Mentoring and Coaching Skills in Business, Essay Example

Essential mentoring and coaching skills are very important in any profit oriented business. The techniques, strategies and also tools acquired help to solve problems like; the ways of getting the work unit to take initiative in controlling themselves, ways of motivating the team members into achieving more, the ways of helping the staff to keep their personal problems away from work. Coaching and monitoring skills simply means learning how to relate to team members and also the employees with the goal of achieving the expected result which most of the cases is higher profits and also a team of winners.

Coaching and Mentoring Skills for Leadership Success

The aged rules of supervision and management in the business place does not fully work in the contemporary world. Effective leaders need to coach and mentor their employees so as to build a team of successful employees who can work without the managers being around all the time, as reported by (Bauer, T. N. & Green 2008). Effective leaders need to ensure that the work units know their positions at the work place. This means that the employees know their tasks in the business and also where they are positioned in the work space. This will make all the employees devote their skills and also talents to the various tasks delegated to them and they will also help their workmates when they have problems.

Mentoring on the other hand is vital for the success of a leader. Mentoring helps a good leader in making the work units to realize their full potential and this makes the work units to become innovative and also creative. In today’s changing world, good talent is often hard to find but when the talent is found, keeping it becomes a problem. Effective leaders know that if they do not treat their talented employees, they will keep recruiting other employees month after month. This is because when an employee realizes that he or she has great talent, the chances of going to a better place with good working conditions are very high. Good mentoring enhances employees’ retention because employees who are developing and also growing on the job will not leave. Coaching and monitoring solves the real-world problems that leaders face every day. These skills help to solve recurring problems in the work place like; employees’ personal problems, tardiness, burnout, excuses and also absenteeism. The mentoring and coaching skills help to save valuable energy and time that a business needs when controlling the work unit.

Effective leaders have to learn how to use their strengths in relating to the employees and also how to negotiate their weakness. The leaders are normal people and at one point in their lives, they display their full character, this however should not affect the work or the employees. Being a leader means that a person should set a good example to the employees. Good mentoring requires that the leader gets individual feedback from the employees concerning work and also the type of leadership imposed on the employees. A confident leader is one that earns respect from the work unit and also gives respect. Techniques and creative tools should be applied and these should encourage face to face or one to one mentoring hence facilitating networking and also counseling. The outcomes of the mentoring and coaching should be thoroughly evaluated and this should be done to ensure that the whole process is a success to the business, the employees and also the management.

Mentoring and Coaching In Cases of Organizational Change

When an organization is experiencing change the work unit always needs mentoring and also coaching to help them adjust to the change effectively. Examples of organizational changes are; acquisitions, mergers, advanced technology or change in the management. The mentoring and coaching given to the employees help in making the work unit adapt to the various changes in a way that is consistent with the employees’ personal goals and values. In the past mentoring and coaching were for the company directors and the senior management. The changing world has made it possible for the employees to get coaching and also mentoring. When there is a case of advanced Information and Technology change in the company, employees are often taught how to use the new improved technology so that they can be more effective to the business. Those employees who take much longer time to adjust to change because of personal beliefs and cultures are well counseled and enlightened on the advantages of change in their lives and also to the business.

Mentoring of employees in case of the change in management is often advisable because most employees take quite a longer time to trust and also be loyal to new leaders. When the business has been relocated to new premises, the employees are often skeptic about the whole idea of having to change their lives so as to meet the expected goals of the business. Mentoring and coaching is also for the executives. The leaders need to know their roles in the business and how they can achieve high profile businesses. Performance mentoring and coaching is very important in the sense that when the business needs development services by paying premium rates, the performance is often needed. This means that whether the manager or executive receives a lot of support while balancing home life and work, the main aim is to increase the productivity and effectiveness at work. Skills mentoring and coaching is a combination of the ability of the employee to focus on core skills and the holistic approach to the employee’s personal development. Skills coaching and mentoring is very important because a person gets the chance to learn new programs that can be applied to the business.

Skills mentoring are offered to employees according to their experience, knowledge, ambitions and also maturity and the skills help the employee in the sense that the income will be higher and the company will also have high profits. The benefits for the employees include; career development and the ability of the employees to adhere to change and perfectly perform the tasks delegated to them. Leaders who want to have effective employees need to be motivational in their mentoring and also coaching by relating to their employees as partners and not subordinate staff. When the leaders bring their level down to their employees’, the employees will be able to share their innovations and how the work place can be improved to accommodate all the employees’ values and beliefs. The good leaders should also give the employees time and space to grow and develop personally.

When coaching the employees, an effective leader tries to explore the problems affecting individual employees to understand the actions of the employees in the work place. Coaching and mentoring is not the same with therapy, effective business leaders need to solve problems that the employees have in work but not the personal problems that have no relations with work, (Bauer, T. N. & Green 2008) suggests. Unless the employees’ personal problems are so intense making them unable to fully function at work then therapy is recommended.

Managers who coach and mentor their employees have a very short time to do all these because the business needs to be handled with so much care and always. In cases where employees need therapy, the business manager will not be able to help the employees in terms of therapy because there are professional restrictions and also some barriers placed around the psychological assessment. This means that therapy needs specialized training and most of the business mentors lack the skills to counsel their employees effectively. In most organizations, the management will collaborate with professional and specialized therapists when an employee requires special intervention. It has been reported that coaching is an extension of therapy; coaching is forward-focused aimed to enhance or improve life. Coaching is about breaking free and also moving on from the issues and problems that hold back the employees from achieving their goals in their lives and also career wise, as reported by (Dembkowski, 2009). 

Qualities of a Good Leader

A successful team leader in the constant changing world and a highly competitive workplace will be like a coach of a team that is always winning. Leaders may lack the game book or the whistle but it is their responsibility to inspire their employees so that the work unit can give their all in achieving a certain goal. The leaders know that the winning teams are created by professional and skilled leaders who know how to inspire, motivate, and also guide their employees to phenomenal success, as suggested by (Bauer, T. N. & Green, 2008). The leaders should always give concise, clear and also precise directions. The appropriate feedback mechanism will always prevent team failure.

A manager should be a good listener; when employees have an issue that needs to be addressed, the team leader or the manager should be able to take time and listen to the employees’ problems and find ways of solving them. A leader that does not listen to what the employees complain about will lose a lot of profits in the sense that, employees might have work problems that can be solved by management yet the top leaders take less time to listen to their subordinates  (Bauer, T. N. & Green 2008).. Leaders should devise ways of preventing employee burnout by replacing it with enthusiasm and also motivation. Employees sometimes need to be rewarded for the good work or high performance and leaders who give their work unit the cheapest and best rewards will encourage high quality of work and motivation.

It has been reported that the good leaders are those people who are do not have behaviors or skills that are new to the employees who strive hard to master them but the actions that the employees already know that they should focus on. Becoming good a leader takes a lot of time and energy to learn and acquire the great leadership skills. Honest leaders display integrity, sincerity and also candor to their actions. Deceptive leaders will not be trusted by their employees. Competent leaders often base their actions on moral principles and reason but not on decisions based on personal feelings and emotional desires. Great leaders set goals that enhance a great future. The leaders often envision the things they want for the organization and also for the work unit and how to get the goals.

Leaders habitually pick the priorities that stem from all their basic values. Leaders are often inspiring and display the confidence required in everything they do that is work related. Leaders who show endurance in physical, mental, and also spiritual stamina will effectively inspire the employees to reach higher levels. Leaders should also be very intelligent in the sense that they should study, read and try their best to seek challenging assignments. Business leaders should be fair-minded; this means that they should treat all their employees fairly. It has been discovered that prejudice is one of the worst enemies of justice. Leaders who display empathy are sensitive to the values, feelings, interests and also the well being of the employees. The great leaders those who are broad minded often seek out diversity. Leaders should be courageous, meaning that they should persevere in order for them to accomplish the set goals, regardless of the obstacles. Many leaders display calmness even when under intense stress or pressure.

Leaders are the people who often use sound judgment when making good decisions. The greatest leaders in the history of the world are often imaginative hence making timely and also appropriate changes when thinking and also planning. They show creativity by proposing new goals, solutions to problems and also new ideas. It has been reported by DeLong, Gabarro and Lees (2007) that, hyper-competition in many businesses force the employees to lose focus on their art of talent development in the sense that, the leaders have put all their focus and energy on the customers and clients while neglecting the work unit. The employees who are neglected often end up being frustrated and eventually leave the company and they always take some vital knowledge along leaving behind empty seats in the workplace that are often costly to fill. In such cases, the effective leaders apply the formal mentoring where individualized feedback is applied. Mentoring is not only for the high performers but the entire work unit as a team.

Principles of Mentoring

Great leaders make the mentoring system to apply on a personal level. Here the employee in question will want the manager to focus on the employee’s career and energy while at work. Continuous feedback from the leaders on the employee’s performance is highly recommended. A mentor has to appreciate the contribution of the employee in the whole company and also ask the kinds of skills the employee can easily develop or where the employee’s passion in work lies. Mentoring low performers has also become a good idea for managers in the sense that, the leaders are able to identify with the entire work unit and know where the employees’ weaknesses in the business are (Schockett, M & Haring2009). These findings are used to motivate the low performers into competent people who can work without supervision and still achieve the set goals (Delong, Gabarro & Lees, 2008).

The leaders should assign projects in the work place judiciously, meaning that the employees should be given projects that are not always client oriented but research work and work that is worthy of their skills. This helps the employees to focus deeply into their fields of interest. The employees are often advised to find or seek their own mentors in the workplace. This means that the employees who share common interests and also goals should form a personal advisory board where they encourage each other on the ways of achieving their goals. Good mentors are the people who interact with the employees in ways that make them feel and want to grow better, on a personal level and also as a team. The mentor is a person who will be able to tell the employees the things they may not want to hear but these will still leave the employees feeling as though they have been heard. Good mentors also assure the employees that taking risks is not such a bad idea in business, and this simple act makes the employees rise above their inner fears and doubts (DeLong, Gabarro & Lees 2007).

Forms of Networking

Personal networking is aimed at making the leaders personally realize their potentials in times of great pressure. Leaders also need coaching and mentoring, for example; when a company is facing a change in its management and the new manager does not know how to fully interact with the work unit, the manager is advised to join the social gatherings usually meant for the work unit. This helps the new employer know all the employees at a personal level by first of all doing a background check on each employee before joining the social gathering. Personal networking is very important to the leaders who are faced with challenging tasks at hand. Strategic networking is also important for a good leader in a business. The ability to know the roles played by stakeholders in the business is vital. A manager will find out ways of knowing who controls the business and also who is in charge of every department. In case there is reshuffling, the manager will have an idea of what happened.

A good leader knows when the market is on its peak and the right time for the business to invest highly and also the right people to trade with. People who do not know all these things need coaching and intensive guidance on how to make the business prosper while they are managing it and also helping the employees get what they need career-wise. Great leaders shape their images by hiring and moving employees, changing their sources of financing, and suppliers and also restructuring their boards hence creating networks that are favorable to the goals of their businesses. Strategic networking also means that the managers get information from other leaders in different business fields on the ways the employee at any work place should be treated or handled (Herminia & Hunter, 2007). Even though the businesses might be different, the employees have the same characters, attitudes and also goals.

Operational networking aims at building strong relations in terms of working with the employees. Managers who get work well done and also efficiently will maintain good teams of employees who believe in the good leadership. The leaders only deal with internal employees and not people from other businesses that might have ideas on how business should be handled. Operational networking uplifts each employee personally because the great business leaders know the ways to motive the employees to work harder. When a great leader motivates the employees by giving them the chance to get new skills due to various changes in the organization, this means that the leader cares a lot about the work of the work unit and instead of hiring a new staff, the manager takes the employees for educational seminars. This would be possible when the work unit displays a kind of commitment to their work and it also inspires the leader to retain them because of their assurance of hard work as compared to hiring a new staff that is competent but not committed.

Operational networking is the cause of many successful businesses in the whole world. A good and effective leader needs to finally realize that the leadership skills needed in this sector are very important because they make the organization meets its goals and also have the competitive advantage in the market. Operational networking works best when the work unit is considered as one group or a team that has qualities found in each and every one if its members (Herminia & Hunter, 2007). Operational networking needs the technical skills that make the business earn profits and here employees are given the chance to grow and develop new ideas that are important to the business and if these new ideas are useful then the employees will have developed them as a team and not as an individual making the whole work unit responsible for the success.

In simple words, mentoring and coaching are the measures taken so that the business can avoid the recurring problems in the workplace (Wadsworth 2008). These problems can be due to change in advanced technology, change in management, mergers, acquisitions and also relocation. When the employees and the leaders cannot adopt to the change in a healthy way, then coaching and mentoring is the only option. Mentoring and coaching usually takes a short time because the business needs to be back in motion and apply the new acquired skills or technology with the aim of improving the conditions in terms of profits as compared to before (Bauer, T. N. & Green 2008). Most leaders lack the qualities of being effective leaders and most of the times they blame their own incompetence on their employees which is not good for business.

The leaders who think that they can run a business without leadership qualities in terms of coaching and mentoring employees fail to achieve their goals as leaders and also as people who are responsible for the improvement of the lives of their work units. Successful leaders have all learnt how to relate to the employees and they do not have to be perfectionist to be able to set a good example to the work unit in the organization (Burlew 2007). Many companies undergo changes that the leaders themselves become resistant to the change. When such a thing happens, it is the responsibility of the leader to seek mentoring and coaching services from outside the organization because the people in the business might be as confused about the change as the leader is and this will not help the business (Dembkowski, 2009).   The worst case scenario is when the leaders do not pay attention to the employees’ problems. Employees who seek attention and find none are prone to leave the business even when the business’ future entirely depends on them. It has been reported that in the constant changing and competitive world; improved skills, commitment, teamwork and also innovation is needed (Whitmore, 2008).

References

Bauer, T. N. & Green, S.  (2008). Testing the combined effects of newcomer information seeking and manager behavior on socialization.  Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 72-83.

Burlew, L. D. (2007). Multiple mentor model: A conceptual framework. Journal of Career Development, 17 (3), 231-221.

Delong, T.J., Gabarro, J. & Lees, J. (2008). Why Mentoring matters in a hypercompetitive world. Harvard Business Review, Retrieved from http://www.internetgroup.ca/clientnet_new/docs/Why%20Mentoring%20Matters.pdf 

Dembkowski, S. (2009).  The 7 steps of Effective Executive Coaching. New Jersey, NJ: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Herminia, I. & Hunter, M. (2007). How Leaders create and use networks: Harvard Business Review, Retrieved from http://www.sko.ch/fileadmin/regio/NS/pdfs/2009-02-05_SKO_TrendShop_Aktives_Netzwerken_Teil3.pdf

Schockett, M. R. & Haring-Hidore, M. (2009).  Factor analytic support for psychosocial and vocational mentoring functions,  Psychological Reports, 57 (2), 627-630. research (pp. 236-247). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Wadsworth, E. M. (2008). Giving much, gaining more: Mentoring for success. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press

Whitmore, J. (2008). Coaching For Performance`: Growing People. New York: SAGE Ltd.