On The Road To Build A Lasting Legacy?

Start by building a strong coaching culture

Do you know that, by 2020, half of the global workforce is expected to be made up of millennials?

Looking ahead, they will surely be leading the way in shaping organisational culture as they aspire to take on greater responsibilities through leadership roles.

Millennials (those born from the early 1980s to late 1990s) generally possess many positive traits that can truly help to drive innovation and create more authentic and meaningful collaborations, as a result of their desire to make a lasting impact on the world.

They also have an insatiable thirst for learning, are fearless when challenging traditional hierarchy, and place a greater focus on getting the work done however and wherever best, rather than worrying about the number of hours put in at the office.

In short, this generation has created a shift in the way we now approach the way we do business.

It’s now all about building relationships, developing authentic connections, and having purpose as a driving force.

All of this is underpinned by the idea that what you get is inextricably tied to what you give to others.

The bright side

With a greater emphasis on building relationships (internally and externally), millennials might have the right attitude and desires when it comes to doing business – but it’s a different thing altogether to be able to package those as practical skills on the ground.

Much has been written about the traits of millennials – and much has been somewhat unfair.

There are many positive and not-so-positive qualities to be found across all generations, and every generation believes the one to follow it lacks in many areas.

Personally, I prefer to focus on the positives.

Even where shortcomings are to be found, surely it’s better to look at how they can improve themselves rather than to criticise through the nostalgic lens of “the good old days.”

One particular shortcoming that’s occasionally pinned on millennials is the lack of “soft skills” such as communication, negotiation, and the ability to focus on one task at a time.

Particularly when it comes to leadership roles, these three qualities are key to being an effective leader.

Thankfully, among the many positive traits of millennials is their willingness to seek feedback and ability to adapt to change.

ITU Pictures: Millennials Jam Workshop

READ: Get A Grip Of Your Millennials

Cultivating the coaching culture

A recent research collaboration by The International Coach Federation (ICF) and Human Capital Institute (HCI) looked at how first-time millennial managers can benefit from coaching and also in being trained on how to effectively use their own coaching skills to help their peers and team members to grow.

As Magdalena Mook, ICF Global chief executive officer (CEO), suggests, “It is crucial for organisations to know how to help them grow and prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the future.”

The research discovered that, contrary to popular belief, there are more similarities across the generations than there are differences.

For example, respondents across a range of age groups considered opportunities to learn and develop as well as flexible working arrangements, as the most appealing benefits within the workplace.

It also implied a strong case for the need for organisations to build a strong coaching culture.

Of the 670 research respondents, 61% of employees were highly engaged, compared to 53% from organisations without strong coaching cultures.

Furthermore, 46% of respondents in companies with strong coaching cultures reported above-average revenue growth for 2016 in relation to industry peers, compared to 39% of those from all other organisations.

Strategic succession planning

It’s certainly no secret that developing a strong coaching culture is one of the central pillars that supports a stable legacy for organisations, particularly when we consider the speed of change and other factors in the business world that now requires a leadership model built on the ability to be agile, authentic, collaborative and empowering.

As observed by the Ivy Business Journal, executives and human resource managers know coaching is the most potent tool for inducing positive personal change, ensuring better-than-average odds of success and making the change stick for the long term.

If leaders of today want their organisations of tomorrow to build upon current successes, we need to ensure there is a leadership pipeline that puts people at the heart of our vision for the long-term.

And while it makes no sense to hand the baton to our future leaders and expect them to run over the same ground we have covered, there are surely many lessons we have learnt that can be offered to the next generation.

This will stand them in good stead as they push for progress and strive to make their mark in the world.

Connecting the dots

The urgent need to build, develop and nurture a strong coaching culture can’t be overstated.

If we leaders are serious about creating a lasting legacy, then it begins by empowering those around us who have a great potential to take the best of what we have to offer and add that to their own unique mix of capabilities and insights.

As a result, they will be able to apply their talents not only to ensuring the growth of the organisation, but to making a greater impact to our communities and wider society as a whole.

This is where they can truly find meaning and fulfilment in the contributions that they make.