Personal Effectiveness for Executives and Managers
Coaching has become an important part of corporate life. It has been defined as "A process that enables learning and development to occur and thus performance to improve".
(Parsloe 1999). (1)
When are people most personally effective? In general, when they are relaxed, using their skills and knowledge efficiently and competently, contributing and feeling a sense ofcontrol. When they can communicate effectively and assertively. When they use their timeefficiently. When they are appreciated and receive positive feedback. All this creates confidence, self-esteem and enhanced performance. This is beneficial to both the individual and an organisation.
Often, people are not effective. They think they have no control, no choices. They blame others for their lack of communication skills, their anxieties, their work overload. They feel they are controlled by others, that they have no power, that they cannot contribute, that they are inferior –(often an issue in meetings). The truth is that we always have choices. We always have something to offer. The ‘secret’ is to find out what those choices are. What we do have to offer. What our strengths are.
There are always different ways of doing things, of approaching issues and challenges. A coach can guide clients to unfold their potential by becoming more ‘conscious’ and aware. This promotes creativity in dealing with many situations. The aim of personal effectiveness coaching is thus to develop a person’s skills, self-awareness and knowledge so that their performance, creativity and productivity at work (and elsewhere) improves. This leads to more enjoyment of their role and therefore to increased commitment, motivation and the achievement of organisational goals. A coach will support a client to bring out the best of themselves and to contribute effectively to the organisation.
Problems at work often arise in time management and interpersonal areas. Many executives and senior managers now report on how working with a coach has helped them develop new skills, ways of working and communicating. They manage their time better, find creative solutions to conflict, prioritise important issues. Coaching is also a tool for self-development, allowing people to work according to their own values, which is the basis for motivation and commitment. A coach will expect clients to come out of their comfort zone, stretch themselves and fulfil their true potential.
Research conducted by The International Personnel Management Association (IPMA – results published 2001) has shown that "ordinary training typically increased productivity by 22%, while training combined with life coaching increased productivity by 88%". (2)
(1) Parsloe, E. 1999. The Manager as Coach and Mentor. Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. Eric Parsloe is the director of the Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring and the author of several books on maximising individual potential and performance.
(2) Research conducted by The International Personnel Management Association (IPMA - results published 2001) . Monika Key © 2006
In 1998, the International Coach Federation questioned over 200 clients of coaches to find out how they used and benefited from their coaching. This covered all types of Executive, Professional and Life Coaching. 98.5% stated that their investment in coaching had been ‘well worth the money’. 70% of clients said that their investment was ‘very valuable’.(3)
A study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, CIPD 2004, stated that 99% of respondents agreed that “Coaching can deliver tangible benefits to both individuals and organisations”. According to the CIPD, the main objective for organisations using coaching was to improve individual performance, followed by dealing with under performance, improving productivity and personal development. Although the focus of personal effectiveness coaching for executives and managers is work-related, many other factors affect our impact in the workplace. Work does not function in isolation. Our personal lives affect our work and vice versa. A coach can support clients in professional as well as personal issues so that both are enjoyed fully and everyone benefits.
"If you think you’re too small to be effective, you have
never been in bed with a mosquito"
(Betty Reese – American officer and pilot)
(3) International Coaching Federation Survey of 200 clients of coaching, 1998.
© Monika Key 2006
This article first appeared in a Focal Vocal newsletter - http://www.focalvocal.co.uk/
