

 
        
In a fast paced world, continuous learning is essential to success. 
Individuals need to learn to succeed in life and at work. Companies need to 
ensure their employees continue to learn, so they can keep up with increased job 
demands, and so the company can gain or maintain competitive advantage.
This site provides resources, ideas, strategies, etc to help those involved in 
the training and development profession help meet the learning needs of the 
organization through the use of training techniques, facilitation, and 
development activities.
Enhancing business performance through corporate coaching
Wherever you are reading this, stop and ask yourself "in a business context what 
are the things I value most?" Notice what pops up. Then ask yourself "how do I 
ensure that I get what I need and value most" and "how does what I value get 
replenished, nurtured and kept at peak performance?" 
Staying resourceful, purposeful and motivated is key to top performance. All my 
experience shows the on-going development of human potential is critical to 
business success. Ask any successful executive whether it would be helpful to be 
in a more resourceful state when making key decisions and the answer is always a 
resounding yes! 
The difference that makes the difference: incremental performance
In today's fast moving and complex global world, coaching is increasingly the 
vehicle by which it becomes possible to get incremental performance out of top 
people. It's like servicing a car. Top performance results from properly focused 
attention and investment. 
Executive and performance coaching is no longer just the preserve of those who 
have a seat at the boardroom table or are in the echelons of senior management. 
More and more companies are turning to coaching to complement the overall 
development of the individual. After all, it's individuals that create 
excellence. This approach allows space for conventional technical skill based 
training as well as a focus on individual issues that enhance performance. And 
the payoffs are significant. 
Frequently I find myself asked about what corporate coaching is and how it helps 
organisations. So, let's get clear about what we're talking about before looking 
at why some companies are taking executive coaching even further and adopting it 
as a corporate management style. 
What is corporate coaching?
Corporate coaching is about shifting the workplace horizon from one where people 
receive direction from others to one where people commit to doing things they 
care passionately about. The process encourages the development of personal 
leadership and responsibility throughout the organisation.
How does coaching help organisations?
Organisations are made up of individuals. Coaching is a collaborative process 
focusing on the developmental of the individual. It involves a relationship 
rooted in mutual respect and rapport. It is anchored in constructive, respectful 
language and endorses rather than diminishes people's skills and abilities. It 
assists individuals and teams to focus on possibilities and eliminate 
limitations. It helps people overcome obstacles to their success, including 
their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Perhaps even more importantly it 
provides a model for giving and receiving constructive feedback.
How does coaching as a management style affect corporate culture?
The results are astounding. Often old directive styles of management give way to 
a more coaching and commitment based culture. Hierarchy soon gives way to 
support, blame gives way to honest evaluation, external motivators are replaced 
by self-motivation, protective barriers fall as teams build, change is no longer 
feared but welcomed and satisfying the boss becomes pleasing the customer. 
Indeed coaching as a management style focuses on the future, on what is 
possible, encouraging multi-level decision-making and evolutionary learning. 
What emerges is an organisational culture defined by commitment, one in which 
creativity and innovation is encouraged. Leaders support, inform and influence, 
resulting in performance being measured against shared goals with strong 
personal commitment by organisational members. In summary, the culture 
encourages greater flexibility and adaptability to change - a key corporate 
attribute in today's environment.
What are the benefits of corporate coaching?
Applicable in all areas of the business, both with individuals and teams, 
coaching uses common language everyone can relate to. It places emphasis on the 
unique potential of individuals to maximise their own performance, putting focus 
around future possibilities. As such, it fosters entrepreneurial thinking, 
develops flexibility and gains commitment to individual development. It also 
greatly enhances communication with internal and external customers, often 
transforming relationships. All this contributes towards building a common 
platform for organisational evolution and a strong corporate culture.