Do you see your employees as the ambassadors of your business? And are you satisfied that they are committed to the vision and goals you have for your business?
In the 2013 Harvard Business Review report “The Impact of Employee Engagement on Performance”, 71% of respondents said that employee engagement was very important to achieving overall business success.
Achieving true employee engagement is a tough call in a pressured organisation. It needs more than publishing metrics or targets, enforcing processes and drawing up plans. It relies on human interactions, which happen day to day. It needs clarity and leadership, which must be visible in the workplace on a regular basis.
Today’s organisation is likely to use coaching and mentoring as part of a structured organisational plan, underpinned by personal development plans. Here are some examples of where coaching and mentoring has been used to build a high performing organisation:
Staff induction - Bringing new recruits up to speed and helping them engage effectively with the organisation
Staff retention - Developing skills and capabilities to retain key staff
Team building - Team coaching is used to help people recognise and agree on common goals when teams are merged
Change management - Teams and individuals are coached to support them in new roles
Re-structures - Team and individual coaching enables the new structure to settle in and deliver value more quickly
Periods of evolution in the organisation - The organisation grows and individuals need help in adapting to change and growth. This is supported through coaching and mentoring.
In sourcing, outsourcing and mergers - Bringing people into new structures where they must perform quickly is a common challenge in business. Coaching and mentoring can kick-start the right habits from the outset.
Changes in process - Where teams must adopt new business processes to improve service, coaching to adapt to the new environment supports quicker update of new processes.
Generate leaders - A growing organisation needs leaders, who can provide clarity and direction to the workforce. Coaching and mentoring can help to foster talented leaders capable of fulfilling these roles.
Support leaders - Leaders of organisations need time to reflect on their strategies and leadership style. Coaching is a vital part of the personal development plan for leaders.
Early signs of poor engagement from your teams may be an increase in staff absence, poor morale or lack of commitment. Timely coaching and mentoring interventions can be an important step in re-engaging and enthusing staff.
For more information on coaching and mentoring and why it should form part of your employee engagement plans, visit www.bluepebblecoaching.co.uk.
Izzy Ixer, Director and Principal Consultant
Blue Pebble Coaching Ltd