In the midst of the global economic, cultural and ecological turbulence we live in – a time in which organizations straddle local, regional, national and international structures – leaders need to engage, empower and inspire their workforce: their human capital, their people. To do so, leaders must be inspired, engaged and empowered.
Inspired Leadership is Authentic Leadership
In previous centuries industry leaders may have related to their workforce as a resource to exploit and manage, for personal profit. At the start of the 21st century – an era of socially-aware consumers – commitment to developing effective approaches to social and environmental reporting and performance are trademarks of responsible, enlightened organizational leadership.
In Canada, nearly 12 million citizens volunteer their time in charities or not-for-profit organizations. As employment levels drop, volunteer levels tend to hold steady or even rise positioning the not-for-profit sector as critical to ensuring sustainable economic and social development. Due to its nature and enhanced by resource limitations, the non-profit sector’s leadership has for decades recognized and learned to engage its volunteer workforce and community stakeholders as creative potential.
The cost of recruiting top talent and managing leadership transitions takes more time, skill and money than most local agencies have available. It’s not unusual for an average minimum of a six-month executive transition process to cost $15,000 to $25,000.
Expanding social needs and shrinking revenues require the development of innovative approaches, enhanced skill sets and a greater breadth and depth of leadership abilities and competencies. Leaders, across the board, need to develop the ability to conceptualize and re-contextualize their roles and those of their organizations within an ever-shifting paradigm.
An Interdependent Socio-Economic-Political Web
Organizational and management practices that worked in the past are no longer effective with managers and executives finding themselves at a loss. They feel ineffective at engaging an increasingly fluid and non-committed workforce – talent retention is the #1 HR challenge. Under increasing economic pressure to create positive change, the leaders themselves are vulnerable.
Profound community/social transformation is needed, yet cannot occur without a simultaneous personal transformation. Self-reflection, choice and action are at the heart of this transformation at every level. Coaching accelerates the process, developing personal and organizational resilience and the proficiency to manage change more effectively. Valued leadership skills include:
- Learning to work with diversity
- Understanding group dynamics
- Relating policy to practice
- Developing reflective and contemplative practices.
Coach as Change Partner
Coaching helps leaders assess their teamwork and resource requirements and learn to apply leadership abilities that foster support and cultivate higher levels of organizational effectiveness through dialogue, appreciative inquiry, effective interpersonal interactions and modeling behaviour.
According to Manchester Inc’s 2001 Case Study of a six-month to one-year Executive Coaching program, coaching produced a 529% return on investment (ROI) and significant intangible benefits to the business (goodwill, staff morale, loyalty and engagement) – six times the cost of coaching. Including the financial benefits from employee retention, coaching boosted the overall ROI to 788%. Another study published in Public Personnel Management concluded that training alone increased productivity by 22.4%. When supervisor training was combined with follow-up coaching, productivity increased by 88% – coaching increasing productivity more than 300% over training alone.
Leadership and executive coaching programs increase operational efficiency and reduce costs by eliminating negative behaviours, enhance executive productivity and retain leadership talent.
Awareness Inspires Choice and Action
Coaching creates awareness, clarity of purpose, competence and well-being among participants while building skills and capacities for effective relationships. Higher levels of organizational effectiveness can be achieved through dialogue, appreciative inquiry and increased engagement through positive interactions that leads to improved business results.
Often staff and managers recognize the need for a change in leadership style and approach. They know that what they have isn’t working. But it’s not easy to identify what specific change is needed when you’re in a challenging time. Nor is it easy for leaders who are in a pressure cooker situation that doesn’t allow them the time and space to reflect and explore.
Investing in human capital and creative potential (your own and others’) requires compassion, foresight and commitment.
Our 12 step coaching program facilitates the process, holds the space in which creative thinking can occur, asks tough questions and engages the leader in a process of self exploration, discovery and awareness – a co-creative process that informs, nourishes and cultivates engagement in the moment to realize opportunities and make informed decisions about which emerging potential to invest in? Where is the greatest opportunity for success? How will this choice impact the organization, the workforce, the market position, and the leader, herself?
References:
- Burstyn, H, The unseen hand in the economy, Toronto Star, March 20, 2009 A.23
- UWT Leadership Solutions 2008 report
- Gibson S, Macklem K, United Way Toronto: Leadership Solutions, 2008 p 11
- Anderson, M. (November 2001). MetrixGlobal; Executive Briefing: Case Study on the Return on Investment of Executive Coaching
- Olivero, G., K. Bane, & Kopelrnan, R. (1997), Executive coaching as a transfer of training tool: Effects on productivity in a public agency. Public Personnel Management, 26, 461-469.
About Julia von Flotow
