If you are indeed to work your magic as a coach and manager of people, you're going to have to supplant rigid hierarchy with support.

Removing Barriers Between Managers and Employees

Traditional management methods regularly erect proverbial brick walls between managers and employees. If an organization sees fit to christen you a coach and grant you the leeway to apply the tools and techniques of coaching and mentoring, it is in effect saying to you, “Make things work.” And, as a coach, you know what makes things work.

You have to tear down any barriers and implement strong support systems. When you supersede strict hierarchy with support (and this covers everything that we've discussed relating to fashioning a healthy and productive work environment satisfying to your employees), you've taken a giant step in creating a corporate family in the office.

Employing Coaching and Mentoring Across the Board

There are companies aplenty that don't endorse coaching and mentoring, but nevertheless have wise managers at the helm in various places in the organization applying very sound tools and techniques. In fact, it's a very commonplace scenario. But there are inevitable problems in the offing when everyone in the company does not practice coaching and mentoring.

For example, Eva works for Heaven on Earth, Inc., and is delighted with her job and thoroughly enjoys working for her manager, John. She is given increasing amounts of responsibilities and challenging job assignments, and her job has evolved nicely over time. Eventually, John recommends her for a new position in the company, a climb up the ladder.

Eva is overjoyed at the chance for a promotion, and, of course, the nifty salary increase that goes with it. Her only regret is that she'll be leaving John and her coworkers, whom she thoroughly enjoys working with. But of course, she reasons, she will quickly acclimate to her new surroundings. “Don't look back,” her boss John tells her. As a general rule, this is sound advice.

Well, unfortunately, Eva does look back, almost immediately as a matter of fact. Even though she has more prestige and more money in her new position, her superior is no John — not even close. Eva's new boss does not employ anything resembling coaching in his managerial conduct. But how could this happen, you ask? Very easily when the whole of the organization is not singing the same tune.

When one manager is hitting the high notes like a veritable Pavarotti, and another manager is croaking along like Edith Bunker, you've got an organizational problem. Manager John shouldn't be standing alone in a corporate hierarchy, supporting his employees by lending them his expertise and understanding, only to promote them into a work environment that's the antithesis of the positive and healthy one he presides over. This runs counter to the totality of coaching and mentoring; coaches have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that their employees have a place to go in the company — a place that will further their growth and not stunt it.