If highly experienced leaders like the CEOs of Pepsi, Ford, Microsoft, and Pfizer benefit greatly from coaching, what kind of impact might it have on employees outside of the C-suite? What about the potential impact on managers who have less experience than these world-class CEOs and are in greater need of the benefits of coaching? Imagine the difference it could make for front-line managers and first-time managers and their teams.
Unfortunately, in most organizations, the transformational impact of coaching is only available to top executives and a select group of senior leaders.
The case for coaching is straightforward: Coaching sets managers up for success. When managers succeed, their organization thrives. According to Gartner, employees reporting to effective managers are 15 times more likely to be high performers and three times more likely to stay with their employer compared to those reporting to the average manager.
Meanwhile, the modern manager is facing unprecedented challenges and changes in the workplace—from the expansion of remote work and globally distributed teams to various disruptions in technology and culture. It's no surprise that over half of all managers say they feel burned out at work.
Imagine what democratizing access to coaching could do for these managers and their organizations.
Leadership coaching has the potential to be a transformational powerhouse for any organization if scaled up to all managers or, even better, to all employees.
When everyone can access a coach, transformational change can happen.
When everyone can access a coach, transformational change can happen. Seventy percent of people who worked with a coach reported improved personal performance, and 51% said it enhanced their team's performance, meaning every business can acquire a tremendous competitive advantage simply by opening up access to coaching.
Coaching not only boosts individual and team performance but also offers numerous cultural benefits. Making coaching available to everyone often results in a more purpose-driven culture, better strategic alignment, stronger connection to the mission and vision, and an improved employee experience.
The behaviors coaching develops—self-awareness, resilience, adaptability, communication, empathy, a growth mindset, and cognitive agility—create transferable skills essential for long-term growth across functions and levels.
Many managers are promoted due to career ladder progression rather than management competence or soft skills. Initial training and ongoing guidance often take the form of generic, one-size-fits-all classroom learning, which isn't effective long-term.
Most organizations fail to harness the full potential of their managers and employees.
That's why companies that provide all managers and employees with 24/7 access to coaching will gain a significant competitive advantage.
Making Coaching Accessible to Every Manager
Traditionally, providing everyone at a company with coaching is a very costly endeavor. Moreover, coaching is rarely offered on a just-in-time basis. With traditional coaching's scheduled monthly or quarterly sessions, managers who need guidance as challenges arise miss out on turning those challenges into opportunities. It is also difficult to control or monitor quality and consistency across an entire organization.
However, the rise of new AI technologies is rapidly transforming the coaching landscape. It is now possible for every manager and employee to have access to best-in-class guidance, coaching, and developmental support when they need it.
The good news is that AI in coaching isn’t a distant possibility—it’s here today and beginning to impact employees' lives. Progressive, high-performance companies are already recognizing the potential of combining traditional coaching with AI-enabled coaching platforms to enhance their managers and teams.
Learn more about how AI will revolutionize coaching and upskilling in a blog post from Wisq CEO Jim Barnett.