The 3 D's of Leadership Coaching & Management: A Comprehensive Guide

Leaders are the catalysts of change, coaches build trust and strong relationships, and managers strive to create order and organization in their lives and careers. But what is the difference between leadership coaching and management? Research has shown that 94% of employees who like their bosses are passionate about their work, while 77% of people who don't like their boss expect to leave their jobs soon. This indicates that coaching is about guiding, while managing usually consists of counting. To help you integrate the fundamental principles of coaching into your organization, here are five essential tactics: attending leadership workshops, connecting with other leaders on LinkedIn or Twitter, participating in webinars, Twitter chats, and in-person networking events. Instead of telling people how things should be done, effective coaches ask them how they think things should be done. These objectives are different from the SMART objectives that managers set for employees, which are typically based on key performance indicators (KPIs) or business metrics.

Whether coaching conversations are scheduled or ad hoc, these meetings help employees set personal or professional goals and provide guidance to achieve them. Encourage a culture of coaching by offering space to your employees and allowing them to participate in decision-making processes. With the arrival of COVID-19 and the implementation of return-to-work policies, organizations are now more aware than ever of the importance of leadership development and training. The coach will help them determine the steps they need to take to get there and will explain how to overcome any obstacles or challenges that may arise along the way. Another aspect of coaching is helping employees execute decisions or make the transition once they have made a career change. Beyond transmitting information between leaders and individual teams, managers are the most important driver of employee engagement and motivation. But to be a coach, you have to manage day-to-day interactions, motivate and support people.

When managers switch their approach from solution mode to training mode, employees are empowered to identify possible solutions on their own instead of simply doing what they're told. The role of a coach can be ad hoc or informal, but the role of a manager is usually an official position in the company's organization chart. For example, in a coaching conversation, an employee may determine that they have a certain career aspiration. Effective coaching increases their levels of commitment to their work and supports their growth and learning.

Coaching focuses on professional development that helps both the employee and the company achieve their long-term goals.