There are two types of popular coaching in the corporate environment: Transactional and Transformational.
In the Transactional format, coaching is a process where the coach and the coached work mostly at the rational level, addressing the logical and rational part of the conscious brain. When applied to a specific corporate process, this genre of coaching is agile, relatively linear and short to mid-term relative to results. It is best suited to issues associated with practical areas of work where the challenges are related to technical, procedural, and personal challenges involving minimal interrelationship issues. Topics where Transactional Coaching may be easily applied successfully involve:
- Time Management
- Work-Life Balance
- Effective Communication
Changes are primarily in the patterns of execution associated with the performance of personal tasks.
Transformational coaching, on the other hand, is a deeper more profound type of coaching where the coach and coached conduct their dialogue not only at the rational, but also at the emotional level of the conscious and the unconscious brain. This modality also addresses the other two brains in the body, now known to be locations of neural cells networks, the heart and the gut. It is a fact that more information flows from the gut/ heart to the brain than in the inverse route. Therefore, all three body brains must be included in the Transformational coaching process. Transformational Coaching is designed to deal with all dimensions of a human being, not just the professional/ productive executive being coached. It is a more comprehensive approach.
Transformational coaching seeks transcendental changes in behavior patterns, communication styles, emotional intelligence level and even physical conditions.
This manner of coaching is key for cultural changes in the corporation.
This is the one that transforms the organization into the best possible work environment for:
- Leadership
- Creativity
- Innovation
- Engagement
- Employee development
- Efficiency
- Productivity
- Sustainability
In today’s VUCA World (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguous) / Global Economy, more corporations are accepting the Transformational approach to generate the cultural changes required to keep ahead of competition and meet the stakeholders’ (employees, clients, management, other third parties) expectations in business growth, sustainability, and service. This is a reality because of a higher return on the investment (investment vs. benefits) despite a possibly longer investment recovery period.
