In this blog, we have asked Thomas Bailey, Group Capability Manager at Blackmores, to share his personal experience in coaching, how it has evolved, and the impact it can have on learning and growth for everyone across all levels of an organisation.
Thomas is an accredited coach through the ICF and is a volunteer mentor with the AITD, and maintains his own consultancy. He started out in Sales and Marketing in multinational FMCG before transitioning to development and performance. Thomas has lived and worked in three continents and loves engaging in the industry on impact-driving capability.
How many more conversations are you having about coaching compared to three years ago? Coaching is incredibly popular now. Historically, it was often perceived as an expensive investment exclusive to senior executives. Over time, the benefits of coaching became more apparent, leading to its expansion across organisational levels.
As highlighted in the Harvard Business Review, coaching has evolved and is now accessible to a broader group of employees. It is recognised as a valuable tool for developing high-potential individuals and improving overall organisational performance (“The Wild West of Executive Coaching“).
A study by the ICF and HCI found that 68% of organisations surveyed believed coaching is an essential part of their talent development and learning strategy (ICF and HCI, ”Building a Coaching Culture with Managers and Leaders”).
This rapid expansion of coaching also brings along the challenge of clarifying what coaching truly entails to potential users and understanding the difference between the development options.
I remember working for a large third-party coaching provider in Europe who did a terrific job of selling the benefits of virtual coaching to senior teams in large organisations. The challenge was that they did little to prepare those participating in the coaching. They had little understanding of what coaching was and why they were there. Individuals would pop up on my screen and we’d go through the pleasantries and I’d ask what they wanted coaching on. They would reply with a confused or terrified face and often say “so what’s this training?”. They made up a high percentage of my coaching calls and typically didn’t involve much coaching but more teaching about coaching. Suffice to say it was a true waste of time and ultimately meant I stopped being a coach (an expert online explainer) for them.
Coaching, mentoring, and teaching are distinct approaches to professional development, yet they are often misunderstood or mixed up. Let’s look at a clearer explanation of each.
1. Coaching involves actively listening to someone as they work through challenges, opportunities, or situations, and offering questions that provoke clarity, reflection, reframing, and potentially prompt next steps. Coaching is unbiased and neutral, aiming to guide individuals in their self-discovery and growth.
2. Mentoring is about sharing one’s experience in a particular area or situation with someone who is going through a similar journey. It provides more direction, but it is not prescriptive. While we often think of mentoring as a senior leader guiding a junior graduate, functional mentoring can also be utilised to foster better performance.
For example, if someone is new to negotiation and wishes to increase their ability, they can be paired with a highly proficient individual who can share what has and has not worked for them. The mentee decides what they take away from the relationship.
I find this is often confused with coaching, but there is a clear distinction and outcome. I have deployed functional mentoring with great success particularly when it’s upskilling an individual to a very high level.
3. Teaching is the instruction of a subject matter, ensuring learners acquire specific knowledge or skills deemed necessary.
I find the best way to visualise the difference between the three approaches would be like a dial. At one end would be coaching where individuals ‘pull’ their own development. On the other would be teaching where there is a development ‘push’ onto the individual. Mentoring would be in the middle, between the two.
If coaching has been growing steadily, ‘team coaching’ is at the forefront of that growth - the newest kid on the new block of coaching - and has gained significant momentum as organisations seek to address the need for collective performance and collaboration.
Team coaching places a strong emphasis on enhancing the dynamics, communication, and overall effectiveness of entire teams. Through team coaching, organisations can foster a culture that values shared goals, mutual support, and continuous improvement.
Not only has coaching made its way across all levels of the workforce, it’s become far more accessible and affordable, especially with the advent of technology and online platforms. This democratisation of coaching means that anyone, regardless of their position or background, can now receive coaching.
Virtual coaching sessions have broken down geographical barriers, enabling individuals from all walks of life to connect with skilled coaches. A study conducted by the ICF found that 84% of coaches reported delivering coaching virtually, indicating the widespread adoption of online coaching platforms (ICF, ”ICF 2021 Global Coaching Study“).
The very newest area of this space is coaching using AI bots. Whilst still emerging, this technology is improving and promises to provide a sound and affordable coaching platform for all. As I write these words, I can hear my fellow coaches and peers screaming “what about the quality?”, which is a fantastic challenge. The consensus believes that getting the coaching standard 80% there in AI coaching will be sufficient. It will offer a low-end everyday service, leaving humans to offer a higher value, differentiated, and targeted service.
Fundamentally, coaching cultivates a growth mindset in individuals; it enables them to solve their own challenges, realise their own opportunities, and better manage their own outcomes in situations. It is this mindset shift in users that is the holy grail of coaching, replicating this across an organisation is to realise a true coaching culture.
I had the privilege of being part of a global coaching program in a large multinational, aimed at all levels of the organisation. It was backed by the very highest levels of leadership which made it very easy to embed. From the start, understanding of coaching and its benefits to individuals and teams was overcommunicated. It was one of the best coaching programs I have seen and is still growing.
• Clarity on coaching and what it will do: there is still a worryingly high percentage who believe coaching is for those struggling only. I have found one of the best ways for individuals and teams to understand coaching is to experience it, and ensure you build this understanding into your plan.
• Manage expectations: be clear with your leaders on what to expect and what outcomes are desired. It’s a good practice to always use coaching contracts.
• Integrate coaching into your organisation: link to talent and leadership development programs, high-potential talent initiatives, succession planning, values, and management expectations - anywhere it can seamlessly integrate into your organisation’s ethos.
• Create a range of coaching solutions: allowing individuals to engage whenever and however they need - individual coaching, team coaching, AI coaching, guides, training, and cheat sheets all linked to real moments that matter in an organisation. Resist a one size fits all approach.
Fostering a coaching culture within organisations is the ultimate goal, empowering individuals to address their challenges, seize opportunities, and manage outcomes effectively. As coaching continues to evolve and become more widespread, organisations can tap into its transformative power to unlock the full potential of their workforce and achieve lasting success.
Thomas started out in Sales and Marketing in multinational FMCG before transitioning to development and performance. He has lived and worked in three continents, is an accredited coach through the ICF and is a volunteer mentor with the AITD. Thomas currently heads up group capability at Blackmores and maintains his own consultancy. He loves engaging in the industry on impact-driving capability.
