In the article by Ibarra and Scoular (2019), we learned about the four
different styles of coaching: directive, situational, laissez-faire, and
non-directive. The GROW model is a method for leaders/coaches to
improve their non-directive coaching. d This method relates to leading
by questioning team members and really listening without judgement
(Ibarra & Scoular, 2019). In this way we can ascertain different
perspectives and promote free thinking and creativity. With the
GROW model, coaching is done through goal-setting, exploring
options along the way and setting specific, measurable metrics in
place for accountability and clarity.
d Based on the findings of the Employee Engagement Survey (EES),
the most predominant pain point in the organization relates to the
relationship between team members and their supervisors. There is a
general lack of trust and team members do not feel they are a
proactive part of the training, development, and review processes.
Landry (2020) cites a recent study in which nearly three-quarters of
employees surveyed rated teamwork and collaboration as essential
for engagement. Another study showed eighty-six percent of
process failures in an organization can be attributed to ineffective
communication. Clearly, specific processes will need to be
implemented to bridge the gap between team members and their
supervisors.
d Reflecting back on the Ten Commitments of Exemplary Leadership
(Kouzes & Posner, 2017), four of the five leadership practices could
use improvement. In Model the Way, leaders are asked to find their
voice within the team by setting the example and aligning their words
to their actions. In the EES, employees gave their supervisor low
scores in questions related to trust and support. Leaders that do not
walk the talk are perceived as ones that do not understand tasks they
are assigning and therefore incapable of helping subordinates with
challenges. Enable Others to Act asks leaders to build a foundation
of collaboration to strengthen members of the team (Kouzes &
Posner, 2017). With low favorability scores related to inclusiveness
and feedback, this is another area of opportunity. d Lastly, Encourage
the Heart suggests that leaders should appropriately recognize
contributions and celebrate success (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). d While
the EES scores show positive answers about goals specifically, they
fall short when it comes to recognition and reward systems.
d The GROW model encourages that goals be clear, measurable,
grounded in reality, and actionable (Ibarra & Scoular, 2019). Based
on the EES scores, coaching in the past has likely fallen more into the
directive path. Supervisors have specific initiatives for their team,
they relay the requirements, and then follow up when there is a
problem. d Supervisors are given the authority and are perceived to
"know" the role they are overseeing. d Often times this isn't true in
reality, especially today when roles are becoming more technical and
specific. d A team member who believes they know more about the
job than their superior is one who can easily disconnect and lose
respect. Through non-directive coaching, leaders can better allow
the space for innovation while improving their relationship with team
members.
d By implementing non-directive coaching behaviors and setting
clear, measurable metrics, the organization can begin to repair the
relationship between leaders and team members. This process will
start with proactive listening - and hearing feedback without
judgement. After rounds of dialogue, a collaborative process of
setting goals, identifying important processes, and implementing
desirable reward systems will further build a bridge in the team.
Leaders will support and encourage team members along the way,
sharing openly when challenges arise, and working through them
together without heavy-handed punishment. Crews, Brouwers, and
Visagie (2019) say that transformational leaders have charisma, a
shared vision, are expressive, and communicate: with the new
performance and reward metrics in place, the organization will see a
healthy improvement to their EES scores in the years to come.
