COACHING

Singapore - HR leaders need to hone their sense of objectivity before they can successfully handle the conflicting roles of managing performance for the organisation and coaching employees in correcting their flaws.

Nancy Verhoeven, executive coach for Vincere Coaching, and co-chair of the inaugural Asia Pacific Coaching Conference (APCC) 2010, says HR professionals often play double roles at work. Besides being trusted with confidential information in the organisation where employees go to them with any work issues, HR has to play the role of the coach and yet make sure employees are performing. Verhoeven says, "Often when I work with people [in a coaching session], they will say their HR person has ulterior motives because they are also making decisions on performance management."

According to Verhoeven, trainees would question: Can I really be open with HR about my fears or the skills I am not confident in? Will they use that information against me?

Verhoeven says, "It can be a challenge at times for HR because an external coach can listen to the trainee's fears without being seen as judgemental as they don't have to make decisions about the person's effectiveness within the organisation."

But employees might close up when HR attempts to coach them so there is a need to separate both roles with "the right judgement". Verhoeven says, "An HR professional has to come in and be able to wear these two hats with professionalism and trust."

Similarly, there has been a growing trend of more companies in Asia hiring coaches to either improve their employees' efficiency at work or individual personal development, Verhoeven says. With over 278 delegates attending the conference, Verhoeven says the huge turnout shows that employers in both private and government sectors are realising the value of creating a coaching culture throughout the organisation. This helps managers to use basic coaching skills as part of leading a team, she says.

But inculcating a coaching culture starts from the top. Verhoeven says it's important for companies to first make sure senior leaders are effective coaches before filtering the coaching down to the lower levels so "managers are not just managers".

Organised by the Asia Pacific Alliance of Coaches in cooperation with the International Coach Federation (ICF), the three-day conference is currently held at Furama Riverfront, Singapore.

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