Coaching also had profound effects at an organisational level, such as:
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Increased productivity,
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Optimised individual teamwork, performance,
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Improved work life balance.
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Improved business management strategies,
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Accelerated onboarding into a new professional role.
When you buy a product or hire a service, you will inevitably look for a ROI (Return of Investment). The ICF lists a variety of studies that indicate that coaching has a positive economic impact, generating an ROI of between $ 4-8 per every dollar invested.
Lastly, Coaching emphasizes the importance of personal growth and taking control of one’s journey, turning the client into a self-directed and motivated learner rather than simply forcing information or advice onto them.
So far, I have outlined the benefits of coaching, but I am sure you must be wondering when one should hire a coach. How can you know when a coaching intervention is required? The following analogy might help:
Everything to be addressed:
I will need you to humour me with a thought experiment. Imagine a farm and a farmer. It is the latter’s job to tend to the former. They walk the length of the farm every day, looking to see if there are any pests troubling the crops or stray weeds have taken root. The wind and birds will sometimes bring in seeds that may interfere with the crops already growing in the farm. The Farmer sees all these things and cares for the farm regularly. They remove weeds and kill pests, grooming the crops and keeping away birds and other animals, if the farmer is vigilant and dedicated, using his knowledge in a timely manner, the farm flourishes and gifts the farmer with good yields every season.
However, there are instances where the farmer is not closely attuned to the state of their farm. Perhaps they are dealing with stressors and are distracted by other parts of their lives. Regardless of the reason, the farm suffers and the farmer, used to reliable harvests, is now in a desperate position.
They scurry to find help, whether it be from loan sharks to get the money for new seeds or to experts and officials who advise the farmer on a variety of methods by which they can reclaim their yield.
This often starts a vicious cycle of debt and exploitation. The farmer may become dependant on external sources to keep their farm running, whether it be loans or new types of pesticides, the farmer has lost true ownership of their crop.
This scenario is an excellent analogy for the relationship between the human mind, body, and the world around them. The human mind is just like the farmer, and sometimes it may lose control over the farm (the body) and be overwhelmed by the stresses of its environment. The “crops” that the mind intends to grow can be likened to the relationships we build, and the projects we work on. When we are not attentive to the needs of our “farm”, our relationships, and projects (our crops) suffer.
In today’s world with everything being so ridiculously fast paced, we are under constant pressure to do our best and never falter. The idea that you need to take it slow or take the time to fix some personal issues is not even entertained. And in the rush to “fix” yourself, you are pushed into coping methods and treatments that promise quick solutions but do not always deliver on them.
It would be much better if you could create a safe space for yourself where you take the time to work through your issues and develop sustainable solutions on your own terms.
This is what the Coach aims to do.
If you, or people around you, notice a difference in your tone or behaviour, perhaps a change in mood, energy levels or emotions then these could be early warning signs that you are losing control over your “farm”. Some of these changes can manifest physiologically and might even require medical intervention. This could include symptoms such as a lack of focus, headaches, low morale, sleep disturbance, gastric irritation, and mood swings.
Should these symptoms go unchecked, they will invariably affect other parts of your life. Stress from work may leak into other parts of your life, affecting your personal relationships.
This analogy does not restrict itself to just an individual, an entire organisation may also find itself losing control of its productivity. This could manifest itself in signs of employee attrition, absenteeism, missing deadlines, and low morale.
In such cases, it is a great idea to bring in a coach who will motivate and guide you into the right headspace to self-regulate and once again take control over your life.
Little things to be developed:
Just as a good farmer continuously assess their soil, water and other parameters related to their farmland, you can also assess your strengths, personality, skills, and competencies. A coach can thus help you introspect, helping you figure out methods by which you can build your personal and professional life. In the case of an organization, a good coach will leverage the 3 C’s (Communication, Co-operation and Consideration), aiming to create a positive culture, establish performance expectations/ excellence and develop careers.
Please visit www.manthabala.in for more details on the assessment tools used in coaching
All things to be focused:
A progressive farmer prides themselves on being up to date with the latest technologies and techniques in the farming community. You can come to a coach to be informed of tips and the latest ways by which people aim to maintain a work-life balance. You can then bring these tips back to your own life and see which ones apply. In an organisational setting, a coach could thus aid in the development of a positive work climate, foster positive relationships.
I hope this module has made a compelling argument as to why coaching might be beneficial for you or your organisation. The following module will outline the WHAT of coaching, getting into the technicalities of the coaching process amongst other things.
