The Most Customizable Approach For Native American Leadership Development Is Coaching
The development of leaders at various levels of life and development in Native communities is a special need for which coaches are highly trained. That training makes it possible for them to customize their coaching to the individual. Leaders begin developing at different ages, even the very young. Leaders also need to be developed at whatever level of responsibility they hold, either so they can fill those responsibilities more effectively or so they might aspire to grow in their capacity for responsibility. Leaders are also needed in all types of work that Native people are engaged. Whether on a tribal council or working for an arm of tribal government; volunteering or as a paid employee for a non-profit; working on a construction site; every industry and type of work within an industry looks to leaders to help them succeed daily and in the long term.
The nature of coaching is to respond to the agenda, goals and growth needs of the client. When a coach has the life experiences to identify and relate to an individual and the individual is ready to engage in the coaching services made available to them, they will benefit from the coaching conversation. As an example and to emphasize the effectiveness of coaching for those who are not at the pinnacle of organizational charts, note the study done by Marvin on The Effectiveness of Individual Career Coaching for Low Wage Workers. The study focused on kitchen cooks over a period of three months and drew three primary conclusions.
She went on to state “The main themes that emerged in this study were primarily the need to develop both communication and leadership skills, and secondarily the need to focus on goal clarity, financial security, stress management and self-care, and organizational obstacles.” (Ibid)
It would seem that wherever there are people who are given opportunity, responsibility and even the expectation to improve themselves and the lives of those around them, coaching can be used to support and enable them to make those improvements. This is especially true in Native American communities. Coaching provides hope and a tool to enable Native American developing leaders to consider their options, make a decision to act and experience new levels of sustained fulfillment and success.
The Most Accessible Approach For Native American Leadership Development Is Coaching
This final section addresses the ability of the coaching industry to be accessible to developing Native American leaders no matter where they live or what their cultural context. As noted above there are almost 600 Native American tribes in the United States with 52 million people or 1.7% of the population identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native. That is almost half of the United States population! (http://www.commerce.gov/blog/2012/01/26/2010-census-shows-nearly-half-american-indians-and-alaska-natives-report-multiple-ra) Still, most of those tribes have identifiable reservation communities, while many people from these tribes have re-located to urban areas. Many people in reservation communities are distanced both from resources on their reservation, as well as resources off the reservation. In addition to physical distance, there are often cultural and language expanses that exist even for those in urban settings. The coaching profession has the ability to span all those distances naturally in one way or another, if adopted and given the opportunity.
Regarding the challenges of physical distance, coaching is very phone friendly. Many coaches conduct their sessions over audio telephones. According to the International Coach Federation, “52.9% of coaches in the United States conducted their coaching over the telephone” in 2012. (ICF Global Coaching Study, 2012, p. 4) Even without the visual cues of face to face coaching, the ability of a professional coach to tune in to what the client is saying (or not saying) and how they are saying it is extremely effective. And though accessing telephone service is a challenge in some Native American communities, whether reservation or urban, intentional efforts could be made to make communication services available for the purposes of coaching. Also, let us not forget that those leading in providing services in areas such as government or health do typically have communication services readily available and therefore could access coaches by telephone. Therefore, access to coaching does not have to be limited by technology.
Whether technology is a factor or not, one of the best ways to make coaching available to the Native American population is to expand the number of coaches. As that happens, face to face coaching will become more readily available within Native American communities and cultural contexts. Repeating what has been acknowledged by others, Williams reports “Coaching is the second-fastest growing profession in the world, rivaled only by information technology.” (Williams, 2007, par. 1) If coaching is embraced for the developing of Native American leadership and more Native American coaches are trained, coaching will establish a presence and availability to Native American leaders, the benefits of which can be attested by many individuals who have invited a coach into their own life.
A final way coaching can be accessed by developing leaders is by teaching leaders the skill of coaching. In a very real sense, you cannot lead if you cannot coach. Leadership involves many facets, and one aspect that cannot be avoided is that of helping people on your team become effective in their own role as a leader. An essential skill in accomplishing that is to learn how to coach your leaders. Though it takes more time and more work, leaders do not develop other leaders best by always directing their activity. Leaders must help leaders be more proficient as leaders. As Miller and Hall state, “Though coaching is not synonymous with leadership, visioning, managing or shepherding, it supports each of these practices and should enable ministry leaders to practice leadership with greater effectiveness.” (Miller & Hall, 2007, p. 96) As a rising leader, what a true blessing it is when the one you follow and work with is interested and able to draw out and develop the leader with in you, there by not only improving your performance and value to them in the workplace, but helping you reach your potential as a person!