Business Coaching and the Strategic HR Coach

Are you an experienced human resource professional? Then, probably for you, business coaching is just another concept that you have known for long now, isnt it? Helping mangers and executives increase their potential skills and also knowledge about man management are parts of business coaching. If this is your opinion, please think again! The potential skill of business coaching, which is taught nowadays can revolutionize the Human Resource relationship between managers and executives of the organization. For this, let us understand coaching.

Coaching- This is a way of providing feedback to the executives and managers, about how they can achieve their personal best in the organization by developing their leadership role. As a coach, the Human Resource professional does everything from active listening to providing results to highlight the weaknesses and strengths of a manager.

Usually a business coach works with high caliber managers, whereas, an HR coach works with all managers and supervisors, at various levels in an organization.

This is what makes the Human Resource coaching more challenging. The traditional Human Resource coaching focused mainly on helping managers handle issues and grab opportunities. Talented HR professionals always offer feedback on personal performances and also show the mangers the ways to achieve it.

Actually, a HR coach projects a managers way of handling critical situations. The HR coach derives answers to all his queries by questioning the manager in return and provides advice about alternative actions, which could improve the critical situation. But generally, people have different reactions to the feedback and sometimes, even the most carefully chosen words by the HR professional can create a repercussion.

The HR coach practices a blend of politically deft observations with frankness that can help the manager polish his capabilities as a leader to lead people and also excel personally.

As per the new coaching rule, the HR professional now mainly focuses on the managerial development. Only few HR professionals are working in this arena and many organizations nowadays, frequently hire external coaches and consultants. This is actually not necessary if a HR professional is prepared to take on the responsibility. An executive or manager may face embarrassment admitting his needs to the HR professional, fearing that his incapability may be discussed in the organization. The HR professionals who undertake coaching must be trust worthy and conduct themselves with authority that is easy to work with.

HR professionals cannot coach unless their credentials, reputation and standing in the organization are proved impeccable. The executive participating in the coaching program should be able to rely on the coach and has to feel confident in every interaction. One of the most important inputs, which an internal HR brings into coaching, is his knowledge about the organization and the impact it would have on the manager, within that environment.

Human Resource professionals, who are into coaching, must be well-versed about conducting surveys and other instrumental feedback, to provide impartial coaching to the managers. Coaching generally implies training of individuals who are at the peak of their careers. So a HR professional must be well versed in management and behavioral theory and practices.