For many years, the prudential had known that it needed its managers to have coaching skills among its core set of management competencies. And for many years, although the word “coaching” was on the review list of skills, there had never been any formal training in developing this part of a managers skill set.
In 2002, Prudential HR decided to find the best coaching skills course that they could to develop the coaching skills of their managers. They looked at all the offerings and chose the co-active coaching model as it provided the “best fit” to the corporate values. HR knew that if managers practised these coaching skills then they would truly be living their values as a company – not simply having them as words on a poster.
Now, truly to truly live your values can mean that at an organisational level hard truths need to be confronted. How to create trust instead of blame and suspicion, how to transform a “tell/wait to be told” culture to one where the atmosphere is one of encouragement and staff come forward with their own ideas to solve the challenges they face.
For two years now we have been training managers in coactive coaching skills at the Prudential in the UK.
It has been a resounding success!
What executives can expect is a 2.5 day coaching skills course, followed up by active coaching and support for three months. We find that the after-course support is one of the most celebrated aspects of the project as it really helps managers put into practice the skills that they have been learning.
And what is the impact on the business:
Managers feel they can get more solutions from their staff, rather than having to solve their problems for them.
Trust is growing in all of the teams where the executives use the skills.
The “blame” culture is disappearing.
Those using the skills know that over time the old “tell” culture, which disempowers and de-motivates everyone can be replaced with one of coaching and encouragement.
DEEP LONG LASTING CHANGE.
This is not a quick fix approach to creating the new business culture that succeeds. This work is part of a deep commitment in the organisation to replace mediocrity with an alive atmosphere of dynamic tension. An atmosphere that creates and promotes vitality and growth.
AND, don’t be fooled…although the deep long lasting change that is happening takes time, there are immediate and measurable benefits from the first moment executives use the new skills they have been given.
Now the challenge is not to get seduced by quick fix measures…and lose the bigger picture of the long lasting change that the business is after. The road to mastery – of anything – is a long one, in deed a road that you can keep on for a lifetime.
Replacing mediocrity with excellence and dynamic provocative tension is in deed a long journey. “unlearning” is required. Reframing making mistakes and failure from a blame and judgement to a celebration of learning and encouragement of growth.
Practice – developing the “practice” of coaching and encouraging others.
Coactive Coaching training has now been accepted by Prudential HR as a fundamental building block for senior managers skills development. We are developing be-spoke applications of one-day introduction courses for managers at all levels. We are looking to continuously create innovative ways to “train the trainers” at Prudential so that they can run coactive courses themselves.
We are looking forward to co-actively working with the prudential management – at all levels as they step forward and transform their business into one that all their employees and customers are truly proud of.
