How to Use Virtual Coaching

At the end of summer?Bravely, a New York based technology platform that provides on-demand professional coaching and development received a?$15 million?funding round that will catalyze its rapid growth in delivering universal access to coaching. A few months earlier,?Betterup?based in San Francisco announced a $125 million infusion of capital into their platform with its valuation reaching $1.75 billion.??The all-in-one platform uses behavioral sciences and latest AI technology to provide mobile coaching and counselling services and to support employees’ whole health in the workplace and beyond.??Lee Hecht Harrison?a leading?talent development and transition firm successfully launched?Ezra?in 2019, an internally supported coaching platform that takes LLH’s extensive global network of coaching services on line.???The eco system of coaching, mentoring, wellness and mental health technology platforms has expanded exponentially during the pandemic and made these highly personal services available to many.?

Virtual coaching is a reimagined and repackaged new way of providing a millennium old service.??For generation, humans sought out guidance and self-improvement support from experienced individuals. Technology allowed a more effective and far reaching delivery previously thought to be unattainable. The ability to democratize and scale highly effective personalized coaching services is transforming how employees can learn and be supported in organizations.?

Organizations of all sizes and industries embraced these new tools for employee support at the time of the pandemic. If you are considering whether you should be looking at these platforms for yourselves, here are some tips on how to use them more effectively.?

·??????Define your strategic talent needs.??Why do you want to bring online coaching to your organization? Make coaching to be an important tool to achieve your people goals.??For example, if teams and collaboration are the focus of your people strategy, target your coaching offering to achieve better teaming.??If diversity and belonging are on your priority list, make sure it is stated as the goal from the start.?

·??????Create a set of strategic personas. Identify the target populations you are trying to support; use empathy as a starting point to create a few essential personas and make sure your coaches are clear on their needs.?

·???????Be clear on how you will measure your outcomes. You should decide what your success would look like. Yet do not be limited by your expectations. Prepare to be surprised.?

·??????Interview your top providers. Not all on line coaching companies are created equal. Luckily, you have a choice of providers as the technology eco-system has grown significantly. Make sure you find alignment with your vendor on your top priorities and expectations.?

Some companies choose to offer coaching as a benefit giving employees full autonomy in how they want to use their coaching services.??However, to achieve organization goals through coaching, an agreement and cooperation with your coaching vendor is highly recommended.??Talk to your chosen platform specialist, listen to their recommendations and you may actually achieve both: organization specific goals and meet employees’ highly personal needs.?