Overcome Challenges as a Coach
Corporate coaching can be a challenging experience for both parties involved, but these challenges don’t have to hinder the success of the relationship. Not everyone is meant to be a coach. Coaching takes time, skill, and careful planning in order for it to be successful. It also requires that the coach and coachee are willing to work hard together.
However, the real leader of the relationship is the coach, so it is important for them to prepare for possible challenges from the beginning. Here are a few issues coaches face during the corporate coaching relationship.
First Impressions
First impressions are very important for both parties. While the coach and coachee aren’t required to be best friends, they need to build a working relationship from day one in order to be successful. This can be difficult if the first impression isn’t the best.
In order to overcome a less than perfect first impression, it is important for the coach to remember that change is possible and not everything is as it seems. If the coach feels that they have misunderstood their coachee’s intentions, they should take the time to try and see things from the coachee’s perspective. This allows them to change their impression without having to address anything with the coachee.
It’s also very important for the coach to manage their emotions. Building this relationship takes time and part of coaching is helping the coachee to grow and develop in both their professional and personal lives. When employee development takes place, company culture improves. However, this can’t be done if the coach can’t keep their emotions in check.
Building Confidence in The Coachee
Building confidence is a very common challenge when coaching employees. There are a lot of talented employees who don’t believe they have what it takes to be successful. When these insecurities are present, the coachee doesn’t put their best foot forward in both work and the coaching relationship. Although it can be tough to help build confidence in another person, it is not impossible.
One solution to this challenge is for the coach to give very specific feedback on what the coachee is doing well. It is imperative that they give praise when things are going well and not dwell on the skills that still need to be worked on. Once a coachee has mastered a skill, the coach can encourage them to use the skill in different areas to continue to build their confidence.
This is not to say that the relationship should avoid skill deficiencies, however. One of the main objectives for corporate and practice coaching sessions is to build skill sets. When working on this, coaches should avoid negativity and instead encourage and guide the coachee in their learning.
Building Trust in the Coaching Relationship
The coaching process is meant to build trust between the involved parties. This should be something that is started from the first meeting. It is hard to teach someone you do not trust. It’s even harder to learn from someone you don’t trust. That makes this challenge detrimental to the relationship if not addressed.
A great way for coaches to build trust when coaching employees is by getting to know the coachee. Jumping into sessions without learning about the coachee is a mistake that can lead to distrust in the relationship. Simply taking some time at the beginning of the relationship to get to know each other can foster trust early on. Follow up with this throughout the relationship as well to maintain a trusting relationship.
Tracking Progress
Because the main goal for coaching sessions is employee development, coaches need to track the coachee’s progress continuously. This can be challenging, especially if the coach has multiple coachees. That doesn’t mean, however, that it can’t be done.
A solution is monitoring and checking in with the coachee from the beginning. If these check-ins are done on a regular basis, there is no change the coach will become overwhelmed with trying to catch up.
This also facilitates continuous learning and keeps the coaching relationship on track and eliminates any suspicions that the coach is only checking in when things are going as well. Setting these expectations up front is going to change the relationship in a positive way.
Coaching software can make it easier for coaches to monitor and track progress throughout the relationship. It allows goals to be set and followed, and it also supports scheduling and communication within both the coaching relationship as well as the organization. Coaching software makes program management much easier.
It’s important that as a coach you trust the coaching process and remember that there are limits to corporate coaching. Not all coaching relationships are a success, but you have a better chance of being successful if you face challenges head on and remember that your priority is to help your mentee.
If you are interested in learning more about how Insala’s coaching solutions can benefit your organization, request a demo today.
Related Articles:
.png?width=100&name=Untitled%20design%20(30).png){kind=logo}
