The Coaching Revolution in the Federal Government

In 1830 the word "coach" became a slang term used by Oxford University students who suggested that their tutor was the one to carry them through their exam. Using the word "coach" to refer to a "carriage" or "means of conveyance" first appeared in the 1500s and reflected the name of a town in Hungary where wagons were made.

Today, the word "coach" is even more enigmatic. People seek to be transported physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally to a new level of excellence. For example, people hire nutrition coaches, financial coaches, and happiness coaches, just to name a few niches.

The federal government is facilitating an emerging trend to leverage workplace coaches. Traditionally, senior executives were provided with external coaches both as a benefit and for remedial purposes. More recently, agencies are providing coaches for the rank and file: GS 9 and up.

At the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the human resources division asked the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Office to coach three of its leadership development groups: emerging leaders, future leaders, and fellows. This coaching is now a mandatory part of these very competitive programs. FEMA ADR has 12 internal coaches working with more than 100 employees.

As a result of the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act passed in 1990, every federal agency is required to have an ADR Office. If an agency has a well-developed ADR Office, this office will be able to provide an experienced group of conflict coaches. There are popular courses that are offered locally to develop these conflict coaching skills.

Coaching Styles

Conflict coaching begins by identifying the five conflict management styles and deepening emotional intelligence in the workplace. The Thomas-Kilmann Inventory identifies these styles as: domination, accommodation, avoidance, collaboration, and compromise. People identify their default conflict management style and decide whether it is their style of choice for the particular context.

Several other types of coaching are prevalent in the workplace. Life coaching is a form of coaching that looks at the total person and seeks to enhance the person's overall enjoyment of and satisfaction with life. Executive and leadership coaching is generally the appellation used for developing supervisory and management skills. All of these coaching styles intermingle and become indistinguishable at some point.

Despite the different coaching types, all coaching embraces a Socratic epistemology. That means that the client's progress is not measured by healing old wounds as in therapy, or by taking to heart the advice of a more mature and experienced person as in mentoring.

Instead the coach listens, asks powerful questions, and makes cogent reflections that challenge firmly held assumptions. The client creates and then chooses different perspectives, dynamic shifts, and self-empowerment. Questions draw out the client's expertise.

For instance, a coach may ask questions that bring into focus a misalignment of the client's values and commitments and behaviors. I remember the story of a workaholic who, through coaching, could clearly discern that his lifestyle was out of sync with his values. He decided that his role as a good father, as he defined fatherhood, took priority as his number one commitment.

Coaching in the workplace can bring remarkable benefits to the organization. Many articles, books, and studies assert a major return on investment (ROI) for providing coaching to employees.

Coaching is about forward motion and taking action in service of goals and commitments. Many employees become more focused, engaged, motivated, and loyal. Productivity increases and employees become more accountable for their workplace.

I have witnessed dramatic results for people who have been coached. Employees have found the jobs of their dreams; another lost 60 pounds.

Regarding group coaching, I have seen teams reduce their absenteeism significantly, improve their overall communication patterns with leadership, and increase their skills for change management and adaptability. Coaching lends itself to many employment assessments, such as the 360 instrument and the StrengthsFinder inventory, to help people develop their job performance and skills.

OPM Performance Standards for Coaching

Leaders in the federal government are expected to develop their coaching skills. The performance competency that is used in many agencies regarding "assigning, monitoring, and evaluating work" requires "supervisors to train, coach, or mentor team members."

Those who want to take this seriously should consider seeking out a coach for themselves. Indeed Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, states that coaching is crucial to advancing one's emotional intelligence, and suggests that children and adults receive coaching for the purpose of creating and sustaining success.

The Federal Executive Institute (FEI) regularly offers a course across the country titled "Coaching and Mentoring for Excellence." Through FEI, OPM will provide coaches for a fee for agencies.

The Federal Consulting Group (FCG) is a fee-for-service operation within the Department of the Interior. This group is made up of career federal executives who have extensive experience coaching federal employees in managing major programs, process improvement, strategic planning, creative approaches to problem solving, leadership development, and customer and employee satisfaction.

OPM in the Vanguard

Because of OPM, coaching will quickly reach a tipping point in federal agencies. More than a year ago, OPM approached the federal Chief Learning Officers Council (CLOC) and asked to partner in the design of a federal coaching program (the Federal Coaching Network). The CLOC was thrilled with the idea but requested that the effort result in an internal roster of trained and experienced coaches for the federal workplace. These coaches will offer their services at no cost as part of their collateral duties.

During the first meeting of the Federal Coaching Network, the group determined four initial strategic goals:

Develop coaching policies and procedures.Collect and share ROI research.Develop a government-wide database of federally trained and experienced coaches who would coach across agencies at no cost.Train additional internal coaches through an in-depth training program, designed and conducted by federal employees.

In the beginning of 2014, OPM sent a notice to CLOs inviting them to select up to five dedicated employees to attend an 11-day training program spread out over a nine-month period. The participants are required to perform and receive many hours of practice and mentoring outside of these 11 days.

The leaders of this training initiative are in dialogue with the International Coach Federation to have the training internationally recognized and accredited. The leaders also are working with the Center for Credentialing and Education to obtain approval for its Board Certified Coaching credential.

Once a participant satisfactorily completes the program, she will be listed as a federal coach within the Federal Coaching Network database sponsored and overseen by OPM. The training is free, highly selective, and rigorous. Eighty participants and 24 instructors comprise the program this year. It is expected to be offered again in 2015.

There are many excellent coaching models available. OPM selected the GROW model, by John Whitmore, Alan Fine, and Graham Alexander, as its standard. This model is taught throughout the 11-day classroom experience.

GROW stands for:

GoalCurrent RealityOptions or ObstaclesWill or Way Forward.

This singular OPM initiative is well thought out and requires many contributors. OPM is creating a unique tool of support for federal employees, by employees. This comprehensive vision of coaching has never been tried before, and it is exciting to see a nascent idea come to fruition. Indeed, OPM is considering making a brand-new GS series to create a new job classification for coaches.

Federal agencies are finding fresh approaches to assist their employees via coaching. Federal workplace coaching is being used for employees who are in transitions: entering the workforce, leaving the workforce, changing duties, going on a detail or rotation, taking on a new set of duties, or being transferred. The United Nations recently sent out a job announcement to hire coaches to help its people prepare for retirement.

Certain agencies are leveraging coaching in sophisticated ways. For instance, coaching can help with culture change and be used to accelerate learning.

Recently, one agency was under an executive order to produce a quantitative set of positive results within one year. It designed standard operating procedures (SOPs), implemented training programs, and surrounded these initiatives with coaching. Every employee received coaching every week to reinforce the training and SOPs.

They found that coaching helped the agency and individuals maintain their focus and sustain the momentum and motivation to change the environment for the better.

Similarly, a division within another agency had been tolerating poor performance for too long. A new manager took the helm and wanted change. He began by setting forth his values and presenting them in roundtables to his staff.

Then he provided training around his vision. Next he brought in coaches and every manager was entitled to receive coaching to create workplace goals in support of this new initiative. This endeavor was incredibly engaging and brought an uncommon commitment to the new leader.

A futurist from George Mason University, Tyler Cowen, recently predicted that coaching will be one of three of the fastest-growing and most-needed professions in the coming decades. The federal government is way ahead of the curve.

The federal government is starting a revolution that will provide a multitude of internal coaches who will be available for all employees on a routine basis. This is the model for all good workplaces.