Coaching Styles: Finding the Right Angle on Workplace Learning

Make an Impact When Coaching

Coaching your team is the best way to up your game. However, effective coaching needs time and money. And to deliver a return, identifying the right coaching styles for your particular scenario is essential.

This article aims to give you confidence in making these important choices. To start, we look at coaching styles. Then we look at what coaching is. Next, we consider how coaching differs from training, and can bosses can be effective coaches. (The answer is yes, in some circumstances, but with conditions...)

Finally, it’s impossible to ignore sport’s influence on business coaching. Here, we look at legendary basketball coach Jim Wooden, whose committed coaching served to equip young men for life. Where will your coaching journey lead you?

Coaching Styles Explained

Coaches respond to information about the coachee’s needs and decide the coaching style to adopt. Coaches need to have good reasoning in making their decisions. So let’s explore some popular coaching styles.

#1: Autocratic or Authoritarian:

Here, the coach takes a firm leadership role. They often decide all the coaching methods and processes. All in all, ‘Autocratic’ can sound harsh. However, in some situations, a more collaborative approach wouldn’t be beneficial. For instance, there may be high stress or extreme urgency. Or, only the coach knows enough to make the call.

This is sometimes also known as the command style because it doesn’t involve much input from the team. Instead, it consists of the coach giving commands, which they obey.

Therefore, beware of over-using this style as your only approach. It suits some situations, but not all. Instead, read the scene before using this style for every coaching session you conduct. Know the group you are coaching to make a better decision.

#2: Bureaucratic:

This is rigid, sticking to specific rules, and following a clear model outlining decision-making hierarchies. This style is useful for groups where structure and procedures are important to the team dynamic.

It can be useful when creating a structure for a larger group to avoid too much chaos. However, like the previous example, know the team before always jumping to this style each time. As a result, you will apply this style at the right time, getting the best results.

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#3: Transactional:

A task-driven and time-limited style, this is aimed at promoting performance and avoiding stumbling blocks.

This approach very much focuses on the here and now. Hence, it can overlook future goals and targets of the team. This can be a quick fix for solutions. However, you may need to rethink this approach when looking at long-term plans and growth.

#4: Cooperative:

Here, a cooperative coach shares the decision-making with the team. This is an adaptable and pliable style, that puts the coach in the role of facilitator. They empower team members to be the best they can be. So, use this style with groups that have experience in this form of development. You will see them responding more openly to this approach. However, be careful of using it with any group that is new to coaching as a development tool. They may feel uneasy if they are unsure of how to take part at the start.

#5: Democratic:

Again, the democratic coach follows a self-coaching approach. They make the final decisions, after listening to and considering the team’s thoughts. Democratic coaches outline their objectives but don’t restrict the team to one way of doing things. They let people find their own ways of achieving goals. The principle is to give people accountability and let them say what works for them, and they produce results.

#6: Developmental:

A helping relationship, with the coach identifying the participant’s learning opportunities and supporting their growth. Here, there is a clear roadmap for ongoing development needs over a set period of time. The support is always on offer. However, the participants need to be ready to ask for assistance. In this case, agree to regular catch-up sessions so the support is shown in a relaxed way.

>> Advanced GROW Coaching Cards <<

#7: Laissez-faire:

This is mostly a hands-off approach where the team member can achieve their own goals and priorities with minimal leadership. The client owns the process. Like the laissez-faire management style, some people dismiss laissez-faire coaching as ineffective. However, it offers a degree of ownership, when appropriate.

#8: Nondirective:

The individual or group is the expert and they set the agenda. The coach is there as the facilitator. Check out our article on facilitation.

#9: Submissive:

In contrast to the command style, submissive coaching is when coaches make as few decisions as possible. Coaches provide little guidance in organising activities. Here, they only resolve discipline problems when absolutely necessary. Again, the people being coached are the experts.

#10: Transformational:

Here, there is a one-on-one approach involving building a trusting coach-client alliance, with both agreeing on the goals and processes. We see the coach assisting the client to recognise the changes they are going through and how their emotions and behaviours may impact the overall experience. Therefore, confidence building will be a big part of the relationship in the coach-coachee dynamic.

#11: Vision Coaching:

Here, this coaching style has an emphasis on future thinking which involves controlling the power of thought to shape the future. The more we focus on the desired outcome, the more likely it is to happen.

#12: Holistic Coaching:

Holistic coaching impacts a client’s life by taking the whole person into account. It is concerned with all aspects of their being. There is a focus on balance between the different aspects of the person’s life. Now, the coach can assist the client in maintaining that balance for better results moving forward. Here, coaches will encourage the clients to look at all options available to them for better decision making.

#13: Intuitive Coaching:

Here, this relatively spiritual approach supports clients in developing and trusting their inner perspectives.

#14: Mindfulness Coaching:

This draws on mindfulness practice. It promotes a kind of awareness in which people pay attention to their feelings and thoughts in the moment. They do this without judgement. Mindfulness coaches help clients find a calmer way to respond to stress and feelings of anxiety.

First Step is to Achieve Clarity

Coaching teams and leaders is a big commitment. First, be clear about your coaching goals. Consider, what you want to achieve. “Start with the end in mind” is Habit #2 in Stephen Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit #1 is to be proactive. You’re being proactive, by reading this…

Coaching Styles in the Workplace

Different people respond to different management cues. Therefore, using the right coaching styles will enhance your colleagues’ performance and development, and help them achieve their goals. Incidentally, when you commit to coaching but stay flexible about your style choices, that’s situational coaching leadership. So now you know!

What Actually IS Coaching?

Coaching is a professional, helping relationship, focused on the coachees, the people you’re coaching. Coaching is a two-way street: the coach responds to information about the coachees’ needs. In return, they receive help through active listening, considered questioning or specific guidance. Or better still, all three.

Talking of guidance, the GROW model is a simple process coaches use to lead clients towards a goal. ‘GROW’ is an important part of Making Business Matter’s offering as a soft skills training provider.

Obviously, coaches have an important role to play in developing others to achieve company results. For great results, align individual goals to those of the company. Also, think of the big picture. For example, think about where we develop others to stay ahead of the competition. These could be soft or technical skills. Either way, the coach plays a vital role. Therefore, understanding the coaching styles that can be used will be important to achieve the expected goals.

How Does Coaching Work?

The coachee develops a connection with the coach and bonds with them. They recognise the relationship as helpful and commit to engaging. From there, the coaching experience unlocks the coachee’s potential. The coach enables the coachee’s future learning and development options.

In return, the coach guides the team member with clear direction. Here, there is a planned route that the coach will guide the participant on. There are a number of traits that make an effective coach. These include:

• Energy and enthusiasm
• Positivity
• Building trust
• Offering support and encouragement
• Goal-orientated
• Knowledgeable
• Patient

These qualities will enable anyone to have a better chance of success when coaching others.

How is Coaching Different to Training?

Often, coaching and training are used together when discussing development. However, they do have some different qualities. For great results, use a mix of both approaches. Ensure there is a balance between the two areas for greater success.

Training is often knowledge or task-based and can be highly directive. Therefore, it can be more trainer-led than participative in terms of content choice and delivery. It works best when tasks are practical and well-defined, and the group is small enough to supervise individually. Also, training tends to be more team-based. Commonly, you conduct training for groups rather than individuals.

Primarily, coaching is focused on finding out people’s strengths and improvement areas, helping them reach their potential. The process develops people’s ability to act independently and helps them achieve fulfilment, or self-actualisation. Often, coaching is conducted on a 1-1 basis. However, group coaching sessions are also useful.

Remember, these approaches complement one another. Training can focus on the techniques while coaching focuses on the belief in achieving goals and success. Therefore, use both for greater reach and better scope.

Recognising the Importance of Coaching

Coaching is a recognised method of developing individuals’ capabilities to improve the achievement of their employer’s success. The CIPD’s recent Learning & Development Survey suggests 72% of UK organisations find coaching a highly effective development tool.

Coaching as a Management Style

Hay McBer’s theory of management styles classifies coaching as a specific style in its own right. Adopting this management style means you focus on your staff’s long-term professional development. This is really positive because you help them improve their strengths and performance. And, they’ll be loyal.

The Coaching Style of Leadership

Coaching is widely recognised as a style of leadership using collaboration, support, and guidance. For coaching leaders, the focus is bringing out the best in their teams and guiding them to their goals. This leadership style is very different to autocratic leadership, which is about top-down decision-making.

Coaching is also at the heart of servant leadership, creating healthy work environments, where workers feel heard, appreciated, and respected.

What are the Different Types of Coaching?

So, there are several different types of coaching that happen in the workplace and online.

1. Team coaching:

The bulk of the coaching we’re talking about in this article is team coaching. The focus is on engaging and inspiring team members of mixed abilities. Here, we are building confidence and teaching skills. Remember, you’re doing this so they develop and work together towards achieving your business vision. And importantly, you’re encouraging them to grow with the business.

2. Integrated coaching:

This is broader-based leadership development, aimed at mid-level managers and others identified for promotion. This coaching style allows participants to further develop existing skills for enhancement and growth.

3. Executive coaching:

Executive coaching is generally more high-powered than team coaching, though the same coach could provide both services. An executive coach works with executives and fast-tracked individuals to help them gain self-awareness. They also assist with setting goals, helping people achieve their professional objectives, unlocking their potential, and providing support.

4. Virtual coaching:

This type of coaching takes place outside the workplace and can cover all three coaching types we’ve mentioned. Recently, virtual coaching has become the most common coaching type, as a result of the pandemic. We know now that people can be coached online wherever they are, at work or at home.

However, keep in mind that online sessions are not for everyone. Some struggle with the virtual approach. They prefer face-to-face sessions. That way, they have the human element which gives some people more ease in sessions. Therefore, keep this in mind when choosing this approach for you or your team.

Can a Boss be a Trainer or a Coach?

Of course, a boss can train their team. They can also coach them. However, they must commit to the coaching style of leadership in the coaching sessions. It’s important that the coachees relax, to reap the benefit. Coaching can bring up hang-ups about past criticism. During coaching, we need to focus on the moment, and not be distracted by negative feelings from the past.

Negative Coaching Styles

Speaking of negative feelings, negative coaching can have a big impact on people. Negative coaching consists of any behaviour, mental, physical, or verbal, that diminishes someone’s wellbeing in terms of:

• Autonomy – the need to feel ownership of your behaviour.
• Competence – the need to produce desired outcomes and experience mastery.
• Relatedness – the need to feel connected to others.

FRAGILE! Coaching With Care

Many businesses offer their staff counselling to help with life’s problems. This practice is also a form of coaching. These coaching styles include:

• Career coaching.
• Finance coaching.
• Mental health coaching.
• Health and wellness coaching.
• Relationship and family coaching.
• Spiritual coaching.

Coaching by Numbers

2 Types of Coaching

Some people have adopted the following methods:

• Calendar-driven coaching.
• Event-driven coaching.

With calendar-driven coaching, the frequency of coaching contributes to boosting clients’ skills. There are agreed dates when sessions will happen. This allows everyone involved to prepare for each session. Also, it allows for practice during sessions when possible.

Event-driven coaching occurs after something happens to make a particular learning relevant and there’s a “teachable moment.” This can be done on the spot, or as a planned activity after the fact. Either way, these sessions are chances to learn and improve from the experience that is being looked at.

4 Coaching Approaches

Individual coaches each have their own way of working to help individuals reach their potential. Different people have varying levels of assertiveness and expressiveness, which affect how their coachees respond:

• Direct: High assertiveness and low expressiveness.
• Spirited: High assertiveness and high expressiveness.
• Considerate: High assertiveness and low expressiveness.
• Systematic: Low assertiveness and low expressiveness.

For technical subjects, a systematic coach is probably more effective than a spirited one. When stirring people up for a sales campaign, a spirited coach is more appropriate.

Just like the coaching styles we saw, these coaching approaches need to be selected with care. So, think about the situation and the subject at hand. Next, think of who you are coaching. Then, select the approach that suits that occasion.

6 Communication Skills for Coaching

Improving your communication skills will make you a better coach. You need to work on these areas:

• Listen – show this by repeating important points.
• Be credible – practice fairness, and show your own knowledge and skills.
• Use positive judgement – flag up when they’re doing well.
• Make your messages clear and concise.
• Be consistent.
• Share your emotions.

Coaches need to be effective in communication. In that way, they connect better with others. Also, their message, during coaching sessions, is clear. However, coaching, as we said earlier, is a two-way system. Therefore, ensure you use all your skills to keep your communication on topic and easy to follow. You don’t want to confuse anyone with language that can be misleading. I know this from personal experience. When coaching others, listen more and talk less. Let your coachees do the sharing for more of the time. That way, you are getting them to open up and really think for themselves.

Coaching Lessons From Sport

Eventually, any conversation about coaching will draw on sports coaching. The basketball coach John Wooden saw himself as a practice coach, focusing on the process before the game. He taught his teams to do their best, to be the best they could be. Then, they let the result take care of itself. His approach involved:

• Believing, not berating.
• Explaining, not exclaiming.
• Inspiring, not insulting.
• Shouting, but not screaming.
• Process, not performance.

Other coaches also equip their team to manage stress by being tough in practice as they master the process. Then, during the game, they are empathetic. Clearly, there are definitely parallels to apply to business.

Finally: Find the Best Coaching Style

Now, once you’re familiar with the different coaching styles we’ve been reviewing, follow these three steps:

• Identify the client’s ideal learning style.
• Design a plan that will work best for these different styles.
• Lastly, check in regularly and adjust as needed.

Sports coaches’ achievements aren’t always limited to their sport. As we’ve said in previous articles, Gareth Southgate is a bestselling author with his book “Anything Is Possible”. And we don’t know where his career will lead.

So back to coach John Wooden mentioned just now. He went on to develop his Pyramid of Success, a roadmap to being a better person. Specifically, qualities include loyalty, alertness, initiative, enthusiasm, self-control, friendship, cooperation, confidence, skill, team spirit, poise, condition, and competitive greatness.

The ‘Coach Wooden Philosophy’ is summed up in this quote.

Success is peace of mind. It’s a direct result of knowing you did your best to become the best you’re capable of becoming.”

And it all started with basketball coaching. So where will your coaching journey lead?!

And finally, the acronym ‘GROW’ stands for

• Goal setting
• current Reality
• Options
• and the Way forward.

Making Business Matter’s ‘GROW’ and Advanced ‘GROW’ Coaching Cards confirm our soft skills training expertise. We also offer Coaching Skills Training and Executive Coaching courses involving the ‘GROW’ model.

Additionally, for even more useful content on coaching, check out our ultimate guide on Coaching Skills.

Updated: August 2023 by Ailish O’Rourke-Henriette