Canadian HR Reporter

STRATEGIC CAPABILITY NETWORK'S PANEL of thought leaders brings decades of experience from the senior ranks of Canada's business community. eir commentary puts HR management issues into context and looks at the practical implications of proposals and policies. CANADIAN HR REPORTER EXECUTIVE SERIES 11 www.scnetwork.ca June 15, 2015 Pull the triggers A growing number of employers are plac- ing significant emphasis on coaching employees instead of simply managing them. ese organizations realize the value employees can contribute if they are nurtured and developed properly. And employees are welcoming this new trend. Millennials now make up about one-third of Canada's private sec- tor workforce, according to Statis- tics Canada. And 89 per cent of millennials said "it's important to be constantly learning at my job," according to MTV's "No Collar Workers" study in 2012, while 75 per cent want a mentor. No one likes to be managed anymore but we sure do like to be coached. Even senior executives hire personal coaches. Switching to a more coaching- oriented style of management is certainly a solid step in the right direction. is is particularly true for employees in knowledge- b a s e d a n d s e r v i ce - b a s e d organizations where processes are less defined, employees have more discretionary latitude and performance measurements are often subjective. e benefits of coaching are readily apparent, but how does an organization convert from a command-and-control model to this more mentor-based system? The main challenge rests with the managers themselves. ey must change the way they conduct themselves; they must change their managerial habits. Managers often say, "People are our most important asset," yet few managers actually focus on improving these assets. Employees are lucky if they have a semi-annual performance review. Some even miss their annual appraisals if they don't remind their bosses. And when they do have them, it's usually little more than just a formality. Most managers approach these reviews as "Oh yes, it's Cassidy's review date tomorrow. Now, let me think, how has she done this past year?" Not only are these reviews ineffective, they can be de- motivators. Managers tend to focus more on the flubs than the feats — so, change in this aspect of management would be a welcome shift. To do this effectively, managers must devote a considerable portion of their time to it. Now Morgan Smyth Leadership in Action When is coaching a strategic capability? Coaching is often seen as: a course you go on as a supervisor, with a tool kit provided; training or teaching content; or a place where you tell others or are told yourself what is expected. None of these create strategic capability. ey focus on telling, information transfer. ey are op- erational supports that are impor- tant in their own right: job-related training, access to information to do the job and setting perfor- mance goals or expectations. When viewed differently, coaching can legitimately be a strategic capability. It can be re- framed to have a broader, strategic context in these three areas: Self-awareness, awareness of others and environment: When coaching also stimulates "ah ha's" and illuminates habits and be- haviours, it promotes insightful thinking and understanding that can influence the norms and be- haviours that form corporate cul- ture. Asking key questions sup- ports discovery, acceptance and a basis for behavioural change. Most of us perform a large pro- portion of tasks by rote or habit to get through the day. But an ability to look at a habit as the occasion warrants, to re-evaluate it and identify a path to change the habit as needed, is a fundamental stra- tegic capability for development. Managers and leaders re- define their role: When it comes to the difference between leader- ship and management, few would dispute managers tell and leaders ask for and elicit support. Both are required abilities. Looking at coaching as behaviour rather than a prescribed set of steps pro- vides the opportunity for broader overall impact on the leadership and development of staff. Lead- ers are able to develop a better understanding of their operating modes, skills and habits and begin to build a bigger, more effective tool kit for themselves. Accountability and engage- ment: Staff can be challenged to think for themselves: What do you want? What is working? What do you know? What would 'perfect' look like? What are the chal- lenges to get there? What ideas do you have? What course of ac- tion will have the most impact? By challenging staff to control their own fate, they are drawn into analysis, understanding and defining problems and solutions. Respect for their perspectives is demonstrated. Staff can also be challenged by thoughtful questions about issues in the context of their role and behaviour: What are you saying yes or no to? What support do you need? What patterns did you notice? What should be done dif- ferently next time? Coaching that goes beyond the bare bones of ba- sic performance expectations in- vites staff to contribute to and be accountable for their performance in meaningful ways. It stimulates engagement by the people most directly involved and knowledge- able about the work at hand. Corporate culture can be made more robust by both "telling" or setting expectations and pro- moting information sharing and "asking" by involving individuals across the organization. By seek- ing a better understanding of be- haviours in the context of the team or organization, identifying issues and opportunities, and determin- ing and taking accountability for goals, individuals, regardless of their role, can move from victim to creator, from rescuer to coach, and from persecutor to challenger. Karen Gorsline is SCNetwork's lead commentator on strategic capability and leads HR Initiatives, a consult- ing practice focused on facilitation and tailored HR initiatives. Toronto- based, she has taught HR planning, held senior roles in strategy and poli- cy, managed a large decentralized HR function and directed a small busi- ness. She can be reached at gorslin@ pathcom.com. Karen Gorsline Strategic Capability Join our professional community of Canadian HR & Organizational Leaders: • Connecting @ monthly events • Collaborating with peers • Challenging conventional thinking The Power of Human Capital CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP FOR 35 YEARS Great Leaders GROW www.scnetwork.ca e first step towards mindful conversations In an effort to get the edge on competition and keep up with demand in a rapidly changing information economy, lead- ers continue to strive for new and in- novative management styles. Enter the world of coaching. Over recent years, coaching has become a formalized and legiti- mized profession. Today, it has become a popular and compelling practice for enhancing an organi- zation's leadership team. Funda- mentally, coaching helps develop better leaders. So what is it that has enabled coaching to move into the main- stream and displace more tra- ditional management or leader- ship communication models? Essentially, it's because the core principles are based on improv- ing how people interconnect with each other and foster a practice of inquiry versus compliance. Adopting a coaching approach enables leaders to master the basics of personal and team per- formance coaching techniques, including relationship-building and effective motivation and com- munication styles. However, there is a greater opportunity here for any organi- zation that goes beyond the top talent cohort and leaders. Mas- tering the art of coaching can absolutely help people focus on the future, raise self-awareness of habits and old beliefs or behav- iour patterns and determine what changes to make to enjoy more effective, successful and fulfilling careers and roles. Coaching enables people to gain a greater sense of confidence and competency. It also enables them to be better listeners, posi- tive problem-solvers, non-judg- mental, to stop laying blame and avoid jumping to conclusions too hastily. Coaching is not just about asking questions; it's the active Trish Maguire Leadership In Action BE > pg. 12 By challenging staff to control their own fate, they are drawn into analysis. TAKE > pg. 12 How do you convert from command- and-control to a mentor-based system?

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