From: http://www.bizjournals.com/

Stepping into any new position can be an exciting yet potentially challenging time for a professional, his or her team, and the organization.

For anybody acquiring a leadership role, goal-setting and employee engagement are vital to both immediate and long-term success. However, all too often new leaders are left learning what is expected of them on the fly, without much direction or specific support from the organization.

As a result, the ability to not only survive but to thrive is at stake, for the individual and the organization alike.

A recent study by Finn Futures found that employee training and growth programs are among the most important initiatives an organization can implement.

While training programs have become a business imperative for organizations of all sizes, they are sometimes based on objectives set out by the trainer or instructor and create a one-size-fits-all scenario.

In order to sharpen the focus on high-potential leaders, consider adding professional coaching to a new or existing training program. Beyond traditional professional development, coaching engages the individual in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Take these three steps to get started:

1. Evaluate the current leadership development portfolio

Determine what informal coaching conversations are already taking place within your organization’s training and development framework. Are managers, leaders and trainers already exploring what is important or meaningful to the employee, discussing what he or she wants to accomplish, or helping define what the employee believes needs to be addressed in order to achieve a desired outcome? Once formalized, coaching can bolster training for performance management and leadership development while helping individuals stay focused on becoming leaders.

The benefits also extend beyond skills-specific training. According to Building a Coaching Culture, a research report published by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the Human Capital Institute, organizations offering coaching say it leads to benefits including increased engagement, faster on-boarding into new roles, faster leadership development and increased emotional intelligence.

2. Get buy-in at all levels

When a well-respected senior leader communicates the value of coaching to the entire organization, a positive tone is set for the coaching experience. While support from the top is essential, it is as important to get buy-in from the emerging leaders themselves.

Explain why they will be offered the opportunity to participate in a coaching relationship and what the expectations are. Make sure they understand that coaching is offered for their benefit and growth and it is not a remedial tool. The broad buy-in will reinforce the positive impact of coaching within the organization.

3. Bring in the right coach(es)

Once the objectives for working with a coach are clear, determine who will partner in the relationship with your high-potential leaders. An organization may opt to hire an external or internal coach practitioner. During the coach-selection process, it is helpful to recognize that members of ICF must commit to rigorous coach-specific training and adhere to the stringent ICF Code of Ethics. As a result, clients can be confident that an ICF professional coach is well-prepared and well-trained to offer their services. An ICF Credential is another sign of a coach’s desire to enhance his or her professional performance. More than 16,000 individuals currently hold one of three ICF Credentials, differentiating them as consummate professionals.

Just like any business endeavor, establishing specific expectations for outcomes and measuring the effectiveness of the program is paramount to success. The addition of professional coaching within training programs has been proven to increase leader and employee efficiency, reduce overtime, and minimize contracting or consulting fees.

Coaching is not a silver bullet and remedy to all the issues related to leadership development. However, it is a proven methodology that supports and accelerates the process of preparing leaders to achieve their highest potential.