Does Your Workplace Embrace a Coaching Culture?
The Facilities Management (FM) industry, with its myriad of challenges and opportunities, stands to gain immensely from embracing a coaching culture.
But, what exactly is a coaching culture?
At its core, a coaching culture is an environment that embraces continuous learning, open communication, and a commitment to personal and professional growth. It's an ethos where senior leaders, managers, and employees embrace high levels of psychological safety, engage in regular, constructive conversations where they can speak freely. As defined by Prof Peter Hawkins, in his book "Creating a Coaching Culture" coaching exists in an organisation when a coaching approach is a key aspect of how the leaders and staff engage and develop all their people, and engage their stakeholders in ways that create the increased individual team and organisational performance and shared value for all stakeholders.
Picture a typical day in an FM organisation with a thriving coaching culture: team meetings begin with open discussions on challenges and potential solutions, feedback is exchanged freely and constructively, and individual contributions are recognised and valued. It's an environment where learning from mistakes is encouraged, and innovative thinking is the norm, not the exception. It's where everyone from senior leaders to employees engages in constructive conversations to enhance performance and achieve goals together.
Now, consider the other side of the coin — FM organisations without a coaching culture. Here, you often find limited communication, scarce feedback, and minimal professional development opportunities. Decisions are handed down from above, leaving employees feeling undervalued and unheard. This is where traditional cultures may falter, but a coaching culture thrives. For those thinking, "YES, I want this for my workplace", transitioning to a coaching culture is a deliberate process that requires commitment at all levels.
A roadmap to get started
Leadership Buy-in: Success starts at the top. Leaders must not only support but actively demonstrate coaching behaviors.
Training and Development: Arm your managers and leaders with the skills they need through comprehensive coaching training programs.
Establishing a Framework: Put in place clear guidelines for coaching sessions, making sure they are structured yet adaptable to individual needs.
Encouraging Open Communication: Cultivate an environment where feedback is a valued part of growth and development.
Recognition and Reward: Celebrate and reward the adoption of coaching behaviours and the successes they bring.
Empowerment through Coaching
Moving beyond a "do as I say" approach to a more empowering style is transformative. It creates a team that is resilient, empowered, and adaptable, ready to tackle FM complexities with confidence and creativity. Drawing on Spreitzer's (1995) Workplace Psychological Empowerment theory, it posits that by nurturing feelings of self-efficacy, self-determination, personal consequence, and meaning, individuals are more likely to take initiative and show innovation in their roles. In the context of coaching, applying Spritzer's principles means crafting a culture where every team member feels valued and capable of contributing their best work.
If this blog resonates with you, why not work with me?
I create tailored coaching and leadership programs designed to meet the unique needs of each organisation I work with. My approach is all about understanding your specific challenges and ambitions, then creating a bespoke roadmap that guides your team towards achieving them.
These programs are not off-the-shelf solutions; they're meticulously designed experiences that resonate with your culture, strategy, and people. Through this personalised approach, we unlock the potential within your leadership and teams, fostering an environment where growth, innovation, and excellence become the norm.
