More and more companies are providing independent mentors and coaches for their staff.
In-house mentoring and coaches still exist and have their place in maintaining company knowledge, focus and training, but independent mentors and coaches provide staff with an ear that is not directly connected to the company, has no hidden agendas, can look at things without bias, and work with them both professionally and personally.
Health and Safety is becoming a major priority within companies – mental safety just as much as physical safety – and providing independent mentors and coaches can go a long way to alleviating emotional issues and fostering potential.
Here’s what a couple of the experts say:
According to Eric Parsloe, from The Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring,
“Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.”
And John Whitmore, in Coaching for Performance says,
“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.”
Why would you opt for an independent mentor or coach?
Independent mentors and coaches provide a safe environment for staff to talk freely about their professional and personal lives, helping them problem-solve any issues not only at work but also at home because we all know that if things are not working at home, then they won’t work at work – and vice versa, if they are not working at work, then they won’t work at home!
When would you consider bringing on board a coach?
- When a company is seeking to develop its employees in specific competencies using performance management tools and involving the immediate manager
- When a company has a number of talented employees who are not meeting expectations
- When a company is introducing a new system or program
- When a company has a small group of individuals (5-8) in need of increased competency in specific areas
- When a leader or executive needs assistance in acquiring a new skill as an additional responsibility
When would you consider offering staff mentoring?
- When a company is seeking to develop its leaders or talent pool as part of succession planning
- When a company seeks to develop its diverse employees to remove barriers that hinder their success
- When a company seeks to more completely develop its employees in ways that are additional to the acquisition of specific skills/competencies
- When a company seeks to retain its internal expertise and experience residing in its baby boomer employees for future generations
- When a company wants to create a workforce that balances the professional and the personal
Your people are your company’s most valuable asset and by offering mentoring or coaching, you can empower them to achieve great things not only for themselves, but for your company as well!
To find out how you can benefit from an independent business coach, contact us today.