Developing the leader as coach: Insights, strategies and tips for embedding coaching skills in the workplace

Abstract

This article presents some practical insights, strategies and tips about how to help organisations embed leadership coaching skills in the workplace following participation by executives and managers in 'Leader as Coach' development programs. Given that organisations globally are increasingly using such programs as part of leadership development initiatives, it is important that we develop effective methodologies for teaching and embedding coaching skills in organisations. We argue that an evidence-based approach to program design and solid alignment with the organisation's goals, values and language are essential foundations for the process of embedding coaching skills. In addition to internally branding the program, using respected figures internal to the organisation as role models and champions and encouraging participants to personalise the coaching methods and models, we have found that regularly sending reminder tips on how to use coaching skills in emails or other web-based communications to be effective in prompting leaders and managers to use coaching skills on a daily basis. This article presents seven such tips and other ideas about embedding and sustaining leaders' coaching skills in contemporary organisational settings. © 2013 The Author(s).