Organizational coaching: what it is and why it is important for companies

Organizational coaching is a type of coaching aimed at a collective subject, and thus at anorganization. While the focus ofexecutive coaching is on the individual, the focus oforganizational coaching is on the collective: its goal is thus systemic change within the company through the involvement of the manager and his or her entire team.

Organizational coaching: what it is

Unlike other forms of coaching, organizational coaching works with the teams that make up an organization so as to support their growth in accordance with business goals.

It is often used to help organizations achieve strategic goals, improve leadership capacity and create cultural change. Indeed, the emphasis is on broad organizational needs, with coaching being seen as a means for change in the company as a whole.

The benefits of organizational coaching

Organizational coaching can be the springboard for corporate change at a deeper level: it can change the direction of a company and its cultural propensity for change, and highlight a team’s weaknesses so they can be resolved.

Specifically, the benefits of organizational coaching are:

• improved morale: teams and individuals feel included in corporate strategy, and work and individual morale improves because of increased investment in learning, development and coaching. In essence, employees feel appreciated seeing that the company invests in organizational coaching;
• greater involvement of workers: their opinions are encouraged and valued by the coach, and what results is greater involvement with the company;
• Increased sense of responsibility: organizational coaching helps create a sense of responsibility in workers at all levels. Teams are coached to divide commitments, and individual workers are given the tools to get the job done;
• workforce retention: if involved in an organizational coaching project, top workers are more likely to decide to stay with the company because they feel involved in the company’s direction and strategy. If a manager feels that he or she is influencing and even guiding corporate decision making, he or she will most likely want to stay within the organization by actively participating in the business;
• key competency development: organizational coaches are trained to identify weaknesses in a business system, from a lack of managerial strength to an employee’s underdeveloped skills. By working on them, key competencies are developed by increasing the productivity of the company.

How organizational coaching works

In organizational coaching everything is team-centered. Companies are built on teams that drive the business forward, and play a crucial role within the company. The coach observes the group as it works, attends meetings, collaborates and works individually. The ultimate goal is to make the different groups work well together so that they are all coordinated in achieving the company’s goals.

Organizational coaching often overlaps withexecutive coaching, traditionally reserved for high-potential leaders but also necessary to correct career-limiting behaviors of a coachee in advance.

When organizational coaching is part of a broader education and training effort, it is referred to as integrated coaching instead.

Workers may be introduced to a coach during the training process, but the real coaching does not begin until the training itself is completed. Once completed, coachees work with coaches to reinforce the training they have received and to apply it in their daily work.

Are you looking for the right coach for your company? Phyd provides its members with numerous experts, professional coaches capable of helping the individual as well as an entire organization. By reading their fact sheets, you can find the perfect expert for your needs.