The Coaching Practice in Human Resource Development - Example

HRM Coaching Name: Student: Course: Tutor: Date: The coaching practice is one of the facets of Human Resource Development (HRM). The continuing coaching practice in firms has enhanced the achievement of leadership outcomes in most of the prosperous businesses today. Professional coaches have successfully applied the Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory as one of the means to enhancing their coaching leadership capabilities. Any organization requires developing leadership skills essential to the effectiveness of the firm. HRM over the years has played a prominent role in coming up with strategies through leadership development, as well as establishing coaching programmes for the firm’s managers, and the rest of the staff working in the organization. The coaching experience brings forward successful organizations whereby every staff shares the collective experience of serving as a leader. This has helped the coachee improve on the leadership skills (Lazar, 2003, p. 27). Kolb’s experiential learning theory, therefore, provides us with a useful framework for coaching managers in developing the leadership skills necessary to manage complex situations. A coach will, therefore, adapt the learning style in order to mesh with the most preferred learning style the coachee prefers to make sure that the whole learning process is entirely enhanced. There can be a risk to the coach who may unknowingly fall in to the trap of the coachee relying heavily on their proffered coaching styles. The Kolb’s learning model, therefore, provides professional coaches a compelling lens from which to look at their own preferred coaching styles (Whitemore & Einzing, 2006, p. 34). Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory works on two levels, which include; grasping and transforming experiences. Learning, therefore, involve two dialectical modes to grasp experience. The figure below shows the four modes of the coaching process. Fig. 1. Four modes of the coaching process (Rosinski, 2003, p. 78). During the coaching dialogue, “meaning- making” becomes one of the processes whereby different perspectives and positions meet and can further be fully developed. The coachee approaches the coach during the coaching process with the intension that something must change or become different during his/her life. It is expected that the coach should challenge the various assumptions and understanding the coachee has on certain events, tasks, situations or context. It is also expected that the coach challenge all these issues with sensitivity and empathy with an intention to sense and grasp the situation from the coachee perspective. During the coaching process, the coach and the coachee engages in the coaching dialogue with tangible understanding that a solution has to be arrived at. Together, they come up with a common understanding that they will shape meaning, as well as develop fresh or different stories about the particular events or contexts at hand. Both the coach and the coachee are intertwined in a process of concreting “meaning- making” with the intention that both parties change position and move towards a new understanding and insight (Rosinski, 2003, p. 81). The coaching process is essential to leaders since many people end up in careers as a coincident effect of advancement or as a by-product of seeking advanced responsibilities, and getting higher compensations for that particular position in their career. Some leaders even not having chosen to lead others in an organization is a drag on their probability of leadership. When such leaders are faced with such challenges, the mentoring process becomes essential since it’s through this process the leader can be in a better position to function well in the new position. Coaches become useful and are in the sole spot of being able to re-examine the circumstances around and reactions to becoming a head. Therefore, coaches play a crucial role of offering a safe forum of considering options other than headship when true preferences lay elsewhere (McCauley & Van, 2004, p. 102). Goal evaluation in coaching is another relevant aspect during the coaching process. Evaluation of development objectives is essential since the coachee challenges become clear. According to the Kolb’s model, the significance of being conscious and deliberate about learning from experience becomes essential. Truly effective leaders rely on the four learning models. It is believed that the heart of learning lays hugely in the way we process experience more particular our critical reflections on our experiences. A powerful leadership can be created from a combination of grasping and transforming experience as part of a continuous learning in multiple modes. Most leaders today have been involved in a performance appraisal (McCauley & Van, 2004, p. 105). An example to elucidate how the Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory can be applied in coaching is a case whereby, Jane, a HR manager and I working as a health care manager at the community hospital in US tried to enhance our leadership skills. I was supposed to provide one of my direct reports to John and John had a history of becoming angry and upset in these reviews. John had a habit of never accepting any criticism or any constructive feedback well and his behavior could jeopardize his future working in the hospital. To safe this situation, I approached Jane for some help. Jane accepted to assist me think the best way to approach John. Jane firstly started pondering about the other managers in the hospital with similar difficult situations. Instead of responding tactically to me, she started thinking strategically for the organization. Jane approached a former colleague, Rosaline, an independent coach empowered with a singular focus on coaching leaders. After the conversation with Rosaline, Jane requested Rosaline to join me work in the hospital, and wanted to see how things worked with john and that she might want Rosaline work with several managers in the hospital. Rosaline strongly agreed that this was one of the best approaches and started working together. After Jane had introduced the idea of coaching to me, Rosaline started gathering information about me which comprised of my experiences in the hospital as a manager. Rosaline studied keenly my strengths, my areas of growth, those things that frightened me about my position and those areas I felt more confident working in (Botelho, 2004, p. 18). Rosaline introduced the Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory to me and requested me to take a self report instrument known as the Learning Style Inventory (LSI). During the coaching process, Rosaline emphasized the significance to understand ones learning style and not to expect that everyone learned to use the same style. She introduced the four modes of Kolb’s theory as introduced in fig. 1 above (Botelho, 2004, p. 20). From the above coaching experience, the learning process involves four steps. Abstract conceptualization is the first step during the learning process, and it involves thinking about the issue/situation at hand. Active experimentation involves doing something about the event at hand, concrete experience, which involves feeling the experience of the reality/activity and finally the reflective observation involving sitting down and watching what the situation is generating. During the coaching process, the whole process is circular, and a coachee can begin from any side of the mode. From Kolb’s model, it gave me some insight and experience about my learning style according to LSI learning instrument (Haji, 2008, p. 134). The impact of coaching on a coachee can take different approaches. From my coaching experience, I had four subordinates in the hospital working under me. Three of them were managers with different styles of learning. Having worked with Rosaline, I realized that I had to adapt my approach to the three managers learning styles if expected to have a positive performance appraisal in future (Haji, 2008, p. 137). From the above experience, I learned my preferred learning style as an accommodator. My downfall was that I quickly moved into my decision without making any thought or involving people ideas/ concerns in to consideration. Here is how I worked with john. It is evident that Johns learning style was that of diverger, and this is why I was not always patient on him. I claimed that he was dragging his feet and always not fast when dealing with weighty issues. I looked at the outcome of the decisions rather than how fast the decisions were made. I had to balance the creative and inclusive talents that John possessed with ultimate impact of his decisions (Haji, 2008, p. 138). Rosaline’s coaching had an impressive impact on my learning experience. Rosaline approached each team member differently and most appropriately. Their responses were right, and even John himself responded positively. Jane saw that the impact of coaching Rosaline gave to us was essential. Each of my managers needed to understand their own learning styles and had to adjust their predominant learning styles. My strategy decision was to have one day learning seminar initiated by Rosaline. The coaching process utilized Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory and had several elements: it firstly included a discussion of the Kolb’s Learning Theory, secondly it had some realistic role playing, a look at each and every managers learning style and finally some reflection time for each of the managers learning styles (Megginson & Clutterbuck, 2005, p. 89). A coaching process also involves adaptability process. It is fascinating in that it can transform itself while remaining true to its core principles and faces a spectrum of needs and circumstances. Coaching has a role to play depending on the various challenges people face and the possibilities of various dimensions of diversity including; age, and gender. Increasingly, as coaching becomes recognized in different organizations like schools and businesses, all these institutions hire coaches who act as a mentor to their leaders. Research puts it clear that the effectiveness of coaching can not be overstated. It becomes evident that most of the leaders in these organizations produce limited results in changing business practices or implementing or sustaining business initiatives. For instance, when a theory is presented, 87% of the leaders will understand the concept, 15-18 % will attain the Nobel skill, but only 5-10% will put it in business. When coaching is added into this mix, it becomes evident that 90% will attain the skill while 80-90% will apply it in real business (Megginson & Clutterbuck, 2005, p. 91). As a coach, one is expected to be conversant with the coachee expectations, as well as the expectation of coaching within the organization. When the coaching practice is supported by the organization, the coach has full responsibility over the coachee, and the organization paying the coach (Schmitz, 2006, p. 56). In conclusion, as the contemporary working place becomes more diverse with different departments each requiring a certain manager with a specific role to play, professional coaches are essentials to address the various challenges which might show up during their managerial duties. Professional coaches understand that, in each organization, leaders ought to be knowledgeable about their roles and sensitive to the specific needs of their workforce by providing effective leadership coaching practices. People have different approaches to leading, learning and life hence we must work with people differently. If leadership coaches understand their learning styles, as well as those of others, people can adapt different styles in order to be more effective communicators, managers, learners and coaches in the future. Professionals coaches are, therefore, expected to communicate effectively with the cochees to assist them develop their leadership awareness, skills and knowledge. For effective learning to occur, both the coach and the coachee are supposed to understand their learning styles first and how they are different from the others. If the learning style of the coach is different from that of the coachee, the coach should change their coaching strategy to their cochees learning style preferences. The Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory is, therefore, essential during the coaching process. References Botelho, R. 2004. Motivate Healthy Habits: Stepping Stones to Lasting Change. New York: MHH Publications. Haji, S. 2008. In The Spirit of Coaching. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Hughes, R. 2008. Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons from Experience. New York: Schwarz and Davidson publishing. Lazar, J. 2003. Alignment Coaching: The Missing Element of Business Coaching. International journal of coaching in organizations, Vol 1(1), 13-29. McCauley, D & Van, E. 2004. The Centre for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development. New Jersey: Wiley publishing. Megginson, D. & Clutterbuck. 2005. Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Rosinski, P. 2003. Coaching Across Cultures. New Tools for Leveraging National, Corporate and Professional Differences. London: Nicholas Brealey. Schmitz, J. 2006. Cultural Orientation Guide: The Road Map to Cultural Competence. New Jersey: Princeton Training Press. Whitemore, J. & Einzing, H. 2006. Transpersonal Coaching. Excellence in Coaching Journal, pp. 119-134. Read More