Amidst the relentless waves of change and disruption impacting organisations, there is a growing emphasis on coaching for culture and engagement to cultivate resilient and thriving workplaces.
Recognising the profound influence of digital transformation, hybrid work models, and the imperative for improved diversity, equity and inclusion, companies are turning to coaches as strategic partners to develop strategies and skills for fostering a culture that nurtures engagement, collaboration, and employee well-being.
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Leading the way in South Africa, the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP) has announced the acceptance of applications for their coaching programme, equipping aspiring coaches to drive meaningful change within organisations.
As a prominent educational provider for coaches, SACAP places a strong emphasis on training students to align with an organisation’s unique values, business objectives, and current reality. This empowers coaches to customise their interventions to address the specific needs of each company they work with.
Lee-Ann Drummond, head of management and leadership faculty at SACAP, emphasised the importance of tailoring coaching interventions to suit the diverse needs of organizations. Drummond stated, “When it comes to coaching in organisations, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. For example, while most are currently striving to improve diversity, equity and inclusion, they won’t all approach this in the same way or have the same needs from a coach.”
One area where coaching plays a crucial role is in enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion within companies.
Coaching interventions focus on developing leaders’ capabilities to manage diverse workforces and assisting new diversity hires in acclimating to the organisation’s culture.
These interventions involve building leaders’ awareness and understanding of different cultures, enhancing inclusive communication skills within teams, and addressing unconscious bias to create a more inclusive environment for employees from diverse backgrounds.
Moreover, coaches can help new diversity hires adapt more effectively to the company culture by providing support in understanding cultural norms, connecting them with mentors and sponsors, and helping them navigate potential biases and microaggressions. By boosting the performance and satisfaction of diverse teams, coaching interventions can contribute to long-term employee retention and overall company success.
Drummond emphasised the significance of such coaching interventions in South Africa’s current landscape, where diverse talent is highly sought after. She noted that companies invest significant time and resources in recruitment processes to find diverse candidates, but the key to retention lies in their ability to support new hires in integrating into their roles swiftly and effectively.
By bridging cultural differences through coaching, companies can enhance both performance and retention rates, underscoring the relevance of coaching for culture and engagement.
Coaches are also playing a pivotal role in supporting managers grappling with the challenges of leading hybrid teams. As employees working remotely experience fewer touchpoints with the company culture, they may become isolated and disengaged.
Coaches step in to help managers develop new policies, practices, and communication channels that foster strong and positive culture and engagement, ensuring that the organisation thrives in this new work environment.
Click here to apply for any of the coaching programmes offered at SACAP and contribute to the transformation of workplace culture and engagement.
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