachees. People then know what they are signing up for. Also showing where and how coaching is embedded with other organisational processes and practices.
- Own place on systems – coaching development should have it’s own page on organisational systems – access to resources, support, forums for sharing, communications, sharing successes, coaching bios/profiles
FOCUS
- Development content – content should be both core coaching skills AND reflect the nature, focus and challenges within the organisation. Delegates need to be confident and competent in coaching in a broad range of organisational situations.
- Transformational in nature – not undertake or seen as a ‘tickbox‘ exercise. Language, approaches, positioning, should show that coaching is part of something bigger than simply training. Also supported by coaching processes and embedding with organisational policies and practices.
- Development duration – controversy time again… do not deliver half or one day coaching training events, simple. A waste of everyone’s time and resources! Do not build half day coaching development into a leadership programme. It’s pointless. Becoming a coach requires a psychological and behavioural shift in thinking and behaviours. Short training sessions won’t achieve this. Similarly, any coaching development that doesn’t have post session practice, reflection, feedback and ‘supervision’, will not achieve its desired outcomes. Period. Becoming a coach requires practice and learning through reflection. Coach development required quality time investment.
SUPPORT
- Ongoing – often once coach development is undertaken, it can fall victim to the military concept of ‘fire and forget’. Coaching initiatives need to have frequent and meaningful support. Bringing together of coaches to share their experiences, learning and to receive some kind of supervision to ensure they are coaching ethically and are exposed to best practice.
- Access to resources – be it online or other. Opportunities to attend internal or external CPD opportunities to keep their coaching fresh and current. As well as developing new thinking for themselves. Being able to undertake and then share learning with their coaching peers
- Qualifications – I am pro qualifications, they can be invaluable. However, they come with a health warning for internal coaching and organisations. The completion rate of level 3 and 5 qualifications is notoriously low. Organisations and coaches vastly underestimate the time commitment and writing required to pass. Typically for one coaching session candidates should set aside half a day for it. Preparation, the coaching and reflection notes all take time. Far better for an organisation to develop their own robust supported and embedded coaching programme and get it ‘recognised’ by one of the governing bodies. If some people want to undertake a qualification, how will you ensure their commitment and completion? And not waste the financial investment?
Developing and having internal coaches is a fantastic experience and opportunity. BUT, it has to be done properly IF it is to be successful. Coach development has to be part of a wider structured thought through holistic organisational activity.
Not all organisations are ready to embrace internal coaching. They don’t have the appetite to do it as described here. A quick fix of having coaches, will quite quickly fizzle to nothing and leave a sour taste around people’s coaching experiences.
Abintus, what we can do for you
- We can help diagnose your organisation’s readiness for coaching, as well as audit your current offerings around coaching to help take them to the next level.
- Abintus can train your coaches to an exceptional standard, building in your localised needs and challenges. Ensuring your coaching content makes a difference to coaches and the organisation
- We can provide coaching CPD and supervision to your coaches. Offering support and a safe place for your coaches to discuss their coaching and experiences.
- We can ‘coach your coaches’ to enhance their confidence and competence in their coaching activities.
Check out our coaching support and CPD activities we can offer you here.
Nick Howell is a qualified coach, supervisor and leadership facilitator, working across sectors. He is also the author of best-selling book ‘Great Coaching Questions’. Contact Nick today for an informal exploration of your organisations coaching needs – 07867 785314 nick@abintus.co.uk