Thomas Lim is the COO of Technicorum Holdings, a Web 3.0 Coach & Dean with Thrive Consulting and Master Trainer: PEARLS Coaching Framework.
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With the trend of "quiet quitting" on the rise, organizations seeking to rein in this phenomenon are looking at ways to increase engagement and motivation in their employees. The fact of the matter is that the pace of work is accelerating and the intensity is relentless. This directly impacts the quality of life which manifests in issues pertaining to work-life balance, energy management, mental wellness and overall well-being.
Coaching is one intervention that could alleviate and even reverse the downward spiral by rediscovering motivation and alignment of purpose. Besides engaging external coaches, which is likely limited to a small number of more senior executives, another way is to train managers in workplace coaching and have them serve as internal coaches to activate autonomy and self-determination in their direct reports. Curating a training program that is designed specifically for coaching at work is critical. This allows the training to be focused, with an intentionally designed curriculum that takes weeks rather than months to complete. Here are seven steps in operationalizing an internal coach training program that organizations can consider.
1. Design a pilot for the specific use case.
Creating a coaching-centric culture in an organization can take several years to bear fruit. It is important to run a pilot to get an overview of the operating environment and identify who might be the initial coaches and coachees. For example, is the desired use case to build a community of practice whereby 5% to 10% of employees are trained as coaches? This scenario envisions all staff being able to select from this pool of coaches for coaching.
The level of expertise usually requires these internal coaches to be certified by the training provider to assure that they are at a suitable level of competence. Another use case might be that coaching should be part of the competency framework for new managers. Hence, all development milestone courses shall include a coaching component upon a manager’s promotion. The pilot design considerations will differ depending on the organization’s strategic intent.
2. Plan the training journey for both the coach and the coachee.
The pilot will require coaches to approach their initial practice clients, or internal coachees, who are willing to join up. Most coach training programs will only focus on the learning outcomes of the coaches. A good pilot should also design the learning journey for the coachee, so they are more than "guinea pigs" for the coaches-in-training. A component might be to have a parallel track for the coachees to increase self-awareness and self-mastery. A better-prepared coachee is a boon to any newly minted coach.
3. The pilot should offer different modalities.
Organizations have different training regimens. Some might have the advantage of in-house trainers or even an academy. Others rely entirely on e-learning to provide the knowledge and content while engaging the trainer only to provide tutorials and mentoring as part of the training design. The coach training design should have the necessary components to offer flexible modalities depending on the organization’s learning context and the learners’ availability for individual and group training. A hybrid approach is usually required to cater to different learning styles and budgets set aside for the coach training.
4. Ensure sufficient practice opportunities in between training.
Workplace coach training is usually spread over five to eight weeks, with the coaching curriculum spread out over this duration so that the coaches can learn the content, practice within the training (e.g., a tutorial) and then apply the coaching with their coachees every week. There should be weekly reviews with the coaches on their practice sessions—such as what worked and what challenges they faced—to work through with the coach trainer for further refinement and sharpening their skill levels. It might also be important to check in with the pool of coachees on their experience and make adjustments as necessary to allow them the best possible coaching experience. The design alliance between coach and coachee can help in this respect. Documenting individual learning and providing platforms to share collective experiences can build positive shared memories and create powerful bonds.
5. Review the pilot and design scaling mechanics.
The pilot should incorporate a pre- and post-training survey that provides sufficient data points for the organization to examine the efficacy of the training. These questions should include aspects such as awareness of the benefits of coaching, the coaching experience and areas to improve, effectiveness of curriculum and delivery mechanics and assessment of skill. The feedback received from the survey can be instrumental in the design of the scaling strategy for the organization. It can also inform the follow-on roles of the external coach training partner, in terms of continued consultancy, coach mentoring and supervision, customizing the curriculum and conducting train-the-trainer programs.
Any certified and professional coach knows that it takes months and years to hone coaching skills. Internal managers trained to become workplace coaches are "newbie" coaches and will have their fair share of performance anxiety and sense of insecurity and may require additional mentoring and coaching in order to get better. It is therefore important to create support structures to help them succeed. It is also vital that the organization remembers to celebrate successes, no matter how small. Perhaps the human resources division can invite the senior leadership team and the program sponsor to witness the cohort’s "graduation" to signify support for their efforts.
To build a coaching-centric organization, the undertaking must be strategic and aligned with the company’s vision. Milestones need to be drawn up and resources unlocked to ensure that the coach training program becomes anchored as an integral part of the organization’s transformation journey toward their future desired reality.
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