Effectiveness of Workplace Coaching - Literature review Example

EFFECTIVENESS OF WORKPLACE COACHING Name Professor Institution Course Date Effectiveness of Workplace Coaching There is growing evidence to suggest that workplace coaching is an effective human resources development (HRD) intervention for improving individual and organizational performance. Coaching seems to be the new buzzword in relation to the issue or essence of development. Professional coaches are springing up in great numbers, as well as diverse guises with reference to executive coaches, business coaches, performance coaches, and so on. These people come from diverse backgrounds with reference to training, human resource, psychology, and sports coaching, thus the perfect platform for integration and incorporation of diverse approaches. From this perspective, coaching is increasingly becoming a popular tool or technique towards offering substantial support to the achievement or realization of personal development. In the course of understanding the influence and implication of coaching in HRD, it is ideal to focus on assessing elements or characteristics of workplace coaching. In the first instance, workplace coaching tends to exploit one-on-one development platform while aiming to help employees develop in specific ways such as improvement of performance (Burke & Linely, 2007). In addition, workplace coaching is an approach, which allows the employee to experience coaching with the intention of gaining awareness and insight rather than direct imparting of knowledge or information on what to do or learn (Bowles & Picano, 2006). In this context, coaches do not offer direct advice in relation to the growth and development of the employees in pursuit of competitive advantage, effectiveness, and efficiency within the market and industry of operation. Workplace coaching tends to focus on helping individuals to achieve or realize specific or particular goals within the relevant action in the company or business entity. Coaching incorporates the needs and preferences of the target audience rather than the person imparting the essential information or knowledge for the development of the employee. Workplace coaching requires an honest and open relationship between the coach and the employee to ensure that the process is supportive and encouraging for effectiveness and efficiency in the growth and development of the employee. The main objective of coaching is to enable employees to development responsibility and awareness through the process where these entities come to recognize the best course of action in the course of moving forward (Lundrigan et al, 2012). Numerous research entities and studies tend to agree with the growing influence of workplace coaching in relation to the growth and development of the employees in pursuit of competitive advantage in the market and industry of operation. In the first instance, such studies note that workplace coaching contributes to the realization of increased motivation and commitment among the employees in handling the expectations and preferences of the target audiences within the industry of transaction. Similarly, workplace coaching has been ideal in increasing the confidence levels, as well as the essence of self-reliance among the employees, thus the perfect opportunity for growth and development of the organizations. Workplace coaching is ideal in enhancing greater self-awareness among the employees, which is vital in the realization of the competitive advantage against other business entities within the industry of operation (Theeboom et al, 2013). Furthermore, organizations have been able to benefit from workplace coaching through utilization of improved decision-making among the employees in relation to the demands and expectations of the target audiences. There is also substantial improved ability to handle change among the employees, thus minimization of issues of change resistance and failure in pursuit of the competitive edge. Workplace coaching enable employees to improve their ability with reference to working independently, thus generation of the greater sense of responsibility in association with self or personal development. Employees focus on the exploitation of workplace coaching to improve their chances of achieving targets through utilization of clearer goals and objectives while minimizing costs or wastages. According to Billett (2003), there is substantial growth and demand for workplace coaching to address demands and expectations of the employees in the market and industry of operation. In this research article, Billett notes that massive increase in interest and demand for workplace-based mentoring with the ability and potentiality to secure initial and on-going vocational development throughout working lives. In addition, some of the increased demand for workplace mentoring emanates from locating vocational education programs within the workplace. Moreover, there is substantial increase in interest and demand for workplace coaching because of the reductions in training budgets, as well as potential shifts of responsibilities for the vocational development from training personnel to staff within the workplace (Billett, 2001). Moreover, enterprise-specific learning arrangements focusing on particular specializations and skill-linked increases in pay or movement across work classifications have been essential in understanding the massive growth and development of the workplace coaching (Billett, 2003). The article notes that most of the literature on mentoring at workplaces tends to focus on assessment of the implications or influences on the learners rather than the coaches imparting substantial information and knowledge (Billett, 2000). There is essential demand to generate diverse research studies in relation to assessment of the implication of coaching on the mentors at workplace with the intention of understanding the effectiveness and efficiency of coaching. American Management Association (AMA) also focused on assessment of the role and influence of workplace coaching in the global context, thus highlighting the growing trend of the approach in relation to the growth and development of the employees. AMA (2008) notes that only 50 percent of the current companies tend to adopt and implement the essence of workplace coaching in relation to the achievement of goals and targets at the end of the fiscal period. In addition, the article makes a finding on the continuous popularity of workplace coaching because of the potentiality of the approach or tool to offer ideal results with reference to effectiveness and efficiency in the decision-making, motivation, and commitment of the employees towards the achievement of the goals and targets. Coaching tends to associate with higher performance among the employees (AMA, 2008). The research article also notes that coaching aims at boosting individual performance under the influence of the clarity of purpose in pursuit of ideal goals and targets while minimizing costs in the training of the human resources. These attributes are essential in understanding the growing importance and influence of workplace coaching in the modern context, thus the perfect platform to enable employees achieve competitive edge within the market and industry of operation. AMA (2008) notes that organizations should focus on evaluating or assessing coaching’s performance with the intention of enhancing success rates, thus the opportunity for the business entities to focus on matching the right coach with the right client in pursuit of competitive advantage within the market and industry of operation. On the other hand, it is essential to note that external coaching seems to offer substantive outcome in relation to the growth and development of the employees. The current growth and popularity of workplace coaching indicate that the future of the technique or mechanism is bright, thus the opportunity for the business entities to focus on exploitation of the available resources while limiting costs of operation (Grant, 2009). There is need for the organizations to focus on making peer coaching more effective and efficient to substantiate the amount of resources spent by organizations and business entities in the training and development of the employees. It is ideal to believe that coaching will continue to expand and mature as an important leadership development tool or practice. Business organizations have the opportunity and the platform to exploit workplace coaching in developing and retaining scarce talent in the future in pursuit of competitive advantage, effectiveness, and efficiency in the delivery of quality products and services within the market and industry of operation (Passmore & Gibbes, 2007). Glenn Martin (2006) also focuses on the assessment of the issue of coaching and mentoring in the course of aiding or facilitating achievement of competitive advantage in the market and industry of operation. According to this article, organizations can no longer expect to be competitive unless they retain employees, inspire them, and support them in the process of continuous learning. Human resources practitioners tend to contribute to the achievement of organizational success through integration and implementation of quality approaches and tools to motivate, inspire, and retain employees in pursuit of competitive advantage. It is essential to note that learning and development are now complex areas, thus the need to adopt and implement appropriate decisions about issues such as the usage online techniques. Nevertheless, HR practitioners continue to see or perceive coaching and mentoring as the essential aspects of an effective organizational learning strategy in pursuit of competitive advantage in the market and industry of engagement. The chapter is ideal in understanding the reasons behind the rapid growth and popularity of coaching and mentoring while distinguishing between the two elements of development within the diverse workplaces. Business environment for most entities tend to adhere to the global trends under the influence of continuous advances in technology and communications, globalization, and social, as well as demographic changes (Martin, 2006). This makes it essential for the business entities to focus on the adoption and implementation of coaching with the intention of motivating, retaining, and inspiring employees towards the achievement of the goals and targets at the end of the financial year. Managers have the tendency of executing primary responsibilities in relation to promotions, coaching, performance management, employee disciplinary action, termination decisions, career development, recruitment, and selection. These actions demand adoption and implementation of the most appropriate tools to facilitate the achievement of the goals and targets at the end of the fiscal period (Martin, 2006). Wilson (2011) also demonstrates the growing influence or importance of workplace coaching in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the employees in pursuit of competitive advantage in handling the demands and expectations of the customers. This is because of the influence of coaching to enhance self-belief and confidence among the employees. It is possible for the managers and leaders to boost self-belief of the employees or subjects through praise and rewards in the course of enhancing their awareness on the expectations and responsibilities (Wilson, 2007). This approach contributes to the increased motivation and commitment of the employees towards handling and addressing the demands and expectations of the target audiences within the market and industry of operation. Coaching is also blame free. According to diverse research studies, human beings have the tendency of learning through mistakes. From this perspective, it is essential to allow people to make their own individual progress through trial and error. This relates to the provision of space for experiment in the course of coaching. The role of management should come in through provision of the measure of support, ideal suggestions, role models, and clear guidelines in relation to expectations and experience level for the job (Wilson, 2011). The article notes that workplace coaching contributes to the generation or development of responsibility among the employees. It is critical to note that people are naturally creative while enjoying the essence of contributing. In addition, such entities demonstrate diverse aspects in relation to measure of control of the workload. Managers will tend to curb these instincts through bullying, criticizing, humiliating, and micro managing their staff. Nevertheless, integration of coaching will be ideal in the improvement of effectiveness and efficiency of the employees in pursuit of the organizational goals and targets at the end of the fiscal period. According to Grant et al (2009), executive coaching has the ability and potentiality of enhancing goal attainment, resilience, and workplace well-being. The findings of this study or research article note that organizations can benefit from effective short-term coaching. This is because of the tendency of adopting and implementing positive psychology in association with the aspects of executive coaching. Grant et al (2009) also note the massive growth and development of the usage of executive coaching in diverse organizations in the past decade. In the current state, HR practitioners perceive workplace coaching as the mainstream means in relation to improvement of performance among the employees. The growth and development of workplace coaching has been essential in generating substantive growth in relation to the peer-reviewed knowledge in the recent years. Researchers tend to focus on the assessment of the influence and implication of coaching to address the demands and expectations of the employees and employers in pursuit of competitive advantage within the market and industry of operation. In Gyllensten (2005), Gyllensten & Palmer focus on the examination of the influence of workplace coaching in reducing workplace stress. According to this article, work related stress is causing concern through generation of negative effectives on the development and performance of the individuals and business entities or organizations. Diverse interventions have been applicable in the course of managing workplace stress. Nevertheless, coaching provides the perfect opportunity for the employees to manage the influences and negative implications of workplace stress on the growth and performance of the employees and different business entities. In the recent years, workplace coaching has grown to being a popular and positive HR tool for motivating and inspiring employees in pursuit of competitive advantage in the market and industry of operation. In spite of these developments in relation to workplace coaching, there is insufficient relevant published research demonstrating the exact link between coaching and stress reduction, prevention, or management. The objective of the article is to demonstrate the role of workplace coaching in reduction of stress, thus providing the opportunity for the employees to pursue their goals and targets at the end of the financial period. From this perspective, business organizations and employers have the opportunity to utilize the aspects of workplace coaching to address elements of stress within the organization to enhance the performance of the human resources. According to CIMA (2002), there is no longer a point in one’s career where one can stop learning. It is essential to note that people tend to change jobs much more frequently, thus the opportunity to face new responsibilities. Increased flexibility demands a broader spectrum of skills in diverse professions. This makes it essential for the organizations or business entities to focus on adoption and implementation of appropriate mechanisms and techniques such as workplace coaching to handle the demands and expectations of the employees and customers through quality training and development programs. Coaching is appropriate in enhancing flexibility of the employees in the course of addressing the needs and preferences of the customers and relevant stakeholders. From the above illustration, there is growing evidence to suggest that workplace coaching is an effective human resources development (HRD) intervention for improving individual and organizational performance. The effectiveness and efficiency of workplace coaching have been the major aspects of the growing popularity of the tool in enhancing development of the employees. Workplace contributes in motivating and inspiring employees while reducing the costs in relation to training and development of employees in pursuit of competitive advantage. Diverse research studies have been essential in executing assessments on the influence, benefits, and implications of workplace coaching, thus the opportunity to understand the growth and development of workplace coaching. Some of the attributes for the effectiveness and efficiency of workplace coaching include increased self-awareness, enhanced responsibility, appropriate self-confidence, self-reliance, and opportunity for experiment. Employees tend to focus on exploitation of these attributes to utilize workplace coaching in pursuit of competitive advantage in the market and industry of operation. List of References CIMA, 2002, “Mentoring and Coaching: an Overview.” Technical Briefing; pp 1-8. Lundrigan et al, 2012, “Coaching a Diverse Workforce: The Impact of Changing Demographics for Modern Leaders.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2 (3); 1-9. Theeboom et al, 2013, “Does coaching work: A meta-analysis on the effects of coaching on individual level outcomes in an organizational context.” The Journal of Positive Psychology; 1-18. Billett S, 2003, “Workplace Mentors: Demands and Benefits.” Journal of Workplace Learning, 15 (3), 105-113. AMA, 2008, “Coaching: A Global Study of Successful Practices.” Current trends and future possibilities: 2008-2018, 1-87. Grant et al, 2009, “Executive coaching enhances goal attainment, resilience, and workplace well- being: a randomized controlled study.” The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4 (5), 396- 407. Grant MA, 2009, “The Evidence for Coaching.” Harvard Medical School, 1-41. Gyllensten 2005, “Can coaching reduce workplace stress?” in the Coaching Psychologist, 17-46. Passmore J & Gibbes C, 2007, “The state of executive coaching research: what does the current literature tell us and what’s next for coaching research?” International Coaching Psychology Review; 2 (2), 116-128. Billett SR, 2001, “Learning in the Workplace: Strategies for Effective Practice.” Allen and Unwin, Sydney. Billett SR, 2000, “Guided learning at work.” Journal of Workplace Learning, 12 (7), 272-285. Bowles SV & Picano JJ, 2006, “Dimensions of coaching related to productivity and quality of life.” Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 28 (5), 388-408. Burke D & Linely PA, 2007, “Enhancing goal self-concordance through coaching.” International Coaching Psychology Review, 2 (1), 62-69. Wilson C, 2007, “Best Practice in Performance Coaching: a Handbook for Leaders, Coaches, HR Professionals and Organizations.” London, Kogan Page. Wilson C, 2011, “Developing a Coaching Culture.” Performance Coach Training, 1-9. Read More