while conveying the necessary skills and knowledge.
Coaching psychology According to Grant (2006:13), professional coaching is a cross- disciplinary methodology for fostering individual and organisational change and entails personal and life coaching, workplace coaching with staff, managers and executives. Ladyshewsky (2010:302-303) argues that coaching should be a core managerial skill since it involves specific communication skills, valuing employees and developing employees. Palmer and Whybrow (2006:8) state that applying coaching includes: supporting people to develop effective strategies to address performance concerns; providing support to achieve life and/or work goals; and to facilitate the achievement of group goals.
Managers as coaches need insight into the employee and should be self-aware in order to act as coach (Phillips, 1996:31). The principle of self- development and developing potential is not new to psychology. Psychology in general has recently developed into a more strength-based focus (Smith, 2006:13). The strength-based perspective centres on the discovery and development of a person’s natural innate talents, with the help of additional skills and knowledge, in order to excel in life.
A strength-based approach According to Linley and Harrington (2006:45), a large part of coaching is to strive to re-engage the employee with his/her self and to assist him/her to identify his/ her strengths. Training managers as coaches by making use of a positive psychology framework should include a strength-based
approach. Such an approach includes the personal development of the coach, helping him/her to understand his/ her capacities and building on the resources he/she already has, leading to increased engagement, energy and motivation. This results in experiences of positive emotions that stimulate more creativity, mental flexibility, resilience and enhanced performance (Linley and Harrington, 2006:45). Several studies aimed at personal development of managers have been conducted in South Africa. A study conducted by Cilliers and Wissing (1993:8) showed positive results in the stimulation of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills of managers and trainers. A study by Cilliers (2000:21) showed an increase in the intrapersonal awareness and interpersonal skills of trainers.
A manager performing the role of coach should be well equipped in helping (coaching) skills, since these skills are applied in order to interact with the employee (coachee). By training the manager in interpersonal and emotional skills, he is assisted to realise his own potential, and such training can be conducted by utilising the Human Potential Development Model of Carkhuff (Carkhuff, 2000). The essence of the development model is to relate to people interpersonally by using various interpersonal skills and to achieve end results (Carkhuff, 2000:37).
The model consists of four phases (attending, responding, personalising and initiating) and entails an interpersonal process (between coach and coachee) and an intrapersonal process (intrinsic to the coachee) (Carkhuff, 2000:29). It is eminent
January 2012 | Management Today 11
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