Strengths-based Coaching – part of the Coaching tool kit
It’s all the rage, everyone is doing it, but does it work? This is the question being asked about Strengths Coaching.
For the uninitiated Strengths coaching is framework where the coachee’s strengths are identified early in the program and then become the basis for development & growth for the balance of the programme.
The premise of Strengths based coaching being that you get a much higher participation engagement to the coaching programme by focusing & working on strengths which results in more effective outcomes. In the last 10 years strengths based coaching has arguably become one of the
most popular coaching frameworks used in Australia.
However, in recent times there has been discussions that start to surface questioning the cult like devotion that many practitioners have to the Strengths based philosophy. In a recent HBR article, “Strengths-Based Coaching Can Actually Weaken You”, author, Tomas Chamoro-Premuzic, argues
that focusing on only the strengths of the person not their whole skills level, including weaknesses creates real workplace problems.
Charmoro-Premuzis key concern is that Strength based coaching compares a person’s strengths to their other strengths and ranks them. His point is that the comparison should be to rank the persons strengths against a population benchmark so that the individual gets a perspective of where their
strengths rank in the general world of talent , not just that you are great at some things and not so great on others.
If the areas a person ranks well on strengths that have no relevance to their role, the organisation they work for or even the general community it can create a false sense of competency.
To me it highlights the need to ensure Strengths based framework is part of a total toolkit that provides insight into all the candidates strengths and weaknesses. The skill of the coach is to deliver this information in a way that keeps the coachee engaged, motivated and willing to develop and
grow as a result of learning new skills that work on all their areas.
Emotional Intelligence vs Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Work…
Workforce transformation is accelerating and many roles are being redefined with common themes of Automation and Artificial Intelligence impacting workplaces of the future. At the same time Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is identified as one of the top ten future skills identified for future workforce. As customers or colleagues we’ve all experienced the negative experience and impact of technical specialists, subject matter experts or a Manager with
development gaps in ‘human skills’. Observable behaviours of these EQ skills gaps include common themes where these people seeming more focused on processes, reporting and data than people-based situations and the needs of others.
A recent Workforce of the Future Report from PWC outlines how competing forces shaping automation and reclassification of work provide both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is the implications for the world or work and the opportunity is for workers who develop EQ skills to amplify their comparative advantage in delivering value.
Within the ‘human skill’ category, EQ capability becomes even more valuable over the next decade to differentiate workforce success as artificial intelligence and machine learning take over more routine and methodical tasks. 73% of 10,000 PwC survey respondents think technology can never replace the human mind.
Proactive planning and implementation to develop EQ Competencies in key areas provides measurable value in productivity and performance uplift at individual, team and organisational levels.
As AI and Automation shape the Future of Work, ‘human skill’ development will become increasingly vital and more in demand than ever to meet the needs of labour and global markets . Developing core EQ competencies as part of the focus on ‘human skills’ allows organisations to adapt to the rebalancing of workplace skills and reclassification of workforce roles impacted directly or indirectly by Automation and Artificial Intelligence. Fostering “human skills” creates a clear competitive advantage for organisations. By developing this advantage in the workforce today, business leaders
can develop more emotionally intelligent workers prepared for the future of work as the age of Automation and Artificial Intelligence transforms the modern workplace.