HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR trained coaches ARE DOING A GOOD JOB?

You've invested in coach accreditation for a group of employees. They've worked hard for it, and they come back certified, energised, ready to put it into practice.

Then, they get to work coaching independently within your organisation, sometimes drawing on psychometrics as part of their sessions, and suddenly reality hits. People are unpredictable, often complex, many bring bigger issues to the table than is apparent. 

All too often, the coach walks away feeling overwhelmed and/or emotionally drained, and soon may question their own ability to do well.

Why?

Well, in all likelihood, they no longer have an expert to turn to when a session throws up a tricky question or a scenario they're not sure how to handle. They may well be seen as the "expert", but they may not feel like it at all.

So your coaches end up facing a quiet dilemma: do they tell their line manager they're struggling with someone (and how do they do that, without breaching confidentiality)? Or do they just carry on as best they can, hoping it works out, even if that means potentially repeating the same mistakes over and over?

That's not a comfortable place to sit. And it's a real risk to the return you were hoping for on that original investment. And  it's a risk to the wellbeing of the person coaching.

I'm here to share a third option, that more and more successful organisations are turning to: external mentoring and supervision.

External mentoring and supervision, at least for that first year or two after accreditation, but perhaps even longer, can make an enormous difference to the wellbeing and results of your coaches. A safe place for the coaches to get the support they themselves require to do this job well.  A confidential space to discuss real cases, be challenged, and keep growing in both confidence and ability. 

And if psychometrics are part of how your organisation coaches, this matters even more. Far too often, over time, psychometric results are no longer being interpreted clearly (or in some cases, not even correctly!) and yet they are still shaping coaching conversations. 

That's concerning on several levels. 

And it rarely happens because people never understood the tool in the first place. It happens gradually, as understanding fades and gets passed down second-hand over time and knowledge gets diluted.

Having an expert on call with expert knowledge in coaching and psychometrics (if relevant), is a powerful offering in the business.