The start of 2023 has brought with it an opportunity for leaders to approach their goals with a fresh new perspective. If you’re a new leader, there’s never been a better time to explore the exciting world of performance development. In this blog, we’ll explore how coaching can be utilised to make this year your best yet.

Navigating the leadership journey has certainly become a lot more interesting, but also a lot harder. More managers are reporting burnout and feeling overwhelmed leading their teams, casting doubt on their leadership strengths and competencies. It may also be a lonely position, with little access to an objective ear for your concerns and ideas.

So, what happens when a leader’s performance begins to wane?

The results can have many negative impacts, from loss of employee motivation and lower productivity to poor staff retention.

Some businesses may identify a drop in performance and assume that training will suffice, or they’ll automatically set up a mentoring relationship for an underperforming leader, but these may not be the most appropriate solutions.

Performance Improvement

Let’s look at the characteristics of some common performance improvement interventions.

Training is the transfer of knowledge, skill, or experience and is best suited to situations where identifiable knowledge and skills gaps are evident.

Mentoring shares some of the characteristics of training, namely the transfer of professional skills and knowledge, but can also take on some of the elements of coaching.

Coaching is a partnership that inspires a creative and thought-provoking process to maximise potential. It’s less of a transfer and more of a reflection exercise to find solutions within through an empowering coaching conversation.

When performance becomes a challenge, coaching often delivers the best results because it’s through this process that we’re able to shed light on a wide range of issues.

The Power of Coaching

Ongoing coaching throughout one’s career may offer the single most powerful contribution to achieving high-level results. Leaders that embed coaching interventions into their organisational culture generally enjoy better performance compared to less proactive companies.

So, what are some of the key benefits of coaching?

• Coaching can enhance leadership abilities by improving emotional intelligence competencies such as self-awareness and self-regulation.
• Deeper levels of empathy are on offer. This once “soft” skill is now a critical measure for anyone wanting to get the best out of their teams and improve relationships with stakeholders.
• Identifying and developing strengths is important for specialists and leaders alike if they’d like to reach their full potential.
• Everyone needs an ear and an objective voice of reason, especially leaders in high-pressure roles, and coaching provides a powerful sounding board.

As an individual in a key role, you may find your next level of success through the powerful partnering nature of coaching. You wouldn’t be alone, especially as this impactful practice increasingly appears as the “go-to” support initiative amongst high-performing executives and CEOs.

The same applies to leaders wanting to get the best out of their teams. No matter what the size or function, both individual leadership coaching and team coaching offer solutions that are proven to enhance individual performance as well as group dynamics.

Coaching Strategy

Get ahead of your challenges in 2023 with a performance development plan that produces results!

Setting up a coaching strategy for you or your team doesn’t need to be an additional challenge. By building a relationship with the right provider, you can trust that experienced professionals are helping you make measurable progress, giving you the space to focus on other critical matters.

As a leading provider with 25 years of experience coaching leaders in blue-chip companies and government, Change Partners is perfectly positioned to help you advance.

Helene Muller is an International Executive Coach at Change Partners. She is passionate about helping others achieve tangible results. Contact her at helenemuller@change.co.za or on 083 225 8984, and let’s make 2023 a year of real progress!