Ben Brooks, founder, and CEO of a software-based employee-coaching product called PILOT, believes that this pandemic is prompting both employers and employees to recognise the need for and value of coaching.
He uses the analogy of a beehive and explains that employees are the bees and the hive is their organisation—coaches are tasked with helping the bees to figure out their place in the hive.
However, with the current work-from-home culture, most organisations are wider and more spread out geographically, and employees must juggle between work, home, innovation, motivation, and engagement. Most organisations feel that jumping onto Zoom and Teams would suffice to get all this done - but does that really work?
Brooks believes that coaching and mentoring has become more essential than ever and will help employees to learn and adapt to their new environment. He firmly believes that coaching can help people realise that though they are stressed about keeping their jobs, they are still performing exactly how the organisation wants and they still need time off.
This is where the role of coaching is different in this new work-from-home culture as it is less of a remedy to a problem and more of a trial and error process and experience that brings out the best in all of us.
A recent research study carried out by Grant Thornton in the UK reported that the primary focus in coaching during the pandemic is wellbeing - as the traditional theme of career development is less important in the current environment.
Sam Isaacson, Head of Coaching Services of Grant Thornton, UK, believes that coaching is no longer just reserved for large corporate leaders but for everyone and anyone who wants to be a leader and are interested in self-development and self-improvement.
Some of the benefits of coaching:
- Leaders will stay connected to their teams, who in turn will stay connected to the organisation, while working remotely.
- Effectively help managers and employees feel supported and work together through these challenging times.
- Provides much needed time to think and reflect - you will ask better questions to yourself, process your thoughts and feelings and make better short term and strategic decisions.
- Which, in a nutshell, helps build high performing teams.
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