Coaching and mentoring as a tool for improving performance

Many might think that coaching and mentoring techniques are the latest in a long line of fads adopted by businesses trying to get ahead of the game. However, a significant number of law firms are buying into the idea and it’s proving hugely popular at the assistant/associate level. Lena Baillie, an HR consultant at Longbridge International, examines the firms that are using coaching and mentoring to improve their working culture.

Current trends

Coaching and mentoring are the current buzz words within performance management and a recent study by the Institute for Employment Studies found that 69 per cent of organisations currently employ external executive coaches with a further ten per cent expecting to within the next three to five years. The study also found that 94 per cent of managers expect to coach their own staff.

What is coaching and mentoring and how do the two differ?

Coaching is defined as: “Helping professional people to reflect upon their work in a frank and vigorous way and to establish new patterns of behaviour as a consequence”, (Sanger et al, 2000).

Fundamentally, it is often short-term, paid-for, goal-specific, action and performance oriented. In contrast, mentoring can be described as a process that supports and encourages learning to happen, thus it looks to long-term improvements in performance and behaviour.

Coaching and mentoring in law firms – why use it?

Coaching and mentoring is experiencing a surge in popularity in all organisations, but this is currently even more pronounced within law firms. The reason for this is the increasing need for partners to possess and to encourage others to develop soft skills such as communicating, receiving and giving feedback. With the ‘new breed of employee’, there is also an increasing need to develop staff, rather than simply providing them with higher financial rewards. Coaching and mentoring can be a cost-effective way of meeting staff development needs, particularly if partners are trained as internal coaches or mentors.

The current high level of interest in coaching and mentoring has led to the phenomena of ‘coaching envy’, and what used to be seen as a tool for addressing poor performance is now frequently being made available to high potential employees to enable them to reach their optimum level of performance as quickly as possible. It is no surprise, therefore, to find that the most common use of coaching and mentoring within law firms is at assistant/associate level, (Longbridge/ Performance Management Forum research 2002). It is also becoming common to find psychometrics (particularly personality questionnaires) used alongside coaching as an initial diagnostics tool with the individual being coached.

When we consider how many firms are now using coaching and mentoring, the research shows that 73 per cent have a system in place, the remaining 27 per cent are looking to introduce a system within the next two years.

Common issues and concerns to consider

When considering the provision of coaches for partners, it is most common to find these from an external source as this has the benefit of impartiality and one can select a coach that better matches the personality of the partner. Currently, external coaches are sourced largely from academic networks or from business schools but it can sometimes be difficult to find good-quality coaches. It is important to draw a distinction between career coaches and life coaches, the latter being of much less value to the firm and its performance. It is also essential that there is a good fit between the coach and the individual, allowing them to build a level of trust and rapport.

Internal coaches tend to be senior human resources staff or partners. Suitable partners are selected by human resources or nominate themselves. It is most common to find individuals nominating themselves for the role of coach or mentor if they feel they have the necessary level of interpersonal skills.

When selecting an internal coach or mentor, the most appropriate factors to take into account are seniority and status and it is important to select individuals committed to employee development and with appropriate levels of ability and energy. It is also crucial that the individuals selected are approachable.

The downside of using internal coaches and mentors is that time pressures and lack of commitment can prevent a coaching and mentoring session from taking place. It can also sometimes be difficult to make the distinction between what to advise upon and what to pass to the line manager.

The benefits to law firms

The most popular reason for introducing a coaching and mentoring system is to accelerate development, (Longbridge/Performance Management Forum research 2002), but it is also common to find coaching and mentoring being used for implementing change and helping to address the strategies for coping with change, at a personal level. Some firms have also found that its use does help to improve staff retention. With these factors in mind, it is, therefore, most common to use coaching and mentoring with assistants and associates, although a significant number of law firms are also using it at partner level.

The most recent research shows that six per cent of firms that use coaching and mentoring rated it as very successful, 27 per cent as quite successful, 20 per cent as moderately successful and 20 per cent were unsure. Interestingly, no-one rated their scheme as extremely successful, but neither did they rate it unsuccessful.

Specific benefits that can be seen within a firm are knowledge sharing, the opportunity to have a career discussion in a non-threatening environment, fast track development of key employees, enabling change and improved communication.

The future of coaching and mentoring within law firms

For many law firms, a coaching and mentoring system is something that they have recently implemented, so many are yet to see the true benefits. Others are on the cusp of considering whether to introduce such a system.

Clearly, the fostering of a ‘coaching culture’ within a firm is an indication of commitment to employee development. In this current economic climate, where high potential employees seek career progression and are no longer motivated simply by bonuses and benefits, such a scheme can be extremely attractive to potential employees. Most importantly, it can enable a firm to take those vital steps towards becoming a ‘law firm of choice’.

Lena Baillie is an HR Consultant at Longbridge International. She can be contacted at: lbaillie@longbridge.com