Leadership coaching
One-on-one attention shows workers they are valued

Paula Squires
Virginia Business
January 2006

It takes more than a competitive salary to keep good employees. Workers want opportunities for professional development. Otherwise, they’re going to search for greener pastures as an improving economy creates more opportunities.

Enter the leadership coach. Whether hired from the outside or trained from within, more companies are offering “coaches” to recruit and retain employees. The one-on-one attention sends the message that employees are valued and the company is willing to invest in their growth. “We recognized that, in addition to a competitive salary, learning and opportunities to grow are an important consideration in terms of staying with an employer,” says Trish Hollar, chief human resources officer and leadership coach for Bowman Consulting in Chantilly.

Bowman, an engineering design firm with 300 employees, spent $8,000 to send Hollar to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School last year where she took a weeklong course in executive coaching. She’s attended several workshops since and gained certification in the Myers-Briggs personality test, so she can administer it as part of Bowman’s program.

Nationally, the number of coaches is rising. according to the International Coach Federation, a nonprofit certification and training group .

At Bowman, coaching targets experienced managers. So far, nine employees have enrolled in the voluntary program, including CEO Gary Bowman. After signing a contract, participants agree to at least a six-month commitment to improve soft skills including leadership, delegation and organization. Participants take the Myers-Briggs and other assessments, and Hollar gathers feedback on a person’s leadership skills from colleagues, supervisors and even clients. Then, she sits down with the employee, and they develop a plan with specific goals.

There is homework. Employees are expected to do outside reading and keep a journal as they practice new job skills. For 33-year-old Justin Mahlmann, branch manager of Bowman’s Prince William County office, the coaching has been a lesson in self-discovery .“It opened my eyes to my own personality, “ he says, “because it helped me understand why I behave in certain ways.”

When Mahlmann enrolled, he was a senior project manager in Bowman’s Chan-tilly office, supervising a small engineering team of six people. Following a promotion, he now oversees a branch office of 50 workers. After his job changed, so did the emphasis of his coaching. “The coaching helped me transition into this new role,” he says.

In 2005, human resource officials noticed a spike in the number of resignations, as more employees switched jobs in an improved economy. “Those same employees who may have felt grateful to have a job a few years ago are saying, ‘There’s opportunity out there, and I’m going to look into it,’” says Jen Jorgensen, a spokeswoman with the Alexandria-based Society for Human Resource Management. Accordingly, more companies are offering career development — second only to salary — as a means of keeping employees.