Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2017 - 15

BUILDING LEADERS

SAM SHRIVER & MARSHALL GOLDSMITH

CREATING A

COACHING CULTURE

Assume for the sake of example that you
have been put in charge of creating (and
eventually sustaining) an organizational
culture defined by "coaching excellence."
Before you dive in on that assignment,
let's make sure we are aligned on the
definitional anchors.
* Coaching: The art/science of
helping those around you get better
(to include formal management, peer
and upward influence)
* Culture: The natural, normal way
employees at all levels respond
to emergent opportunities and
challenges (i.e., predictable
behavioral patterns)
In full recognition of the complexity and
degree of difficulty associated with this
task, we would like to offer the following
points of consideration.

EXECUTIVE STEWARDSHIP
Regardless of the product your
organization manufactures or the
service it provides, your executive team
needs to publish a compelling vision
and a comprehensive strategy boldly
featuring clear performance goals. A
foundational component of a coaching
culture is that everyone is on the same
page, marching in the same direction,
toward the same flag at the top of the
same mountain.
Effective coaching is anchored by
commonality. The whole notion of
"getting better" needs to be persistently
calibrated by a mutually shared awareness
of the ultimate destination, and a laserlike focus on all the milestones that need
to be accomplished along the way.

EMPLOYEE EMPHASIS
Traditionally, organizations pursue
cultural objectives from the top-down.
Comparatively, we would suggest
active consideration of an all-inclusive
approach that migrates from the
frontline-up. Stated differently, high
levels of employee engagement are
not a by-product of a coaching culture,
they are a prerequisite. Employees
who take charge of their own
engagement can help their managers
deliver coaching that is timely, relevant
and focused on "the flag at the top
of the mountain." Taking charge is
primarily a function of understanding in
combination with transparency.
Imagine how much easier it is to help
someone improve if they provide you
with a detailed analysis of where, and
perhaps why, they are struggling. The
same goes for employees who petition
their managers for increased degrees of
empowerment based on documented

EFFECTIVE COACHING
IS ANCHORED BY
COMMONALITY.
high levels of consistent performance. A
culture defined by coaching will position
employees as the catalysts responsible for
accelerating effective decision making,
development and goal achievement.

MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE IN ACTION
While a coaching culture is clearly a
function of an inclusive vision that sets
the stage for active engagement, it must
also feature "people managers" who

have mastered the skills of influence and
coaching. In that regard, good coaches
consistently figure out a way to:
* Deliver Results: They understand
"the scoreboard" and are in no way
intimidated by it. They also accept
that the most tangible way to measure
their short-term value is by their
documented ability to orchestrate
organizational wins.
* Drive Motivation and Retention: They
also have a "personal scoreboard" that
extends beyond the organizational
bottom line. In short, they deliver the
what, but truly excel at the how.
So, how do you build or enhance these
skills? By employing a process that
demands focused effort in three highly
interdependent phases:
* Reflection: Effective coaching is a
product of thoughtful consideration.
* Execution: Good coaches consume
relevant data without ignoring their
intuition or managerial instincts.
* Follow-Up: Good coaches also
recognize that what was said during a
coaching discussion wasn't necessarily
what was understood.
Real life examples of leaders who have
established coaching cultures are in
short supply. We would refer you to
anything you can find on either Alan
Mulally or Frances Hesselbein.
Marshall Goldsmith is the world authority
in helping successful leaders get even better.
Sam Shriver is the senior vice president
of commercial operations and product
development at The Center for Leadership
Studies. Email Marshall and Sam.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MA GAZ INE - COACHING AND CULTURE 20 1 7 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 15


http://www.situational.com/ http://www.situational.com/ http://www.trainingindustry.com/ezine.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2017

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_winter2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_fall2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_summer2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_spring2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_winter2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_fall2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_summer2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_spring2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_winter2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20210910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20210708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20210506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20210304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20210102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20171112_se
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2016summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2016sales
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2016spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2015outsourcing
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2015leadership
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2015spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2015winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2014fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2014spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2014winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2013summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2013spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2012fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2012summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2012spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2011fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2011summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2011spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2011winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2010fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2010summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2010spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2010winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2009fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2009summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2009spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2009winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2008fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2008summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2008spring
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com