Effects of Leadership and Management on an Aspect of Business - Case Study Example

REPORT ON THE EFFECTS OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT ON AN ASPECT OF BUSINESS Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Personal Reflection 3 SWOT 4 Analysis of Coaching and mentoring practices 5 Critical Review of Coaching Approached Used 6 Mentoring Framework Used 6 Proposal for using Coaching and Mentoring Knowledge in Future 10 Conclusion 11 Reference List 12 13 Introduction In the words of Groom, Cushion and Nelson (2011), the ability to learn and the ability to teach are both important for building the characteristics of an individual. It is essential to engage in the process of sharing of knowledge as well as gathering knowledge in order to ensure the optimal utilisation of the skills. The development of the knowledge base of an individual can be measured with his/her ability to coach and mentor the same to another group. Going by definition, coaching is the process of training other individuals in accordance to their learning needs. The involvement of coaching in the personal development process not only helps in enhancing the ability to learn but also increases the opportunity to understand the personality and conduct of the individuals. Cross and Brewer (1999) stated that a good coach can always be a good leader and hence the professional implications of the process can be gathered. This report will focus on evaluating my coaching and mentoring skills and their contribution towards my personal development. Personal Reflection The following section will include the analysis of my coaching and mentoring skills. The process selected for evaluation has been designed in three steps. The first step is to conduct self-assessment with the help of SWOT analysis from which the strengths and weaknesses in my coaching pattern can be evaluated. The next step in the evaluation process is to analyse the process of coaching and mentoring used by me in theoretical lessons and practical scenarios. The final step in the evolution process will be formed by examining the mentoring framework used by me. SWOT Strengths: The key strengths in my coaching and mentoring processes are that I can assess the requirements of the group or individual being trained. This allows me to design my coaching process in accordance with the needs of the trainees. I have gained this strength from my experience of real-life training. I was engaged with the training process of a team of 5 people in my previous work place (restaurant). I was supposed to train the individuals in understanding and providing customer service and its various aspects. Apart from this, my communication skill is a primary factor which enables me to effectively communicate with the trainees and explain my point of view and other related subjects. As I have worked previously in a work culture which supports cross functional activities, I am able to monitor the activities being performed within a different functional departments and can also explain the relationship between the operational activates of different segments of a work process. Weaknesses: My weaknesses in context of coaching and mentoring abilities is that I am not a professional trainer and am also not associated with any sort of professional body of training. Neither do I have any professional training or courses regarding the training process. This reduces my professionalism in context of coaching and mentoring. Moreover, my personal reflections can also influence the learning process of the individuals which can derail them from their objectives. Another weakness related to my coaching and mentoring abilities is lack of discipline and scheduling process in the coaching framework. These factors reduce the efficacy of my coaching skills. Opportunities: In context of my coaching abilities and skills, the most important opportunity for me is that very few coaches specialise in cross functional operations and this enhances the scope of developing my career as a coach in the future. Apart from this, growing demand for multi-talented and multi-tasking employees is increasing in the work structure of the corporate houses which is also boosting the need for trainers with knowledge of more than one work structure. My communication skill also increases the opportunities for me in the market place as I can effectively understand the needs of the employees and also identify the barriers faced by them in following the coaching process. Threats: The threats in context of my future career pursuance as a coach and mentor are related with the market environment as well as my personal abilities. The first threat is that as I am not associated with any professional body of coaching, my brand image as a specialised coach is not strong. The next threat is that my real-life work experience may not be relevant to the work practises another 5 years down the line considering the rapid changes in the work structure and needs of organisations. Inability to design a disciplined coaching framework will also hamper my chances of building a successful career in the concerned line. Analysis of Coaching and mentoring practices In order to analyse my coaching and mentoring process, I would like to reflect my training experience while working in a restaurant where I was asked to train 5 junior employees in context of customer service. In this regard, I would like to mention that service structure of a restaurant is entirely based on the needs of the customers and thus customer service is one of the most crucial functional aspects of the operations process. While training the group of 5 employees, I was able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each of the candidates which allowed me to frame the coaching model on the basis of their individual needs and in a specific manner. The training included various functions such as communication, personal hygiene, behaviour and etiquettes. Other than this, I also trained them on the necessary information regarding the service structure of the restaurant and its customer service policies which would serve as a base for the work structure for the junior employees. I noticed that some of the trainees had limited patience which can hamper the customer service and the brand reputation of the firm. Hence, I engaged them in various tasks such as mind games and puzzles for increasing their patience. However, because of the hectic schedule of the restaurant I was not able to schedule the training process in a stable way and the time frame of the coaching was also not steady. Di Salvo et al. (2006) mentioned that a successful coaching process is based on the relationship between the trainer and the trainees. A coach must be able to connect with the trainees psychologically for reducing any emotional barriers which may prevent the trainees from attaining their complete potential. On the other hand, it is also necessary for a coach to ensure that the business requirements are also met and the trainees are able to perform and adjust with the work culture of the organisation (Hodges and Franks, 2002). Furthermore, Olver (2012) stated that in order to build an appropriate coaching strategy, it is essential to design the coaching structure within a proper schedule. The employees must be given the time and space for learning in a hustle free manner (Bandow, Minsky, and Voss, 2007). In this respect, I can note one of the primary drawbacks of my coaching techniques as I was unable to schedule my coaching process, the real-life work responsibilities of the trainees and the drill activities being performed used to get mixed which reduced the significance of the learning process. Moreover, absence of a specific routine also hampered the process of performance analysis of the employees in context of the training lessons. Lumby and Foskett (2008) reflected that performance appraisals of the employees are one of the most significant methods for assessing the contribution of the coaching towards the knowledge and skill development of the trainees. Critical Review of Coaching Approached Used Mentoring Framework Used In my case, because of limited professional knowledge regarding the coaching processes, I had developed a customised framework for fulfilling my coaching responsibilities. The framework I designed had five steps which were observation, framing coaching approach, training, performance analysis, redesigning coaching. The performance analysis was conducted repeatedly after each activity which gave me the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of each of the steps associated with the coaching process. I was also able to monitor the progress of the trainees and guide them in accordance to their performance. Figure 1: Coaching Framework Used (Source: Created by Author) The above given diagram reflects the framework which I used for coaching the trainees. Although the process is cyclical, I have represented it in a staged manner in order to appropriately reflect the induction of the performance appraisal in the relevant stages. The application of the performance appraisal in the practical evaluation process of the trainees gave me real time information about the learning process and the coaching structure. I could also apply the data gathered with the performance analysis process in order to reframe the structure of the coaching process. Considering the nature of coaching I provided, most of the process was based on the evolution of performance of the candidates based on a static environment. In order to further develop my coaching process in the later stages, I implemented the Hudson Coaching methodology which allows the trainer to develop long-term focus on the needs of the trainees and guide them towards their professional goals (Bandow, Minsky, and Voss, 2007). Figure 2: Hudson Coaching Methodology (Source: Boyd, 2010, p - 157) Based on the above methodology, Fielden and Malcolm (2005) reflected it is essential to measure the changes in the coaching technique along with that of the changes in the learning capability of the trainees. The Hudson model for coaching allows the coach to assess the significance of the coaching techniques in alignment with the organisational goals. I utilised the Hudson model of coaching in order to reflect on my own abilities of coaching. According to Garvey (2010), a coach is only as successful as the trainees. The abilities of the trainees to understand and follow the learning process implemented by the coach shows the strength of the communication and connection between the trainer and the trainees. It has to be noted that the coaching abilities of an individual also reflect the leadership aspects embedded in the characteristics. One of the most crucial aspects for successful coaching is to assess growth and development of the trainees in consideration with the changing outer environment (Groom, Cushion and Nelson, 2011). A coach must not only consider the existing situation for framing the training process but also consider the potential changes that may take place in the environment (Kaplan and Norton, 2006). This helps in developing a sustainable mentoring approach and also allows the coach and the trainees to mutually grow. The notion that coaching process should focus on the fulfilment of the organisational requirements may seem contradictory to the above suggested idea in the short-run but the long-term implications of sustainable coaching practices are beneficial for the organisation as well (Stober, 2008). Lumby and Foskett (2008) stated that coaching practices of an individual are also linked with the leadership capabilities. A successful coach is always a successful leader mainly because of the ability to integrate the personal interests of the trainees with that of the vision of the coach and organisation. It is essential to reflect the ability of understanding the queries of the trainees as well as the problems faced by them in fulfilling their responsibilities. This brings in the concept of communication and collaboration between a coach and the followers (Bandow, Minsky, and Voss, 2007). Groom, Cushion and Nelson (2011) stated that the initial beliefs of the coach regarding the trainees also influence their ability to train. Meanwhile some experts such as Lumby and Foskett (2008) measured that people are imaginative and can acclimatize to the situations other consider that people need to be showed the way and hence coaching must consider all the aspects associated with the learning process. These differences also constitute towards the framing of the coaching process. Proposal for using Coaching and Mentoring Knowledge in Future Based on the above performed analysis of my coaching abilities and the existing frameworks of coaching processes, it can be gathered that coaching mainly depends on the ability to the mentor to judge and evaluate the conditions of the situation accurately. It is important to understand the nature of the trainees, their requirements and the organisational goals as well as my own perception regarding the coaching process which I can implement in the given scenario. With the application of the Hudson model, I came to realise the importance of including change management as a potential factor in the training process. In order to rearrange my coaching abilities, I would like to include the change management and identification activities as an inherent activity in my coaching framework. This will require the formation of a sustainable coaching approach on my part. I would also like to develop some professional knowledge regarding the implementation of the coaching processes. This will help me in developing my career prospects and also build up my skills for better performance in the respective fields. Some other basic requirements that I would like to include in my future training endeavours will be to develop a disciplined and scheduled framework for training purposes. The scheduling of the coaching system will allow me to efficiently monitor the progress of the methodology. I would also like to enhance my knowledge on various performance appraisal techniques, so that I am able to understand the progress of the candidates in context of the current scenario as well as that of the future changes in their work environment. Being a coach or mentor, I must be able to communicate these aspects with the candidates in measurable terms so that the real time evaluation can be implemented. This also reflects the considerations for effective performance appraisal techniques in the learning and coaching processes. Summing it all up, I can say that I need to extend the scope of my coaching process and include a long-term vision within it. Conclusion Coaching and mentoring processes being implemented in the current scenario are largely based on organisational requirements. However, I learned from my experience that coaching processes should be developed and designed with long-term vision in order to encompass the changes which may occur in the organisational needs of the work environment of a company. It is also essential to develop good communication between the employees and the coach in order to effectively frame the coaching approach. Other than this, I was able to understand the need for continuous performance appraisal processes in the business frameworks which contributes towards evaluation of the training process and knowing its authority on the learning progression of the trainers. The application of Hudson model was one of the most productive steps in my coaching development process as it helped me in designing and implementing a complete outline for controlling and managing my mentoring process. 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