Creating a high performance workforce: Coaching
IN the final part of our week of features with Sheffield Hallam University, TheBusinessDesk.com looks at the value of coaching.
COACHING is increasingly seen as a valuable tool for companies who want to help teams or individuals prepare for challenges ahead, sustain momentum, take on new responsibilities, or provide fresh motivation.
The technique involves an experienced coach working with an individual or team to help realise their potential, both in terms of effectiveness and performance for the organisation, but also for their personal development and motivation.
There are two main types of coaching in a business context – executive coaching and sports coaching.
Executive coaching is an approach developed specifically for businesses, and predominantly focuses on helping individuals, and teams, to learn more effective processes for thought and action.
“Rather than ‘telling’ someone how to do something, an executive coach encourages individuals to think through their options, and supports them in developing better approaches. As such it creates a much longer lasting and effective approach to problem solving,” says David Megginson, Sheffield Hallam’s emeritus professor of human resource development
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“It’s ideal for situations where employees are too close to something to have clarity of thought.”
Sheffield Hallam boats some of the top executive coaching experts in the UK, including David Megginson, who has authored ten books on coaching and mentoring, and Bob Garvey, internationally recognised as a thought leader in coaching and mentoring.
Its executive coaching team have worked with clients including McBride, SIG, Fellowes, Chesterfield Borough Council and the NHS.
Coaching is a word firmly associated with sport, bringing to mind images of people in tracksuits bellowing encouragement and instructions at a team of players. Coaching is fundamental in sport and experts insist many of the techniques used can be applied successfully in a wider organisational context.
Ian Maynard, head of the University’s Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, said: “The emphasis here is on developing personal psychological skills like goal setting, stress management, achieving good concentration and focus, the use of imagery, performance planning and mental toughness training.
“This type of coaching really helps to develop personal awareness and self-regulation in employees.”
Sheffield Hallam University’s sport and exercise scientists have worked with some of the UK’s top athletes, including several British Olympic teams, helping them to develop effective training programmes using various individual and team development coaching techniques.
It is now applying the expertise gained in top class sport to organisations in other high performance situations, such as leading businesses.
