Let us first review the key Characteristics of a situation of a group where conflict is present
Coaching influence on the above
1) Definition of Coaching
The International Coach Federation defines coaching in the following way: “Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.
Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach’s job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has.”
The ICF coaching definition suggests that coaching is partnering with the client and the job of the coach is to bring the best out in the client from the skills, knowledge the client already has.
This cannot be more truer in a situation where there is conflict. The client (group) has all the skills , knowledge , needed to resolve the issue, they are probably looking at the problem from a different perspective. If the coach can help alter the perspective there is every possibility that the client can look at his individual issue as a opportunity for the group.
Let us also examine the ICF defined competencies the “Coach” should have and how those competencies can help the client in a conflict Management Situation
A. Setting the Foundation:
The coach will emphasise and demonstrate the ethical standard that will be practiced all Through. This is an important competency as in a conflict coaching environment, no one individual or group needs to be felt that the coach has mandate for others. The clarity of understanding that the coach is not an “Arbitrator” in conflict cases will also help immensely for building a non threatening environment
B. Co creating the Relationship:
A successful beginning is one which is created on trust and intimacy. By achieving this the coach will ensure that the client will get comfort that the openness in the relationship is non threatening and will not be “misused”
C. Communicating Effectively
- Active Listening :- The biggest enabler for conflict to happen and continue to simmer is that there is very poor listening within the stake holders. The Coach who listens with a fresh and new “ear” and an open mind in all probability be able to start thinking in the speaker as he is being listened to without a counter argument coming
- Powerful Questioning :- Active Listening can allow good , pertinent questions to be asked. These questions can go to the basic of conflict and challenge where it is arisen from. In a real conflict situation there are times when the group has forgotten the source of conflict in the first place and are holding on to positions even if the source has become irrelevant. This is typically true in Organisations where perceptions are stronger than facts. (The reader can relate to this in case where mergers happen between Global companies , even after years which company employee behaves how, is a gospel truth.
- Direct Communication :- With a positive undertone can help in creating options and persuing the same
D. Facilitating Learning and Results
- Creating Awareness:- These competency is by far the most powerful competency as it will enable the clients in a conflict situation to evaluate sources of information and come with multiple options.
- Designing Action :- The natural outcome will be designing an action plan based on changed perceptions and more clarity..
- Planning and Goal Setting:- The multiple interactions with various stake holders will enable the client individually as well as the group with setting goals which are more inclusive of divergent needs and thereby enabling more ownership
- Managing Progress and Accountability :- The coach will leave the implementing to the clients and allow them to share the fruits of the tree which they have planted together.
Summary
The intent of this article is to bring about the application of Coaching into areas where conflict prevails within a group in Organisations. It is also a submission that conflict ultimately leads to progress and improvement. The basic theme is that conflict is inevitable, it is good and it needs to be managed in a way that it acts as a catalyst for progress and improvement.
It is a seen that Organisations in many cases use the services of Mentors, Counsellors to reduce conflict which is become more personal. There are Organisations which engage consultants to clear the bottlenecks and areas where conflict has become “systemic” and needs some kind of surgical (process) intervention.
This article makes a submission that in all cases conflict needs to be managed and used well and not seen as fundamentally bad and avoidable.
The solution for resolving conflict lie within the group or the individuals. Therefore in all cases , interventions like counseling, consulting may not be able to use the expertise of the group . Coaching, on the other hand will ensure that the final outcome is the result of the efforts and commitment of the group and therefore more permanent and acceptable.