Benefits of Coaching
Coaching and Mentoring are actually the most effective methods of adult development. This applies in particular to more experienced people, both in life and professionally. I will present it below, also sharing the results of various studies. The benefits of coaching are multidimensional and long-term. This can be clearly seen in relation to our work and the competencies and skills necessary in the business environment of the 21st century and already famous VUCA times.
In addition, other studies have shown that when participating in training, 80% of the acquired knowledge disappears completely within 90 days after the training (if you are more interested in this topic, I invite you to search the Internet for the phrase Curve of Forgetting or the Eibbighaus Curve). That is why it is so important to choose 1-3 specific skills or behaviors we want to work on right after the training and consciously practice changing them. And even in this case, Coaching can be extremely helpful, because by its nature it will help us in the consistent and conscious implementation of change.
Depending on what kind of coaching we use (e.g. business coaching or life coaching), the benefits of coaching may vary. But I believe that there is a common part that results from the deep philosophy of coaching.
Therefore, the following summary of the benefits of coaching is divided into 3 main sections:
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the benefits of coaching being the essence of the coaching method
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benefits of business coaching
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benefits of personal coaching (life coaching)
In our study, you will find references to research conducted on coaching. We will also provide the results of one of the largest such studies conducted by the independent audit firm PWC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers). You will be able to download the PWC coaching effectiveness study report directly.
In addition, in the next section, you will also find a fairly long list of specific situations or signals indicating that finding a good coach would bring you very tangible benefits.
In the following, you will find information about the development of coaching in the workplace, as well as short descriptions of what qualities a Good Business Coach and a Good Business Mentor should have.
We will end this study with a summary of the benefits of coaching and mentoring, both for the person and for the company.
Benefits of Coaching as a Method of Personal Development
So let's take a look at exactly what lies at the heart of the benefits of coaching. Let's also see what specific benefits can be derived from business and personal coaching and what signals indicate that coaching would be a good choice for us. Let's also analyze how these benefits change with the development of our work environment.
Coaching broadens awareness.
Let us first define the term "consciousness" and, in particular, what it differs from knowledge. Knowledge is information obtained. Awareness is an analyzed, worked experience. Raising Coachee's awareness is the essence of coaching. Thanks to this, coachees can begin to look at themselves and their surroundings differently. And therefore, to see opportunities and options that Coachee has not noticed so far.
Coaching teaches you to think.
In any school, have you learned how to think about what you think or what you feel? Do you have clarity on what it means: is the emotion the result of a thought, or is the thought the result of an emotion? Coaching enables you to successively learn about your thinking, in particular discovering the beliefs you follow. This gives you, first of all, a chance to consider whether the belief is valid, but also to decide if that belief serves you.
Coaching opens the heart and gives a chance to connect it with the mind.
And therefore, it gives you a chance to combine these often separate and longing for each other parts into one harmonious whole. How often have you been told that showing emotions at work is unprofessional? How much do you divide yourself into "work-self" and "life-self"? How often do you say that authenticity is very important and yet you can't be yourself in certain situations?
Coaching gives you the chance to make a proper and lasting change.
What else is the result of the coaching process if not a change? Changing beliefs, changing the way you think about yourself, changing the way you think about your role at work, about what is really important to you in life, about other people - and ultimately setting new goals for yourself and their consistent and flexible implementation. However, change is all about being appropriate and long-lasting.
What does it mean appropriate? The best answer to this question is this metaphor: Before you start climbing a ladder, make sure you put it against the correct wall. The durability of the change does not need any explanation. This is supposed to be a new version of you. From now to the future and the next change.
Coaching teaches listening and tolerance.
There's so much to talk about today"diversity & inclusion". There is so much talk about leadership. And I would quote only one sentence:
be a good listener, your ears (unlike your mouth) won't get you into trouble.
Working with a good Coach, you start to notice how much you can hear in your own words. Working with a Coach, you start to realize how much what you say shows how you think. So you start to listen more and listen better. First himself, then others. And you also start to realize how multidimensional a person is, how difficult it is sometimes to change yourself and how much harm can be done by drawing too hasty conclusions in relation to others. A besides, if you're just talking, you're repeating what you already know. And only by listening can you learn something new 😊 Learning the skills of listening and hearing, including what is "between the lines", is one of the undoubted benefits of working with a good and experienced cache.
Benefits of Business Coaching
Here, I am going to present the specific benefits of business coaching that support leaders and managers at work. At the end of this section, you will also find links to the results of various studies and reports on the effectiveness of business coaching.
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Become aware of your natural talents and strengths
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Designing an appropriate career path based on your strengths
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Developing communication skills
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Building a leadership style based on authenticity
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Manage stress and pressure better at work
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Much better dealing with "difficult employees"
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"Read other people" faster and more accurately
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Better and more effective management of your boss
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Acquiring the skill of mature assertiveness
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Overcoming fears and worries that hold you back
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Increasing the effectiveness of your actions and influence on others
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Working through the state of burnout and changing the approach to work
And finally, I will add one more extra benefit. Working with a Coach, you also have the opportunity to create your own Coaching Management Style. And it's not just a skill. It's a way of being.
By using business coaching, you can not only develop yourself as a supervisor but also change yourself as a human being and significantly improve the comfort of your whole life.
Sources:
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The famous article by Daniel Goleman (author of the best-selling book "Emotional Intelligence") entitled "What makes a leader?" published in 1998 in the Harvard Business Review
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In 2019, the Coaching Institute reports that over 70% of coaching users benefited in the areas of work efficiency, relationships, and communication skills. In addition, as many as 86% of companies believe that their investment in coaching has returned
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The report from 2021 informs about the positive impact of coaching on the "well-being" of employees who had to face the "lockdown" due to the Covid-SARS-2 pandemic International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching and Mentoring 2021, Vol. 19 (1),
Benefits of Life Coaching
Here is a list of the benefits of personal coaching. And this is certainly not an exhaustive list. On other coaching portals you will find other, equally valuable benefits. By its nature, each coaching relationship is an individual relationship and there can be as many measurable benefits of personal coaching as there are people who benefit from it.
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Full clarity about professed values and goals
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Becoming aware of your personal needs and your "why?"
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Getting to know yourself better, in particular getting to know your shadows and strengths
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The ability to ask yourself questions, even the difficult ones
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Ability independently solve various problems
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Ability to make decisions and take responsibility for them
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Learn the skill of not giving in to failure
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Increased confidence in yourself and your abilities
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Understanding and skillfully applying the principles of healthy assertiveness
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The ability to resolve conflicts or stay in conflict without feeling guilty
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The ability to simplify things that seem complicated at first
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Feeling empowered in your life
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Improving the comfort and quality of life
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Often the feeling of "lightness of existence" 😊
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In the final effect: the feeling of being the owner of your life
Results of research on the effectiveness of coaching conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers
The global audit company PrceWaterhouse Coopers conducted a study on the effectiveness of coaching for the leading association of coaches called ICF (International Coach Federation). The study was conducted at the end of 2008, and its results were published in 2009. It was one of the largest studies conducted so far on the effectiveness of coaching.As many as 2165 people from 64 countries took part in it.
In addition to examining the benefits of coaching for individuals, the purpose of this study was also to examine the return on investment in coaching for companies (ROI - Return On Investment)
Here are the main conclusions from the PWC study on the effectiveness of coaching.
Coaching clients have confirmed improvements in the following areas:
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self-confidence (80%)
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unions (73%)
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communication skills (72%)
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interpersonal competences (71%)
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productivity at work (70%)
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work-life balance (67%)
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health, well-being (63%)
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development of professional life, new professional opportunities (62%)
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organization of personal life (61%)
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company management (61%)
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time management (57%)
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team effectiveness (51%)
As many as 96% of clients indicated that due to the high effectiveness, they would use coaching again.
When it comes to studying the return on investment in coaching business, the PWC test results were as follows:
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86% of companies that have analyzed the results declare at least a return on investment,
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almost every fifth company achieved a 50-fold return on investment,
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on average, companies recorded a 7-fold return on investment.
Signs that you would benefit from coaching
Here are examples of situations or signals that indicate that it is worth using coaching. This list is of course not exhaustive. However, it shows when it is worth taking advantage of coaching and in what situations, problems and challenges coaching can help a lot and bring you measurable benefits. More detailed information on when and which coaching to choose can be found on our subpages discussing individual types of coaching.
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You can't name at least 3 of your talents and 5 of your strengths (there's a difference between natural talent and a strength!)
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You are a Highly Sensitive Person and you are overwhelmed by today's world
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You have trouble enumerating at least 5 qualities for which you value or like yourself
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You know what you don't want, but you don't know what you want or need
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You feel stuck at work
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On Sunday afternoon you feel anxious or stressed at the thought of Monday's work, or already on Wednesday you are looking forward to the weekend
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You would like to develop professionally, but you don't know which way to go
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You would like to find an idea for yourself. You feel like you're out of place
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You are at a difficult moment in your life, privately or professionally. You don't know how to deal with it
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A big change awaits you. You're afraid you won't be able to handle it
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You have trouble with your work relationships. For example, you are struggling with your boss
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You feel that you are not using your professional potential, but you do not know how or you cannot break through. You feel unappreciated
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You take on too much, whether at work or in your personal life. You're already overwhelmed by it all, but you can't say "NO"
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Everything seems to be OK, but you lack the joy of life and spontaneity. You want less and less
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You don't believe in yourself. Even despite the positive opinions of people who know you well
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You feel the increasing loneliness in remote work
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More and more often you can't deal with emotions and you don't really know what causes them or you don't know how to change it
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You have recently been promoted to your first management position. You're afraid you won't make it
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You have been promoted at work to a much more responsible position. More and more often you think that it was a mistake and that it is beyond you
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You are in a management position. Would you like to develop your team management skills or develop your authentic leadership style?
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You are in a management position. Would you like to learn a coaching style of management or situational leadership skills?
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You are in a management position. In your opinion, you have a problem with the involvement of your team
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Work drains you. You devote so much attention and effort to it that you have practically no strength left for anything else
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You feel lost. You feel like you're running, but you don't really know where. For what?
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You work in an international environment. You have trouble getting along with colleagues of other nationalities or cultures
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You've been getting negative feedback at work for some time, despite the fact that you're trying hard and want to change this perception
Development of coaching and its benefits in the workplace
In an organizational environment, coaching and mentoring have traditionally been part of the role played by supervisors or more experienced employees who showed less experienced colleagues how to competently perform a given activity or set of activities.
It is by default part of a cyclical process of developing an individual's skills led by the supervisor: assessing its performance, assessing progress, and planning development. If the supervisor does not coach personally, he will organize such coaching (mainly for an experienced employee) and usually in the same team as the coached person. In this context, coaching is actually the teaching of certain skills and competences until the skill is permanently acquired and can be consistently carried out on its own and in accordance with the required standard.
Although most of this type of coaching and mentoring is provided by more experienced people, it is not always the case that they are older. As often the mentor explains or demonstrates a certain skill or process, the mentor may also be a younger person, e.g. fluent in new technologies. But it's always someone who is able to pass on their skills to others. So, in addition to substantive knowledge, it must have highly developed competence in transferring knowledge and communication,
Today you can still see the traditional roles of Mentors and Coaches. However, many organizations and most business sectors have undergone significant changes. The main changes concerned broadening the scope of coaching approaches and combining mentoring and coaching into one approach, generally known as coaching.
Despite the best efforts of some academics and management gurus, senior managers in some organizations, associations of professional coaches and mentors, and human resource purists, the terms Mentor and Coaches are now used interchangeably in many business sectors.
The main reason for this is that individuals are demanding and expect a wide range of skills from the mentor-coach that encompass the best qualities of both categories. Many organizations also create mentoring and coaching systems that also combine the best practices of both roles. As a result, these terms are increasingly synonymous, and that is what one person or organization would call a Mentor, another would name a Coach.
In addition, many individuals arrange to work with a personal coach, whose role is a combination of a mentor and a coach. This is similar to the relationship between an athlete and a personal trainer, as well as between individuals and their personal trainer. In the world of business and professional development, the result is the hybrid of mentoring and coaching that most people, especially in the US, now refer to as personal coaching.
Summary of the benefits of coaching and mentoring for the individual
For individuals, the benefits can be many, including:
help in avoiding making previous mistakes in professional or personal life; greater professional efficiency (achieving more in less time); greater job satisfaction; less stress; easier resolution of current problems; effective preparation for potential difficulties; a flexible combination of work and personal life; being happier in your personal life and more fulfilled in your professional life; effective achievement of goals related to career or personal development; a conscious change of career or career direction; being more effective and influential in all walks of life; being more attractive to others in their career and professional development and/or personal life.
Summary of the benefits of coaching and mentoring for the organization
For the organization, the benefits are similar. These include: learning effectively from a person with a wide range of knowledge; obtaining independent, impartial, objective advice and guidance; obtaining improvements in productivity, quality levels, customer satisfaction, and shareholder value; increasing the commitment and satisfaction of operating and management staff; improving staff retention; supporting other training and development activities; visible evidence that the organization is committed to development and improvement; creating an effective process of organizational development, more and more often changing the organizational culture.
