No Time to Coach!

"Managers who don't coach will not be promoted"

The above quote is credited to the legendary Jack Welch. I guess, those who say they don't have time to coach will not be making a bee line to GE during Jack's time.

When a manager says that she has no time to coach; we can assume that she is making two assumptions (no pun intended):

1. First assumption : That coaching only takes place at a certain time and place.
2. Second assumption : Coaching is like washing your company car; it is something proper to do but its not so important that you need to put it on your priority list.

Both assumptions are wrong and can cost an organization dear.

Imagine that your 5 most senior executives are retiring in the next three years and collectively they have between them 100 years of working experience...all in your organization. The day they retire and walk out of your organization, they are walking out with 100 years of know-hows, insights,tacit and implicit knowledge,and, a myriad of other skills that you could probably will never be able to capture even if you tried.

But what if these 5 executives have been actively coaching their subordinates for a few years prior to their retirement? Lets say that through their effective coaching skills, they were able to collectively transmit about 30 years of job specific knowledge and skills to their one and two downs. Can you now calculate the amount of sayings the organization can enjoy in training and development costs?

Now, what if...just what if...that every manager and supervisor in the entire organization is actively engaged in coaching roles and through this the organization's talent pipe-line is continuously enriched and the there is a seamless transfer of tool set and skill set down the entire organization.

I recently met a business owner who has, from what I can see, poured his blood and sweat into building a prosperous business in a fiercely competitive industry. You could feel the passion in his blood for what he does. I just hope that he has done enough to instill a coaching culture in his company as when the day comes for him to take a back seat, he will need to have a set of key people who can continue his legacy. In my experience, all entrepreneurs desire to leave behind a legacy once they have enjoyed and done whatever they set out to do. That legacy is largely dependent on the ability of those who take over the reins of the company.

So,coaching is not a leadership luxury. It is a leadership imperative!
And...talking about coaching, I think Arsenal needs a new coach!