I get more coaching enquiries from people in search of skills training than for anything else. So why are skills in the workplace viewed as so important?
The short answer is because of what Workplace Skills confer on those who possess them. And the most significant attribute they confer is that they make you more employable. This is because they allow a person to improve the attributes and qualities seen as vital to effective workplace performance. And these attributes have barely changed since the Big 5 Personality Traits theory was developed in 1949 by D W Fiske, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago.
The Big 5 Personality Traits
Here are the five overarching aspects that shape personality. Prospective employers will be on the lookout for these in job applicants:
Conscientiousness – this is about being responsible, careful or diligent. It also helps hugely if you’re agreeable, open, extroverted and emotionally stable. To be conscientious you need to be the kind of person who always behaves professionally and is always driven to do a great job.
Openness
How open are you to consider new ideas and experiences? If you’re very open this means you’re curious, flexible and imaginative which suggests you’ll adapt easily to new ideas and work practices.
Agreeability
In a work environment, being an agreeable person will help you to get on. It means you will be cooperative, have empathy and be respectful towards others. In short, you’ll be a good team player.
Extroversion
The extent to which a person is extroverted determines how outgoing, confident and assertive they’ll be. In certain situations, an extroverted person may fit better into some roles than other people.
Neuroticism
This is about how emotionally stable a person is and measures how they handle problems and how anxious they become under pressure. Modern workplaces can be stressful environments and employers prefer people with a high tolerance to stress who possess the ability to just stay calm and work on.
Does Executive Coaching really help?
An article appearing in Forbes[1] in July 2023 cites a MetrixGlobal LLC study that found executive coaching has a 788% Return on Investment based on factors including productivity and employee retention. This finding was confirmed by an American University[2] article which cites how executive coaching leads to an average 70% increase in individual performance, 50% increase in team performance, and 48% increase in organisational performance.
In the Executive Briefing[3] to the above report, The Bottom Line confirmed “that coaching produced a 529% return on investment and significant intangible benefits to the business. Including the financial benefits from employee retention boosted the overall ROI to 788%. The study provided powerful new insights into how to maximize the business impact from executive coaching”.
When it comes to the efficacy of executive coaching, I’m reminded of the old joke: how many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb? Of course, the answer is “one” but it comes with the caveat, “only if the lightbulb really wants to change”.
Can you get your employer to give you Coaching?
Regarding the new insights mentioned above, I was particularly struck by this one: “prepare clients in advance for coaching and don’t force coaching on anyone”. This got me wondering, how many employers try to force coaching on their staff? By chance, my investigation into this question led me to a UK Government Website[4] where I found that when it comes to “training” (which these days is generally accepted to include coaching), employees have the right to ask their employer to provide it. Staff may also have the right to ask for time off work for training (or study) providing that:
· They are classed as an employee
· They have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks
· The training must help them to do their job better and
· At least 250 people must work in the organisation
Additionally, Staff cannot ask for time off for training or study if they’re:
· an agency worker
· in the armed forces
· of compulsory school age (‘school age’ in Scotland)
· a young person who’s already got the right to take paid time off for study or training
· aged 16 to 18 and already expected to take part in education or training
How to set about getting your employer to pay for coaching
Let’s suppose you work for a medium sized company of 250+ employees where you’re happy but would like to achieve more. You realise you lack the skills required for the position you’re attracted to and wonder if there’s anything you can do about it. You guess (correctly) that maybe some personal coaching would help you to realise your ambition. If this is you, your next step is to speak to your manager, tell her or him what you’re thinking and make a request for some coaching. If necessary, put your request in writing and explain you believe it falls under Section 63D of the UK Employment Rights Act 1996[5].
Provided you’ve followed the correct procedure your employer now has 28 days to accept the request and hold a meeting with you to discuss it. If that meeting takes place, your employer must decide on your request within 14 days of you making it. And provided they believe the training will benefit the business they can choose to pay for all or part of it and for any coaching fees.
How might you convince your employer?
Your employer will need convincing that providing you with executive coaching will really benefit the organisation. You could start by telling them that organisations that offer training alone experience a 22% increase in productivity[6]. But when combined with coaching, that figure rises to 88%, according to Gerald Olivero, Denise Bane & Richard Kopelman of Public Personnel Management[7].
You could also point out that the optimal approach is to offer leadership development coaching on an opt-in basis for leaders who raise their hand and like you, express a high level of interest. According to Brainz Magazine (see Footnote 6), such people are already motivated, which is exactly the foundation they need to work from to improve their performance.
At the end of the day the intention behind executive coaching is to help a person to achieve their full potential. All other considerations being equal, what employer would not wish to offer that opportunity to a valued member of staff?
[1] Source: Forbes Newsletter, July 2023 by Roberta Matuson
[2] American University, Washington DC
[3] https://www.slideshare.net/Dokkan/metrix-global-coaching-roi-briefing
[4] https://www.gov.uk/training-study-work-your-rights/employers-decision-and-responsibilities
[5] https://www.gov.uk/training-study-work-your-rights/asking-for-time-off
[6] https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/is-executive-coaching-worth-it
[7] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/009102609702600403
Related Posts
