his new paradigm in the management of organisations draws attention to the measurement of effectiveness not only through performance, but also by the willingness of their people and their teams to continue to "wear the same jersey" and by the satisfaction of their needs. This paradigm is thus changing the strategy in career management and in the approach to leadership in organisations.
Career management becomes the responsibility of people who have to find a sense of purpose in their tasks, understand interdependencies and find benefits in belonging. Organisations will be responsible for providing them with this discovery of meaning and stimulating them in their development.
Regarding leadership, over the years and throughout different historical frameworks, it has been pointed out as a crucial variable, not only for its social and organisational impact, but also for its effect on people. Nevertheless, in the last hundred years, leadership has been studied as an isolated element, focusing on individual characteristics or differences of the leader.
As we enter the 21st century and observe the emergence of dynamics and complexity, context begins to gain relevance. Although leadership is a crucial element for organisational performance and results, the followers of leaders, their colleagues, their teams, the work environment/context and culture, will have to enter into the equation when leadership effectiveness is required.
This new paradigm by promoting effectiveness within organisations, abandons the search for leadership traits that lead to certain performance, and starts to encourage leadership to use different roles in different contexts. This leadership will be a catalyst in the promotion of meaning and purpose, satisfaction and viability among people and teams, but also in a process of self-discovery.
The dynamics of context matter. At times when digital is the primary context, rapid information gathering and processing, rapid problem solving and rapid adaptability will make the difference, especially within the organisational environment. Effectiveness in organisations comes through a conjunction of influencers, leadership being one of them.
Leadership will not only be the individual leader who carries specific knowledge, skills and attitudes. Leadership is more complex as it must consider all the dynamics (individuals, team, organisation, environment), which will contribute to effectiveness. Thus, leadership must include different functions adjustable to specific circumstances. One of these functions is heralded as coaching.
Coaching cultures are, then, organizational cultures in which leadership uses coaching functions from the top down. They are cultures that use coaching to promote alignment, meaning and purpose, according to their specific needs, strategic objectives, and career development.
How do you know if a company has or is moving towards a coaching culture?
The characteristics of a company with a coaching culture are:
- Positive and emotionally intelligent leadership, centred on the whole and driving the discovery of meaning;
- Everyone within the company is focused on 360° feedback with no defensive response;
- Teams are emotionally involved and full of energy;
- Learning happens, decisions are more effective and change is faster;
- HR processes and systems are aligned and integrate coaching concepts in their definitions and operations;
- The organisation has a coachingpractice and language .
