Essay on "Leader as Coach"

Essay 12 pages (3679 words) Sources: 10

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Leader as Coach

To remain relevant in today's increasingly competitive business environment, organizations are being called upon to embrace new ways of thinking. Unlike in the past, globalization has required that organizations adapt to multicultural environments brought about by evolving demographics amongst other things. Further, it can also be noted that in today's fast paced corporate environment, organizations have been relentless in their reengineering as well as downsizing efforts. This has had far reaching effects on the way organizations and employees relate. For instance, most employees (even the top performers) now work with a certain degree of certainty that their positions are in one way or the other temporal. To reassure their employees, organizations today have to come up with effective employee retention approaches which may vary from availing competitive compensation packages to the provision of avenues for continuous learning.

It can also be noted that in the modern day, some strategies and ways of doing things that may have worked fine in the past are either considered irrelevant, unworkable or obsolete. Therefore, executives are increasingly being called upon to fully exploit their potential by developing a new set of skills. In such a case, organizations keen on remaining relevant could find it rewarding to fully invest in the development of their employees. Coaching remains one of the most frequently and worthwhile method of executive development. In basic terms, executive coaching has mainly got to do with the facilitation of both personal and professional development of employees so as to enhance not only their performance at the workplace but also their individual growth.

It is important to note that though there is no standard executive coaching process definition in place, some elements of the same are regarded as being rather critical. In that regard, coaches may embrace a wide range of assessment tools as well as approaches as they seek to shape the development of the client's performance as well as skills for enhanced productivity. In this text, I take the role of a coach. Ann, my client in this case is a colleague and the newly appointed head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department.

The Context

Client Characteristics

As I have already noted in the introductory section, my client in this case happens to be a colleague of mine by the name Ann. Three months ago, Ann was appointed the new head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department. Prior to her promotion, Ann served as the department's chief dietician. The new role puts her in control of all the administrative functions of the department including but not in any way limited to the coordination of interactions between the Nutrition and Dietetics Department and other departments, supervision of those hired by the department either on a permanent or on contractual basis i.e. hospital staff comprising of a strong team of nutritionists and dieticians as well as external consultants.

According to Valero and Lee (2005, p. 46), a coach may be called upon "to quickly ascertain the performance level of the client in order to understand the magnitude of the gap between current performance and future desired performance." This is indeed one of the key goals of assessment. Hence in this case, the need to determine how Ann is currently fairing on cannot be overstated. In so doing, I sought to highlight Ann's challenge and strength areas which are critical in helping the client formulate the improvement goals having a positive impact on her job performance. To gather the relevant data, I utilized a number of methods such as interviews and observation. These methods are discussed in greater detail elsewhere in this text.

As Flaherty (2010, p.158) notes, "one of the important contributions coaches make is having a wide perspective on the client's situation." The author is of the opinion that in addition to considering the client's numerous life circumstances, a coach should also ensure that he or she covers a "longer time horizon,…than the client brings" (Flaherty, 2010 p. 158). In my analysis, I widened my view to cover a larger time horizon of Ann's life. To begin with, I sought to understand Ann's past better by taking into consideration her early experiences (familial and educational) as well as her background from a professional perspective. Later on, I sought to understand her capabilities and present circumstances.

Having grown up in a predominantly white neighborhood, Ann did not encounter cultural diversity from an early age. Her parents, both of whom were strict disciplinarians, encouraged her to pursue success by working hard regardless of the circumstances. Perhaps sensing that that her brothers would look down upon her as she was the only girl in a family of five, her parents were categorical that she could perform even better than her brothers if she worked hard enough. Ann took this to heart and it is through sheer handwork and failure to give up that she succeeded far beyond the expectations of anyone in her family. During her career spanning more than ten years, Ann's achievements are largely impressive. Having served in several departments prior to her being appointed the chief dietician, Ann comes across as being multitalented. All through the years, her spouse has been supportive of her aspirations.

Ann's current professional capabilities are evident based on the level of confidence, self-drive and energy she possesses. Further, her competence and level of integrity are beyond reproach. Within the short period of time she has been at the helm of the department, she has come up with a raft of proposals meant to enhance the performance and efficiency of the department. By its very nature, the Nutrition and Dietetics Department avails specialist advice to other independent departments including but not limited to Outpatient Clinics and other specialties concerned with elderly care, pediatrics, diabetes etc. Hence Ann was best placed to run the department based on her experience with other departments.

Though Ann from a general perspective is likeable and highly respected by those of whom she is now in charge of in the department, her team performance has suffered over time. In basic terms, team members have over time regarded her as being overly ambitious and assertive. Her peers also consider her to be rather 'pushy.' It is unlikely that anything will change going forward. Her traits could be regarded as being rather abrasive than conciliatory. This could affect her role as a team player.

It can be noted that prior to her promotion to head the department, there were several of her male peers who were also angling for the same position. She was however considered based on her experience as a result of having served in many other departments within the hospital including but not limited to the Elderly Services Department, the Discharge Lounge and the Cardiology Department. Further, there are also those who question her competence and leadership as she has been in the Nutrition and Dietetics Department for a shorter period of time than several of those who were also angling for the position. Also, regardless of the reasons that informed her ascent to the top, some gender issues have come to the fore with some male peers likely to look down upon her by dint of her being a lady. This is more so the case for those who are of the opinion that they deserved the position more than Ann did by dint of having served in the department for a longer period of time or otherwise.

It is also important to note that Ann and a number of other departmental heads are being considered for higher and more demanding roles within the hospital. With that in mind, Ann would be better off if she did develop the necessary skills required for the management as well as communication with teams as well as people from different cultures. This is more so the case given Ann's limited experience with people from different cultures from an early age.

Problems Facing the Client

In seeking to enhance the effectiveness of her department as well as fulfill her duties as the head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Ann faces a number of unique challenges; some of which may frustrate her resolve to deliver tangible results. It is important to note that in this case, ensuring that Ann develops the necessary behavioral adjustments needed to transform into a team player and an adaptable leader remains one of the key goals of the coaching exercise. It can also be noted that regardless of her unique abilities and capabilities, Ann still needs to effectively interact across different cultures as well as build working relationships with peers both in her department and in other departments.

To begin with, Ann could find herself unable to offer leadership in a team setting. This is largely because she has long been considered by her peers as being rather overly ambitious and assertive. Further, there are those within the same department who may question her competence and leadership abilities especially taking into consideration the fact that there are others… READ MORE

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