Proactive Coaching, Or Prevention Is Better Than Cure

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

There is no doubt that an enterprise is a “living organism” in constant motion, and therefore also prone to diseases, stages of growth or decline, critical conditions, stagnation, etc. And, further applying medical terminology, an enterprise, like any organism, needs care and attention, timely treatment and rehabilitation, etc. And above all, in proactive, or preventive, monitoring, that is, correct and early diagnosis.

The same situation is typical for business units: enterprises and its structural units - departments, departments. The earlier the “disease” is diagnosed, the less negative consequences we will get in the end, since for an untimely or incorrectly made diagnosis we often have to pay a large and sometimes irreparable price.

There are many technologies, practices, tools and ways to get out of critical situations. But, as the ancient philosophers said, it is wiser not to get into a critical situation than to find a way out of it later. It was with the aim of optimizing business processes that a method was developed that we called “Proactive Coaching”.

What's this? - you ask. Proactive coaching is a three-step technique:

1) identification of risk areas;

2) localization of risk zones;

3) correction of work processes.

And now - in more detail about each stage.

The first is a risk zone, which means a certain situation that entails possible negative consequences in the future. Let's look at an example. A manager who has just started work and wants to get the desired result concentrates maximum efforts on one of the ways to achieve this result. However, in doing so, he overlooks the other components of the process. As a result, we have a risk zone, which after a while can negatively affect the final result. If, in the process of interacting with the coach, our new leader identified this zone and adjusted further actions, the risks would be reduced to zero.

The localization of risk zones means a temporary suspension of any actions in this direction until a new action plan is developed. Therefore, if our new leader realizes that this operation can lead to negative consequences, it is necessary to stop and concentrate on looking for other solutions.

Correction is the process of developing and implementing the necessary measures in a given direction to help minimize risks.

Let's consider the proposed method using an example from the experience of the coaching company GoodWin Group.

Initial data:

- a successful IT company;

- a product in demand on the market;

- the general technology of product promotion and sales has been developed;

- There are several departments in the sales department.

A new line manager has been appointed to one of the sales departments, which is understaffed due to high staff turnover.

Manager's portrait: lack of managerial experience, desire for career and professional growth, successful experience in personal sales.

The development of the situation is as follows:

The line manager takes on the job with great zeal, focusing on the explosive growth of sales by tightly monitoring the execution of daily plans by the employees of the department. At the same time, the internal psychoclimate in the department and the established relations with other structural units are not taken into account. Wanting to come out on top in the corporate ranking, the line manager “presses” on subordinates, manipulates their ambitions, but does not take into account the fact that other departments achieve results thanks primarily to more experienced and qualified managers. In the process of work, the coach, together with the coach, determined that such a development of the situation in the future could lead to internal conflict in the department, question the correctness of the strategy chosen by the head, point out the unreasonableness of his requirements regarding the implementation of daily plans, which, as a result, will lead to the loss of authority by the line manager and demotivate employees.

An unambiguous solution was not immediately found, so this issue was localized. The main topic of subsequent coaching sessions was the development of a new strategy based on an individual approach to each employee, including their development through personal training, trainings, and individual coach sessions. As a result, an internal conflict in the department was prevented, the subordinates consciously accepted the goals set by the head and began to participate in the implementation of tactical plans while observing the agreed rules of interaction.

The described method is most effective at the stage of development of a process, when building a talent pool system, launching a new business project. As practice shows, with the correct application of the method, it is possible to avoid mistakes or correct them and the processes themselves before the onset of a critical moment, and not wait until it will be necessary to apply radical methods of crisis management.

This method has already been successfully applied in the practice of the GoodWin Group.