Leaders, We haven't been fair to Coaching!

We often hear leaders saying, "Coach them!" Well, how do we do that?

The term 'coaching' is being used so often at the senior management level in many industries.

But today, I want to reflect on how I see the use of coaching in the construction industry.

Well, you might have been surprised when you first saw the article headline. And yes, we have been unfair to coaching.

To many, the word coaching refers to more of a friendly chat where the leader is willing to let go of the instruction style slightly. But often, this conversation ended up without any outcome, and it quickly came back to square one.

I can't find a better way to describe this style than how Clive Lloyd mentioned in his famous book 'Next Generation Safety Leadership: From Compliance to Care.' He calls it the "Parent Language."

He suggests that phrases like 'you should,' 'you must,' and 'have to' must be replaced with adult phrases, where questions make way for instructions, and there is more space for listening and having a judgment-free conversation.

The good news is that nowadays, you can see many authors. Professionals out there are inviting and encouraging to use more questions and fewer commands, which triggers a question related to the example above. Why do these conversations usually end up with no outcome?

One of the most obvious reasons is that none of those trying to coach know how to do it well. They lack the knowledge, technique, and core competencies that are required to become a successful coach.

It's magical when you see a talented coach with his protégé who is full of potential. Similarly, at our construction sites, the people are not the problem; it is just that they have not explored their potential yet. A coach will help them to go that extra mile.

It so happens that I'm in the last phase of a year-long coaching pathway certification to become an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), and it feels different when approaching individuals with structured conversations and techniques.

We need to develop coaching skills throughout organizations to tap into their people's latent power and create a culture that places awareness and responsibility at the heart of the organization. A coaching style is perfect to increase awareness of self, others, and situations, supported by clear communication between workers and leaders. This motivates and enables people to take personal ownership for safety, make better decisions, and respond in safer ways. 

This is nothing else than a plea for coaching and its use in the world of safety. And even more, it is a plea for the conscious use of the term “coaching,” since when misused, it overshadows the great potential it has and makes it look like a commodity, whilst it is pure luxury to be able to coach or to be coached. Please take care of this golden nugget out there and handle it with care and the respect it deserves. Coaching is more than coaching.

Eventually, I have a recommendation and two questions?

I recommend all my fellow industry professionals to read the piece of art " Coaching for performance," a book for Sir John Whitmore.

And my questions are: 

1. What do you think of coaching in general?
2. How do you see safety coaching now in the industry?