How to combine coaching and management?

Faced with the evolution of management methods and organisational models, the posture of the manager is evolving. In an increasing number of companies, the local manager is playing the role of "coach". Whether it be better performance or an increase in commitment, motivation or well-being at work, this managerial posture is very promising! How can you combine coaching and management within your company? Here are some key ideas.  

Integrate coaching into your management style

First of all, it is essential to redefine your management style and to adopt a collaborative and participative leadership style. To deploy such managerial practices, the manager-coach must:

• Establish a bond of trust and a close relationship with coworkers.
• Encourage, accompany, coach and value teams.
• Empower employees, develop autonomy and encourage freedom of initiative and the expression of ideas.
• Put people at the heart of management.
• Develop the skills of teams and take the time to train them to reveal their individual potential.
• Encourage team spirit, mutual aid, collective intelligence and establish a real team coaching.
• Deliver benevolent and encouraging feedback.

As with a sports coach, the manager-coach's mission is to accompany, guide and advise their team in order to improve collective performance and achieve the desired objective. Authoritarian, directive or delegative management has no place and goes against the philosophy of coaching in companies.  

Break the hierarchical links 

Combining coaching and management also implies breaking the hierarchical links between the manager and employees. Indeed, more than a simple hierarchical leader, the manager-coach becomes a true companion and facilitator of performance: as such, they must place themselves on the same level as their collaborators. This implies breaking with the pyramidal model and establishing horizontal management.  

Redefine your company’s culture

To reconcile coaching and management, changing your managerial practices is not enough. This new approach must also be reflected in the company's culture, in the processes and in the behaviour of all stakeholders. This corporate culture must be oriented around strong human values, a collaborative spirit, mutual aid and benevolence – similar to a start-up culture, in fact.  

Train your managers in coaching methods

If the posture of manager-coach is natural for some, it will be much more complex to implement if the company has been applying a directive management style to date. To facilitate this transformation, it may be wise to train managers in personal and professional development methods, for example by offering them in-house coaching courses.  

What are the qualities of a manager-coach?

The manager-coach must be endowed with interpersonal skills, human qualities and essential managerial skills, such as:

• Empathy
• Active listening
• Natural authority
• Emotional intelligence
• Interpersonal skills
• Exemplary behaviour
• Dynamism and enthusiasm
• Humility
• Benevolence
• Pedagogy
• A sense of observation

The advantages of combining coaching and management are numerous. On the employee side, it promotes well-being and motivation, gives meaning to work and creates a positive and caring environment that is conducive to motivation and productivity. The company also benefits from associating coaching with its management style. Operational performance is boosted, and the environment is more favourable to collective intelligence and innovation, which directly reinforces the company's competitiveness and agility.