In the era of automation, little to no attention is being paid towards today’s human workers, who still make up the backbone of the vast majority of contemporary businesses. In particular, discussions centered around building a better workplace culture, especially ones that foster and encourage coaching and continued learning, seem to be getting stamped out rather quickly. Isn’t there a way we can discuss HR’s role in creating a more coaching-centric culture at work without fear of censorship?
If HR managers and practitioners want to create a coaching culture at work, they can’t take “no” for an answer. Here’s how you can bring up the topic of fostering a more coaching culture at work, and the common facts you should come equipped with when the time arises for you to make your case.
Understanding the benefits of a coaching culture
Before we can begin to sell to others the benefits of a coaching workplace culture, we need to review the benefits of such a culture beforehand to more accurately and compellingly make our case before a jury of our peers. First and foremost, let’s begin with a discussion centered around the results of a coaching culture; it should be all but indisputable that encouraging greater employee mentoring and coaching produces valued results that can boost the efficacy of just about any business.
It’s been well established that a culture of coaching is vital for any team or businesses long-term success, for instance, and those arguing otherwise should be compelled to present facts proving otherwise. Mentorship programs can help initiative new employees to the company’s workplace culture, can help totally avert disasters that would cost the company valuable time and money, and are crucial towards equipping the next generation of workers with the skills and experiences they need to thrive when it comes time for them to assume command of the ship.
Still, despite the obvious benefits of boosting coaching cultures in workplaces everywhere, companies across the globe routinely get mentorship programs wrong, and seem all but incapable of delivering actual results when the time comes to organize a company-wide training regime that matches new workers up with existing veterans. Rather than get discouraged by the failures of others, however, you should take heart, and pledge to avoid the mistakes they made to better achieve success yourself.
Online mentorship programs have demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of businesses that end up successfully implementing mentor/coaching regimes ended up boosting their overall revenue figures while breeding a more positive workplace culture overall. Not all coaching cultures can be instilled via the same means, however; you should diligently study the coaching cultures of other workplaces, but nonetheless must understand that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and that your company will require a unique approach.
Creating a robust coaching culture
In order to avoid wasting your valued time, money, and efforts, then, you should be focused on creating as robust a coaching culture as possible. This means, first and foremost, that your company’s workplace culture be a welcoming one; if people don’t feel as if they’re members of the team, for instance, they’ll see little incentive to follow the orders of their coaches or trainers. This means that everyone in the company has to be engaged and committed towards bringing this culture; you can’t merely expect your entry-level workers to abide by the rules of a company’s coaching culture, but should also expect your managers and senior executives to play a role in things, too.
You have to do more than ensure your higher ups aren’t let off the hook when it comes to obeying the rules of your company’s new coaching culture, though. You’ll also need to take steps to ensure that the newest and least-represented voices amongst the ranks of your working employees have a say in things, too, and will want to task your HR managers with the extra duty of finding out which employees may work well and train well with one another. Leadership has to be fully onboard with coaching initiatives such as this, as any pushback you suffer from the higher ups when you try to include the voices of entry level workers will spell out an early end to any aspiring coaching culture your company may be breeding.
Don’t be disheartened by early failures; culture changes don’t happen overnight, after all, and require constant perseverance and investment to succeed. Rely on the power of newly emerging tech that’s disrupting the field of HR, and avoid the costly mistakes made by others before you, however, and you’ll find success in breeding a more coaching-centric workplace culture in no time. Remember to rope in your higher ups from the get-go; after all, any coaching culture requires strong, dedicated coaches to succeed, and your executives will have to take the lead when it comes to exemplifying the company’s values through their actions.