The terms coaching and management are often used interchangeably, but that doesn't mean they are the same. While a manager typically organizes work and processes to get results, a coach boosts team performance and helps people reach their highest level of effectiveness. According to research, 94% of employees who like their bosses are passionate about their work, while 77% of those who don't like their boss plan to leave their job soon. The primary distinction between a coach and a manager is their approach.
A coach focuses on the individual's performance compared to a manager who concentrates more on performance and achieving goals as a team. The fundamental difference between management and coaching is that a manager directs. They have authority, needs to be met, and they have to achieve a specific outcome. The importance of managing a team or department efficiently is well-known. Top leaders recognize that they need effective management to reach the organization's objectives.
However, one important aspect of effective management that is often overlooked is coaching. Management is a discussion par excellence in an organization. Unlike management, coaching focuses on skill development, commitment, motivation and a healthy work environment. The modern workplace requires managers to be coaches who encourage solution-finding skills in employees and provide them with guidance and support. A successful leader needs to assess a situation and decide if he needs to manage or train employees.
Management coaching can be learned through many different programs, courses and lessons available online and face-to-face by training providers, such as the Roffey Park Institute. When a manager works with and trains employees, the organization is destined to achieve unprecedented growth and success. Another difference between a coach and a manager would be the level at which one connects with another person. For new managers, or for managers who have only known command and control leadership, it may be necessary to train them to stop developing their own individual skills and focus on developing their training skills. However, the absence of coaching can cause employees who trust managers to solve every problem they encounter. The best leaders know how to combine training and management skills to motivate and inspire their employees.
Not only will it provide managers with first-hand experience of the benefits of coaching, but it will also provide them with a model to replicate in their own training practice. The most effective and successful organizations won't believe in one concept or the other, but in an effective coach and manager. In such a situation, the 3 D's of management serve as a useful framework for ending the coaching dilemma. The 3 D's of management are: Directing - providing clear instructions; Delegating - assigning tasks; Developing - providing guidance and support. Any successful organization understands the importance of an effective manager and an effective coach.
While management is based on the authority to do things, coaching provides autonomy to the members of a team. In fact, you can have a coaching management style where the main focus is still on team performance and objectives, but it takes time to build relationships with people in order to drive the next level of personal effectiveness. For managers looking for ways to improve their leadership style, understanding the differences between coaching and managing is essential. Coaching requires patience, empathy, trust building, communication skills, problem solving skills, goal setting skills, feedback skills, active listening skills, conflict resolution skills, decision making skills, creativity skills and more. On the other hand, managing requires planning skills, organizing skills, decision making skills, problem solving skills, communication skills, delegation skills and more. In conclusion, both coaches and managers play an important role in any organization's success.
While coaches help individuals reach their highest potential by providing guidance and support; managers ensure that teams are organized efficiently so that goals can be achieved quickly. It is important for leaders to understand when it is appropriate to use each approach so that they can maximize their team's performance.
