Creating coaching culture at NAPA – from a people perspective
Coaching is a versatile tool for organizational development. It can bring value on a level of an individual by offering personalization and empathetic support, whereas team coaching facilitates the discussions on the key factors that impact the team and its doing. This blog text adopts yet another perspective on coaching; the people perspective, and how coaching can function to develop the company culture and work community overall.
Human connection and a sense of community
As we live through these extraordinary times with the COVID-pandemic marinating a completely new flavor to our daily working lives, organizations are faced with a plethora of changes to the ways they, and we, have been accustomed to. For example, not being in the workplace means losing the present company of colleagues, who provide us a social context to relate to. Looking at this from a people (HR) perspective, we need to address questions such as, working remotely through virtual communication channels, how can we retain a sense of human connection and the feeling of community?
Coaching has the potential of being the connective tissue between the individuals and the wider work community in that it encourages participation and reinforces a sense of self-efficacy in individuals being active members and contributors of their collective. At NAPA, coaching services are offered to all Naparians in all NAPA locations around the world, which provides an equal opportunity for everyone to access development through coaching and identify as an active actor in our work community.
Inclusion and diversity
Coaching can also support inclusion and diversity, another key theme of the current times, because as a working method it harnesses finding alternatives, looking at things from different perspectives, endorses the hearing out of yourself and others, and acknowledges personal preferences and interpersonal differences. Naparians make up a diverse bunch of international professionals, who we hope to support with coaching in their professional growth journeys resulting in a happy working environment for all.
Further to that, coaching has been implemented widely in the NAPA organization through offering alternative ways of receiving training on the topic to interested and motivated members of the personnel with both shorter and longer training options available. What this means in practice is that coaching-like conversations can also take place organically and informally, as part of our everyday practices bringing us the benefits of concepts such as active listening and being able to offer coaching style leadership, where no ready chewed solutions are being served but instead, insightful questions are being asked.
Cognitive ergonomics and psychological safety
What I personally like about coaching is that it’s not just another management theory. To me it’s more about cognitive ergonomics exercised on a personal and group level providing everyone the possibility to contribute and do the thinking, giving instead of merely receiving. And in reverse, a coaching-like take on interactions is likely to empower and engage individuals for the advancement of decisions in a more psychologically safe manner rather than just dictating what’s to be done with a top-down approach. This is paramount in a successfully self-managed organization such as NAPA.
This blog was originally published on LinkedIn on 21 December 2021 by Hanna Olenius.
Would working in a global company with a strong coaching culture and self-management be something for you? Join us at NAPA Careers or connect for future opportunities.
