The aim of coaching managers in business is to help them to give their best to unlock their potential to maximise their own performance.

It is about them learning, becoming more aware of what their possible options are and discovering and deciding for themselves what their appropriate chosen course of action is. It is not about being an expert coach deciding what is best for them and telling them what to do and how to do things.

The premise is that if an individual decides what is right for them, they are more likely to act on their decisions.

In this way it differs much from management training which is often clearly directed towards a prescribed set of learning needs and goals and which sets out specific models, knowledge or techniques to apply in a particular situation. Management training therefore assumes and dictates the core agenda and prescribes a recommended approach or course of action to be followed.

Coaching however does not give the coachee the opportunity to dictate the agenda, it leaves the choice down to the subject themselves, as it does their course of action. Coaching assumes that the coachee will make the best choice for them about the course of action to take from a list of actions generated mainly, but not exclusively from their own thinking. In this way the coachee will be more committed to taking action.

Coaching is also about encouraging a subject to look at what is working well for them and to play to their strengths in developing an action plan.

Management training tends to be undertaken in a group setting, usually with peers from the same or sometimes different businesses, whereas coaching is a 1 to 1 activity with the focus being clearly directed towards the subject.

The follow up of actions for coaching can also be clearer in that the coach will usually make a note of them, send a copy to the coachee and then follow them up at the next session.

In summary coaching is not necessarily a better learning approach for managers than is management training, but it does provide a more flexible, focussed and individual approach. The choice of which one is best for your managers will depend on their needs, circumstances and the objectives of your business.  Our Coaching Your Team to Drive Performance Course has helped many organisations introduce a coaching culture, whereas our team of experienced coaches have provided the coaching support that Excutives, Senior Managers and Managers need to excel.