Mindbeat’s Partnerships Director, Simon Morris, says it’s time to move the conversation away from how coaching works to what programme building blocks make a real difference.
Are you tired of reading articles extolling the virtues and benefits of coaching? Everyone knows that coaching works, it has been scientifically proven time and again.
When the world was forced online due to the pandemic, not only was there an accelerated need to support leadership development with proven coaching in a digital environment, but there was also a growing demand to help all levels of employees adapt to changing workplace cultures and navigate what was, for many an incredibly challenging time.
As a result, desktop and mobile-first coaching has democratised the provision of high-end programmes. At the same time, Artificial Intelligence has introduced neutrality and increased engagement due to the ‘always-on’ availability of AI support, which helps employees take greater control of their learning and development.
At Mindbeat, we believe it’s time to stop talking about how to deliver coaching at scale and the much-repeated psychology behind coaching’s proven success. Now is the time to explore the next evolution of digital coaching programmes and focus on the available building blocks required to drive individual and more client-centred success.
Ultimately, for digital coaching to effect real and sustained change, the right blend of ingredients is needed, delivered within a structured programme. It’s no longer acceptable to expect unlimited coaching hours to produce the same impact as a tailored programme that uses one-to-one, group sessions, line manager engagement, AI support and associated content.
For digital coaching programmes to continue to evolve, they need to be more blended, targeted and impactful. That’s why we work with clients to determine factors, such as how many sessions individual users need and what those sessions and support look like in a mobile-first world.
A more sophisticated approach to developing a digital coaching programme includes:
Diagnostic and 360 Assessment
Through assessment and diagnostics, employees can identify key strengths and the development areas they need to work on.
Specialist Mentoring and Coaching
Digital coaches provide advice and one-to-one guidance to help employees work through development tasks and overcome challenges.
Group Coaching
Group coaching sessions allow users to talk about their challenges, test ideas and learn from other team members.
Line Manager Engagement
Line managers play an important role by providing feedback, advice, encouragement and direction. Through their inclusion and engagement in group sessions, employees can build more trusted relationships with their line manager, and develop a deeper workplace connection.
AI-powered Support and Advice
An always-on AI coach can ask questions, help users work towards set goals and suggest alternative approaches and solutions.
Learning Tracks, Activities and Nudges
Tailored content can underpin and support employee learning and development throughout their digital coaching journey.
Varying the above building blocks to get the perfect blend achieves more effective results. We see it all the time with our clients – our blended programmes deliver an average of 66% goal improvement, compared with an average of 34% with 1:1 coaching-only programmes.
A more sophisticated and blended approach to building tailored coaching programmes has a more dynamic and sustained impact on professional development and performance, empowering your organisation to produce stronger leaders, thriving teams and better businesses.
Get in touch today to discuss building your sophisticated coaching programme.