Why Companies Like Yours Crave Short-Term Coaching Programs
At Coaching Right Now, we continue to see demand for coordinated, short-term coaching programs designed to systemically support development.
These programs target coaching to all Leaders at a specific management level or cascade through management layers over a period of several months. They offer immediate support for a real-time challenge.
One of the favorite parts of my job is meeting with groups of Coaches supporting these programs. As a company created to help organizations develop their Leaders around the globe, we are hearing three key areas where Leaders in our most recent short-term coaching programs need support.
Key areas where Leaders need support:
I think we all realize these have been years of constant change. Personal and professional lives have been upended in a way we have not seen on such a global scale. Having someone to talk through the challenges — someone who is not a manager, peer, or even spouse/partner – can provide much-needed support.
As many Core Leaders prepare themselves and their teams for continued changes in work approach and even work location, they have found working through the anxiety and ambiguity with a leadership Coach to be constructive. It has helped in making decisions and building confidence.
Coaches describe the ways in which Core Leaders are “giving their all.” They are working longer hours, sometimes unbounded by the physical work place and feeling the need to be accessible constantly. They are being what their team members need them to be — supportive, creative, and willing to step into roles when their employees need to step out of them. They are trying to say “yes” to be the role model; this means they are often saying “no” to their own work that continues to pile up.
Some of this is prioritization; some is thinking about how to ask for help. There are team members who are willing, and wanting, to help; they are craving growth and insights into the more strategic aspects of the work.
Coaches are helping Leaders think about delegation not only as a way to get work off their plate, but also to develop, stretch, and engage the team members who also need a new infusion of energy at work.
Carving out time and space to think about the longer-term goals, which for some may mean next month and for others may be a post-pandemic re-framing of the 3-year plan, is not easy for Leaders when they are faced with day-to-day challenges. It requires a significant amount of time to fill a vacant role on their team or ensure compliance with regulations for a retail operation that has had to contend with Covid restrictions. Getting clarity around what they want to accomplish, the meaning of success, and the timeframe are hallmarks of leveraging an external Coach.
Even though these areas are timely now, we anticipate that these areas will continue to remain a focus of development as Leaders continue to engage in the on-going challenges of hybrid and dispersed work.
The short-term coaching work also provides an opportunity for those hesitant to enter into coaching to give it a try. We often see three sessions of coaching turn into a request for several more hours as Core Leaders see the benefits of blocking time on the calendar to focus on their own development needs.
Are you looking for a leadership jump-start and motivator across your organization?
We’re happy to talk about how working with a team of Coaches – aligned with your goals and culture – can reinforce, apply to personal challenges, and provide an external sounding board to get the creative juices flowing once again.
Contact us at: sales@coachingrightnow.com – we look forward to helping!
