We all want to keep our employees engaged, productive, and thriving in their roles.

Niamh Buffini breaks down how coaching can transform the way we lead others at work. 

Managers often get a bad rap. I want to introduce a new word to consider instead of manager — coach. The word itself stems from “Kocsi”, meaning “wagon from Kocs,” a city in Hungary apparently once known for epic wagons. At its core, a coach is a vehicle that gets someone from where they are to where they want to be and I believe it is the secret to transformational leadership.

What is coaching culture in the workplace? 

People often relegate the idea of coaches to sports. While it is unlikely that people will start referring to their bosses as “coaches,” Niamh has found over the years that the fundamentals of coaching apply in almost every circumstance that involves leadership.
“A coaching culture” takes that concept and applies it to the workplace; at the most basic level, it is about empowering your team to succeed. 

All of us have untapped potential inside of us; a great coaching environment understands how to lead in a way that taps into our unmet potential.

Focus on where someone can be tomorrow, in six months, in a year, a good coach will take actionable steps to empower someone to reach their greatest potential consistently.

What is the benefit of coaching culture?

Dan Goleman, in his sentinel book Emotional Intelligence, stated that “coaching style” was the least employed leadership style in the 80’s. There is a false belief that coaching requires a lot of tedious and time-consuming “teaching.” But actually, this is does not have to be the case, we do not need to adopt a lecturing style of management. 

Adopting a coaching style of leadership requires observation, guidance and understanding. NIamh has practice these very components over years of coaching elite athletes in high performance environments.
When a coaching style anchors your leadership style and becomes a cultural norm in the environment, data shows improvement in performance and company culture resulting in increased profitability and outcomes. 

That’s a pretty decent return on investment if you consider the likely alternatives given the current corporate climate — resistance to returning to the office, declining performance, increasing rates of staff turnover, and a declining sense of well-being….only to name a few.

What is the key ingredient for a successful coaching culture?

If you were to examine companies with a thriving coaching culture, inevitably, you would discover that at the heart of their culture is psychological safety. 

The phrase “psychological safety” seems intense, but in reality, it is a very straightforward idea. Prof. Amy C. Edmondon, Novartis Professor of Leadership & Management at the Harvard Business School and psychological safety researcher, defines the concept as “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.”

We can have a difficult time fostering the environment withou tht eelement of “psychological safety. Coaching as a leadership and management style should be welcomed so that your community can flourish.

How do I implement a coaching culture?

Hopefully, I’ve sold you on the concept that coaching as a leadership style makes sense. Boosting performance, profits, and improving overarching culture are goals every company strives for. But now what? The next step is making a move to implement.

Buff Performance Solutions to Help Cultivate a Coaching Culture:

• Enquire about Niamh’s 6 and week programs HERE 

• The 6 week Team Builder is an Immersive on-site workshop to re-energize teams - working better together: establishing psychological safety, prioritizing recovery, making room for flow, and promoting dissent.