[FLR] The Value of Coaching Across Professions

Happy Friday,

During dinner with a close friend of ours from the cottage, we discussed his son-in-law, a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. His family plans their entire schedule around the game calendar, showcasing the importance of preparation and planning—a principle that applies to success in any field.

Professional football exemplifies how preparation, guided by skilled coaching, leads to high performance. Imagine a quarterback skipping pregame drills or a pop star skipping vocal warm-ups. It’s unthinkable. Yet, in other high-stakes fields like finance, tech, or medicine, the value of coaching is often underestimated.

The Study: Coaching in Pediatric Anesthesia

A recent Boston Children’s Hospital study examined whether just-in-time coaching improved performance in pediatric anesthesia. The study involved 153 trainees performing 515 intubations, divided into two groups:

• Control Group: Standard practice with unstructured guidance.
• Treatment Group: Preoperative coaching within an hour of the procedure using simulations.

Key Findings

The study found that the treatment group had a nearly 10% higher first-attempt success rate than the control group. Additionally, coaching reduced cognitive load and significantly improved the treatment group's competency metrics and skills readiness. The treatment group also experienced lower complication rates.?

This study underscores how just-in-time coaching enhances performance and safety, even in critical, high-pressure tasks.

Leadership Takeaways

Coaching is invaluable across all professions, especially where precision, decision-making, and continuous improvement are vital.

• Preparation Drives Success: Just as athletes rely on pregame preparation, professionals can refine strategies and performance with coaching.
• Reduced Cognitive Load: Coaching alleviates mental strain, allowing for focused execution.
• Improved Outcomes: Coaching yields measurable financial, technological, or life-saving improvements.
• Scalable Applications: Structured coaching models can elevate performance across industries.

Call to Action for Leaders

Leaders must prioritize coaching as a proactive growth strategy. Structured coaching fosters readiness, confidence, and excellence. Consider how you can:

• Establish regular coaching rhythms.
• Implement just-in-time coaching for critical tasks.
• Address skill or knowledge gaps through coaching.

Statistics to Support Coaching Value:

• Productivity Boost: Regular coaching increases productivity by 39% (International Coach Federation).
• Employee Retention: Companies emphasizing coaching see 50% higher retention (LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report).
• Leadership Effectiveness: Leaders with coaching improve decision-making quality by 70% (Forbes).

Much like the dedication of the Pittsburgh Steelers fan family, success requires preparation, planning, and support. Coaching ensures that every team member is set up to excel.

We have seen so many impacts with coaching - from a high performer helping to take them to the next level, a new manager or an underperforming team member.

How do you integrate coaching into your organization & teams to raise their [LQ] Leadership Intelligence?

Let’s embrace coaching as essential. The results—stronger teams and better outcomes—speak for themselves.?

Along the road with you,

Alan Kearns

P.S. It’s always the right time to support your team through transitions. Connect with Matt Goff , VP of Partner Solutions to discover how our outplacement and transition services can help you lead with care and confidence.

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P.P.S. It’s always a good time to invest in your team’s growth. Let us support your people and culture needs. Connect with Matt Goff , VP of Partner Solutions, to explore how we can help.

Start the conversation about team development