Coaching is integral to workforce productivity and performance, with 84% of workers saying that it should be part of every business’s management and development programme, according to new research from City & Guilds Group.
The study of more than 1,000 UK professionals found that 76% of employees believe coaching is helpful when going through periods of organisational change, while 79% say it’s useful for adopting new technologies and ways of working.
In addition, as businesses begin to see staff from five generations working side-by-side, two thirds (64%) of those surveyed say that coaching has already become important in facilitating intergenerational working.
Coaching also plays a critical part in boosting productivity as people move between roles or embrace portfolio careers – both growing trends in today’s workplace. Among the respondents who had changed role in their company, more than a quarter (27%) report taking four months or more to work to the best of their ability afterwards, with 10% taking seven months or longer.
The research found that people who do not receive coaching at this critical moment are over eight times more likely to say that they still don’t feel able to work to the best of their ability, compared to those that did receive coaching.
More generally, companies that don’t provide coaching opportunities risk leaving employees feeling undervalued. Of those respondents who said they hadn’t been offered coaching by their current employer, lack of investment (33%), taking staff for granted (31%), leaders’ disinterest in staff (22%) and a lack of understanding on the value of coaching (22%) were cited as the most common reasons.
Supporting coaches to develop talented people
To support leaders in business undertaking ILM coaching or mentoring qualifications, City & Guilds Group is providing access to resources from the European Mentoring and Coaching Council UK (EMCC UK).
This provides learners with discounted EMCC membership, up-to-date guidance, thought-leading support via webinars and competency frameworks, as well as a range of e-books, publications and research papers.
It will help them to shape their careers of talented individuals within their organisations, encouraging innovative ideas and perspectives, and building resilience in preparation for the challenges ahead.
“The modern workplace is undergoing a period of rapid transformation as it adapts to new technologies and a changing economic and political landscape,” said City & Guilds Group managing director Kirstie Donnelly.
“Through our ILM qualifications, we’re training coaches at every level to help support businesses through change, while boosting workforce engagement, performance and productivity. But coaches need support too, which can be found through networks of experienced practitioners around the world. That’s why we are so pleased to form this collaboration with EMCC so that our learners can become members of a unifying and inclusive body.”
Register for a webinar at 11am on 6 March to find out more from coaching pioneer Professor David Clutterbuck about the ILM/EMCC collaboration, plus insights on what makes high-performing teams as we move more from individual to team interventions.