Coaching can be an effective means of aligning individual aspirations with organizational goals. It is the coach’s responsibility to bring out the talent within the individual and to ensure that there is a good match between that talent and the organization’s needs. For example, an accountant wants to work in a place where she or he can use her or his analytical skills and make a contribution to corporate objectives. The company needs good accountants to manage its finances in order to achieve its fiscal goals. In this situation, the goals of the employee and the company are aligned. Sometimes such alignment of goals may not be possible. If, for example, an employee prefers working solo rather than as a part of a team, an organization where team culture rules may not be a good fit. The coach can advise the individual that he or she might be happier working somewhere else, in a more autonomous environment. And this can be good news. A number of successful entrepreneurs have left the shelter of large organizations because they craved the independence of running their own business. And some will admit that they based their decision to leave on the advice of well-intentioned coaches.
Note When addressing the role that coaches play in organizational alignment, I prefer to focus on organizational goals rather than organizational values. Goal refers to objectives—what the organization wants to achieve. You can draw a direct parallel between organizational goals and individual performance objectives—what an individual needs to achieve. Values refers to what an organization stands for and believes in; the same applies to individuals. And while an employee should reflect the corporate values, such as integrity, honesty, and ethics, these are central to the individual’s character and typically are not what coaches focus on. I do not think you can coach a person into a value system, e.g., a dishonest person cannot be coached into honesty. It is more authentic and powerful to have a coach’s behavior reflect the corporate value system. However, an individual can be coached to achieve performance objectives that are in alignment with organizational goals.
Here are eight ways to begin to develop a strong coaching technique .