CoachHub on the Value of Business Coaching and Why Web Dev and Engineering Leaders Should Invest In It

TL; DR: CoachHub presents an online platform that connects professionals with more than 3,000 globally dispersed, highly trained, and professionally certified business coaches. The digital coaching platform uses artificial intelligence to connect individuals with coaches whose backgrounds and skill sets will best serve the professional development needs of the client. Both individuals and their employers benefit from business coaching, and companies who choose to invest in CoachHub as an employee benefit see continuous returns — from 37% to a whopping 560% ROI. If you’re a hosting administrator, software engineer, or IT professional, consider the investment to accelerate your career path.

A few years back, I was contacted by a company that wanted to outsource some project management tasks as the engineering and product teams geared up for a big launch. It was a short-term gig, but the gaps in operational efficacy were quickly apparent.

One manager was constantly being pulled into other departments; professional boundaries were busted left and right. Another executive was stretched way too thin — taking on too many tasks and organizing none of them well. And the development and design teams couldn’t communicate well enough to successfully complete a sprint board, much less increase velocity.

At the time, I just shook my head and executed the tasks of the small role I was contracted to do. In hindsight, I should have recommended professional coaching.

Professional coaching is a relationship in which the coach asks a client strategic questions to determine their current strengths and weaknesses and goals for their professional future; together, the two form a road map to reach those milestones, and the coach helps hold the client accountable, celebrating the victories along the way.

The developers of CoachHub created an online platform that connects individuals with thousands of highly qualified and well-vetted business coaches. The AI-driven platform gives professionals their pick of more than 3,000 certified, highly trained coaches available for virtual meetings hosted in the same online portal.

We sat down with CoachHub’s Debbie Groves, VP of North America, to discuss the value proposition for the engineering and IT leaders in our audience.

Business Coaching is a Strategic Investment, Not a Luxury

Business coaching is often seen as a luxury for high-level executives, directors, or even board members who, frankly, aren’t busy enough. The inherent value isn’t always clearly understood, especially for mid-level managers or team members.

However, as the demands of a growing business and the expectations of its product and engineering teams ratchet up, so does the need for leadership development and professional coaching. According to Debbie, the case for coaching was only made stronger by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting distributed workforce.

“Development of leadership skills across an organization is a big topic right now,” Debbie said. “People are in hybrid situations, perhaps for the first time in their careers, or they’re in a remote role, and there’s a different way of leading and working in those situations.”

And as the digital coaching adoption rates trend upward, the customer return on investment follows suit. According to the CoachHub website, the ROI impact ranges from 37% to a whopping 560% for companies who’ve chosen to invest in services sourced through the CoachHub platform.

Employers see higher employee retention rates, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. Employees enjoy a stronger sense of well-being, as well as practical skills and competencies that further their individual careers.

Coaching is a strategic investment in the development of leaders who, in turn, mentor and contribute to the growth of other aspiring leaders.

Benefits of Coaching for IT, Engineering, and Product Team Leaders

The CoachHub platform uses artificial intelligence to match users with potential coaches, allowing the coaching client to choose the coach whose professional profile and coaching style the client finds most attractive. You can find coaches whose professional backgrounds align with your current role or choose to work with someone whose strengths or communication style complement yours.

But coaching doesn’t just help one identify and work toward goals. Most IT professionals already know where they want to go in their careers. Coaching accelerates the route from ideation to realizing your professional aspirations.

For example, a fruitful relationship with a career coach can help you identify:

• Your strengths and weaknesses as an individual developer or project contributor, as well as your core competencies and skill gaps as a leader
• Patterns of behavior that may be inhibiting career advancement opportunities
• Avenues for professional growth, including continued education, certifications, or mentoring relationships
• Frameworks for making smarter strategic decisions at a faster rate
• What you truly want from your next role or opportunity (Get unstuck!)

Ultimately, the goal of a professional coaching relationship is to propel you to where you want to be in your career. If you’re at a professional crossroads or feel stuck in your current position, a coach can guide you to the next step.

Important distinction: Coaching and counseling are not synonymous. Counseling addresses your past; coaching focuses on your next steps and how to move forward.

Taking a “Multipronged Listening” Approach to Solution Innovation

When it comes to product development, or “solution innovation,” as Debbie puts it, CoachHub focuses on the same questions savvy managers reflect on regularly.

“(Product) innovation is going to come from a couple of angles,” she said. “How are we driving that question around ROI — the metrics, measurements, reporting, and dashboarding? And how can we evolve that to be more predictive in nature?”

CoachHub is committed to helping both coaches and clients achieve professional success with the assistance of a digital platform that matches qualified coaches with professional development goals.

“We’re strongly client-centric,” Debbie said. “We are listening to customers through a variety of avenues.”

CoachHub employs client support and coach relations, as well as product and technical teams, whose workflows collectively deliver a client-focused platform. Debbie called it a “multiprong listening strategy” that informs the coaching lab, or the company division responsible for overall product evolution. And, according to Debbie’s hints, there are only exciting updates to come from CoachHub.

Take Your IT Career to the Next Level with CoachHub

If you’re a web developer, software product manager, or other IT professional interested in accelerating your career path, consider investing in business coaching. The CoachHub platform will connect you with an ICF-certified coach who can help you reach new heights of success professionally and proactively plan for the career you want to build.

Whether you’re eager to make a career change or excited to expand your knowledge in a specific area, coaching can help you get there. Maybe you feel stuck in your current position or haven’t been able to make a career leap in longer than you care to admit. A competent coach can empower you to take inventory of your current situation, determine the best, fastest, or most strategic path forward, and execute. If you’re on the fence, request a demo. You have nothing to lose and only career advancements to gain.