Managers in many organizations today are expected to ‘coach’ their employees. Can a manager be a coach? Well, yes … and no. Look for an excellent manager or leader and for sure that person will be using the skills of a coach to help their staff define and achieve their goals in alignment with the organization’s vision and direction.
Many good managers instinctively know, or have learned, how to make coach-like behaviour part of their management style. How do they do this? By listening acutely, questioning, challenging, supporting, mentoring, offering problem solving assistance, and providing non-judgmental feedback. It comes naturally to them because they care about their employees, believe in them, and create the conditions for their success. They understand that optimising people’s potential and performance is their role.
Coaching is essentially a people skill, and people skills are hugely valuable and valued in organizations, so it makes sense for managers to hone their ability to coach effectively.
But is a manager or a leader in an organization a coach in the same sense as a professional coach brought in to work with individuals in an organization? I would say not.