Introduction
Organizational coaching and leadership development significantly impact the organization’s internal and external performance. Coaching reinforces the positive transformations as it enables the organization to attain strategic goals and objectives, change culture, and improve its leadership capabilities. The programs are crucial in identifying leadership capabilities such as innovation, collaboration, and teamwork. Therefore, it is the organization’s role to determine the best strategies that can be used to attain employees’ full potential. Currently, many organizations are implementing coaching strategies to enhance their performance. However, Microsoft Company has incorporated this culture for more than a decade, and it has proven to be helpful.
Multi-dimensional Executive coaching (MEC)
The MEC is a coaching theory based on organizational and psychodynamic theories. The psychodynamics theory focuses on human behavior guided by conscious and unconscious motivations. The organizational theory is grounded on attaining the stakeholders’ needs by identifying themes helpful in maximizing the organizations’ efficiency and productivity (Giraldez-Hayes, 2020). Microsoft has a culture that lies within the strength of its employees. The organization believes that everyone can learn, change and grow (Empowering our employees, 2022). Employees can be nurtured to meet the organization’s expectations without fearing failure. The company has attributes that guide growth, including the obsession with what the customers prefer, making a difference in clients’ lives, employees, and the world, working as a single entity, and inclusivity in all their activities. This enables the company to maximize employee potential, thereby promoting their performance.
Behavioral Leadership Theory
This theory postulates that leaders are made depending on their actions in their workplace. This theory shows that leaders are not naturally made, but one must learn specific characteristics and behaviors to become an effective leader. It helps evaluate a person based on their behavior in a given situation (Bakari, Hunjra and Niazi, 2017). It is applicable in many areas as it strengthens the idea that leaders can be created by reinforcing certain behaviors that make them suitable in certain areas. Microsoft Company is setting up a growth mindset culture where the leaders in the organization do not have to be naturally made. The company’s CEO believes that its culture of enhancing learning and creativity is significant in creating leaders. The outcome is portrayed by several programs that the organization has been running. The hackathon Microsoft annual program gives the employees a chance to display their leadership abilities by collaborating in multiple disciplines and promoting idea development. The idea can positively impact society or the company’s business (Best practices for coaching, 2021). The team is allowed to create a business plan or prototype-based countrywide, and the company sponsors the winning teams to build their project.
Significance of Coaching and Leadership Development at Microsoft
Coaching has a significant impact when deployed in an organization. First, coaching has a positive impact on the performance of the employee. This enhances their skills, making them comprehend their organizational roles (Zuniga, Castillo, Montana and Castillo, 2019). Most organizations hire employees who have performed well and provided an impeccable impression during their interviews. However, when in the office, these employees tend to have a poor performance than expected, and coaching helps attain the acceptable threshold. Furthermore, it enables the employees to have a different thought regarding company goals, working per the set organizational criteria. Microsoft Company has a significant record of enhancing employee performance through coaching programs. These programs have made the company transform its employees into successful pioneers, enabling them to compete effectively.
Second, it promotes attaining the organization’s business goals and personal goals. This is enhanced by the organization’s culture that focuses on promoting everyone. The career development program in coaching enables the employee to have an in-depth analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, making them tackle their challenges and reinforce their strengths. Employees enjoy being in an environment that helps them grow rather than developing the organization without having time for themselves (Graen, Canedo and Grace, 2020). Microsoft has implemented various corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs that enable employees to focus on their personal development. This has changed their views regarding the organization, enabling them to achieve and surpass its goals. The leadership development skills that their employees have reinforced are an added advantage towards attaining business goals.
Third, it promotes the development of stronger team bonds between the employees and the organization. The employees become comfortable with the company’s management, making them reach out to the organization whenever a problem arises. They feel included in the organization framework and not as a tool whose role is to enhance productivity (Weber, Büttgen and Bartsch, 2022). Furthermore, it provides easy transfer of information between the leadership and the employees, making them feel responsible for the organization. Microsoft Company has created a powerful bond between the organization management and the employees through its multiple coaching programs that enhance employee engagement in the organization. The employees have become their competitive advantage in the market.
Fourth, it enables the organization to have open communication between the management and the employees. Honest feedback is a significant factor in enhancing the organization’s performance, as among the reasons that promote organizational failure are communication issues (Taylor, Passarelli and Van Oosten, 2019). An organization where leaders and managers can have open communication enables the employees to point out problems that affect their performance. This allows identification of the problem early, thereby making possible interventions. Microsoft has created a powerful bond between the organization and the employees through coaching and leadership development programs, enabling them to have open communication that promotes their performance.
Fifth, it promotes the employees’ problem-solving abilities by expanding their skills. They are essential to the organization as they instill confidence, promoting productivity (King, Norbury and Rooney, 2020). This enables the employees to tackle challenges they face without stopping the work progress as they can find the solution without waiting for the organization’s intervention. It has promoted the growth of Microsoft organization as employees have been trained on how to solve problems hence reducing time wastage.
Lastly, it promotes employee engagement as coaching increases their retention making them have desirable qualities that the organization requires to enhance its productivity. The company’s financial performance is improved because of the increased productivity (Raes, De Jong and Bruch, 2021). Microsoft Company has a significant increase in its revenue because of its human capital. The organization operates in a technological industry that is hugely dependent on the employees’ skills. This has promoted their performance as they can expand their business environment with reliable employees.
Conclusion
In conclusion, coaching and leadership development is vital for organizational success. This is because it drives most of the factors that promote the productivity and success of the organization. These factors include improvement in employee performance, increased goal achievement, creation of team bonds, establishing open communication and honest feedback, promoting the development of problem-solving skills, and enhancing employee engagement. Therefore, it is crucial for organizations to incorporate this strategy as the benefits surpass the costs.
Reference List
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Docs.microsoft.com. 2021. Best practices for coaching. [online] Web.
Giraldez-Hayes, A., 2020. Coaching & mentoring research. A practical guide. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 14(1), pp.103-105.
Graen, G., Canedo, J. and Grace, M., 2020. Team coaching can enhance psychological safety and drive organizational effectiveness. Organizational Dynamics, 49(2), pp.1-13.
King, E., Norbury, K. and Rooney, D., 2020. Coaching for Leadership Wisdom. Organizational Dynamics, pp.1-12.
Microsoft. 2022. Empowering our employees | Microsoft CSR. [online]
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Taylor, S., Passarelli, A. and Van Oosten, E., 2019. Leadership coach effectiveness as fostering self-determined, sustained change. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(6), pp.1-10.
Weber, E., Büttgen, M. and Bartsch, S., 2022. How to take employees on the digital transformation journey: An experimental study on complementary leadership behaviors in managing organizational change. Journal of Business Research, 143, pp.225-238.
Zuniga, A., Castillo, M., Montana, E. and Castillo, G., 2019. Influence of managerial coaching on organisational performance. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 13(1), pp.30-44.