Why Every Organization Can Benefit from a Coach

For many organizations, the coach is a black box. Great for your employees because they get the space to vent or gain a new perspective on their abilities. But what does the organization get out of it? And perhaps a coach is necessary when you're facing problems, but why hire one when everything seems fine? 

We can easily answer the latter: there's always something going on. That might sound ominous, but that's not how we mean it. What we do mean? Let’s explain!

There’s always something going on in every organization

An organization consists of people. And people are not robots. They can be different every day. They each have their role in an organization, but they also have a private life. One where a lot can be happening. And they have their own character, which can clash with another person’s character or with the organizational culture.

Then there's the organization itself. It can be in motion or stagnant, which can cause unrest, leading to further changes. So, even when they appear to be stagnant, organizations are still in motion. Every organization consists of individuals who are subject to forces they have varying levels of control over.

The greater the control, the better you are at performing your tasks. And the happier you are in your work. This, in turn, has a positive effect on the organization. And thus, it strengthens itself: happy employees create healthy organizations.

That sounds great, we hear you say, but what does that have to do with coaching? Well, everything. Because coaches can help individuals gain more control.

“A good coach leads to more job satisfaction. Motivation increases, employees feel better, and positive energy rises while stress decreases.”

More than an employee satisfaction survey

For organizations, it is often very difficult to understand exactly what is going on with their people. For example, the term "silent quitter" comes from the US. These are employees who become frustrated or demotivated without expressing it. Gradually, they withdraw from their work, leading to a passive attitude and, ultimately, often to resignation.

To prevent silent quitting, you could conduct an employee satisfaction survey. This will undoubtedly provide some insight, but it will never give you the full picture. It mainly offers a superficial idea of the sentiment. Moreover, what do you do if you detect problems? Most managers are not trained to handle this well.

A good coach digs deeper. They are able to recognize patterns and foresee problems that are not yet apparent but are on the horizon. A good coach also knows what to do next. They can help someone gain more self-confidence, become more assertive, overcome presentation anxiety, set boundaries, or deal with frustrations. A good coach can also think along with someone about their career or help create a healthy work-life balance. A good coach can do a lot, we just want to say.

But what does a coach bring to the organization? 

It’s clear what a good coach can mean for an individual. And that should be enough reason for an organization to hire a coach. After all, it is your moral responsibility as an employer to maximize the job satisfaction of your staff. It aligns with being an attractive employer.

With that, you’ve already answered the question of what a coach can mean for an organization. Many HR managers fear that a coach will awaken sleeping dogs. What if everyone realizes they’re in the wrong job? And then what? Will everyone leave? In practice, it doesn’t work that way. Of course, sometimes someone may realize that a role elsewhere would be a better fit. But if the experience with a coach is positive, it also has an effect on the person’s view of their current role and performance. 

A good coach leads to more job satisfaction. Motivation increases. Employees feel better, dare to present, become more assertive, and do things with more awareness. Positive energy rises while stress decreases. 

By hiring a coach, an organization shows that it takes its people seriously, both as individuals and employees. This not only has a positive effect on your current staff but also on your future employees. And in today’s labor market, that’s no luxury.

Questions about this topic? Contact us.