Why All This Talk of Coaching vs Managing?

By Alicia Marie

For years, there have been managers, so why now has there been all this talk of coaching employees rather than managing them? First, take a look at the descriptions of a manager vs a coach:

A job description of a manager…
“Controls, directs and supervises the day to day operations.”

A job description of a coach would be…
“To lead, motivate, create a vision, and teach staff the skills needed to empower them to help make us a successful and profitable company.”

As you can see, there is a real difference in the two descriptions! Now take into consideration today’s Global Competition and Technology and you’ll really see why organizations are choosing coaching vs managing.

Global Competition: Today’s consumer is more demanding that those before them and they expect their needs to be met instantly. Issues can no longer continue to be passed up the ladder, sometimes taking days for a decision. Decisions need to be made quickly to meet consumer demands and keep up with the competition.
Technology: Thanks to technology, the everyday life of consumers is being transformed. Information is now easily available to us, and there is lots of it. With all the information available today, the manager can no longer be expected to have all the answers. On the other hand, in a coaching role, you are not expected to have all the answers. In a coaching role, you ask the questions and rely on your staff, who become the experts, to provide the information.

The result of global competition and increased information is that managers now must become coaches.

What happens if managers and companies do not change? They will not survive. They will not attract the talent they need as employees no longer will conform to complying with the orders issued by managers. Today’s employees are more educated and need to see the whole picture and more importantly feel as if they have an impact on the whole.

“You cannot manage men into battle.
You manage things; you lead people.”
Grace Murray Hopper

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