Building A Coaching Culture

Creating a coaching culture is not only important, but it’s also necessary. How do you create a coaching culture within your organization? Building a coaching culture starts from the top down. It requires trust and leadership that is willing to listen. In order to create a healthy and functioning work environment, leaders must practice three foundations of proactive leadership:

1) Listen

Individuals in an organization are going to be afraid to be vulnerable and open if they are met with harsh and negative reactions every time someone makes a mistake. Instead of criticizing an employee over a mistake, leaders need to be positive and correct the mistake by teaching the employee how to do it properly. Otherwise, employees are going to be hesitant to reach out to their leader for help and guidance. Leaders need to create a safe and healthy environment that is constantly growing and moving forward.

2) Trust

Leaders need to trust that the employees are doing their best and want to improve and grow. The employees need to trust that the leadership wants what is best for them as individuals and not just what is best for the company. The best way to execute this is to lead by example. As a leader, if you are continuously eager to learn and grow, those under you will want to do the same.

3) Coach

  There is a big difference between coaching and lecturing. Coaching is about listening and participating. A good coach does the hard work with their team, not just give commands and expect perfection. Coaching is about success through trial and error. It’s about coming alongside your team with patience and motivation. Don’t assume that you can flip a switch and change your culture to one that is coaching without making fundamental changes within your workplace. Creating this type of culture could mean a radical shift in the approach that leadership takes toward its teams. However, the payoff is worth the change. If you have a safe, healthy work environment that is focused on trust, learning, and growth, your organization will strive for success.