New Research Shows Links between Leader Coach-like Behaviors, Trust, and Organization Performance

SAN DIEGO - Jan. 10, 2017 - PRLog -- The Ken Blanchard Companies®, a global leader in management training, released the findings of its research that shows using coach-like behaviors builds trust. It also shows that employees who trust their leaders perform better and are less likely to leave the organization.

The Blanchard® study measured the impact of leader trustworthiness and coaching behaviors on employee intentions. The analysis revealed a large degree of correlation between trust and an employee's intent to exert discretionary effort, to perform, to endorse the organization, to remain with the organization, and to be a good organizational citizen. High scores in the five intention scales indicate high levels of work passion.

Further research showed that managers who use coaching behaviors create positive emotions in their followers, and that positive emotions result in high work intentions and the desire to go above and beyond for their organizations.

Although evidence paints the picture that being trustworthy is an important attribute, leaders often fall short in this area. According to Tolero Solutions, 45 percent of employees say lack of trust in leadership is the biggest issue impacting work performance. In addition, while 73 percent of organizations recognize coaching as a top leadership need, only five percent have actually trained their managers on how to coach team members.

As Blanchard launches new versions of Building Trust and Coaching Essentials®—two of its core leadership training programs—it challenges organizations around the globe to educate their leaders on how to build trustworthiness and use coaching behaviors in their day-to-day management of people. The two programs have been revised to provide a more engaging learning experience. Updates include more robust, interactive, practice-focused designs, with new videos and dynamic activities to help master skills, and fresh materials along with detailed leaders' notes so trainers don't need training.

Building Trust (http://www.kenblanchard.com/Products-Services/Leadership-...) is a simple yet powerful training program that helps individuals build or rebuild interpersonal trust using an easy-to-remember framework. Designed as ahalf-day session, the program can be used either as a stand-alone training or as part of a larger training initiative.

"Having the demonstrated ability to do one's job, being someone others can count on, and being honest, compassionate, and fair are all ways a leader can build trust with their direct reports," said Randy Conley, Trust Practice Leader, The Ken Blanchard Companies. "When individuals have trust in their leaders, they have higher intentions to remain with their organizations, put forth discretionary effort, endorse the organization as a good place to work, and behave in ways that benefit the organization."

Coaching Essentials (http://www.kenblanchard.com/Products-Services/Leadership-...) teaches leaders a mind-set, key skills, and process they need to accelerate development and bring out the best in their people. The one-day design can be used as a stand-alone training or as part of a larger training initiative, with no training for trainers required for either option.

"Coaching is a deliberate process using focused conversations to create an environment that results in accelerated performance and development," said Madeleine Homan Blanchard and Linda Miller, authors of Coaching Essentials. "In order to become more coach-like, managers must move away from some of their natural tendencies—telling people what to do, making assumptions, and solving problems—and instead adopt a coaching mind-set, asking what needs to be done, brainstorming, checking in when something feels off, and helping others solve problems."

Individuals who perceive their managers as exhibiting coach-like behaviors have high levels of trust in their leaders. However, there must be an existing level of trust in a relationship to engage in a coaching management style. People who trust their leaders have more desirable performance outcomes, and their organization's objectives are reached faster. These two aspects of leadership are critical and interconnected for managers to be effective with their people.

Product Availability: Building Trust and Coaching Essentials programs are now available; contact a Blanchard sales representative at 1.760.233.6725.

To download the research reports visit www.kenblanchard.com/Leading-Research/Research

Note to editor:
Drea Zigarmi, Senior Consulting Partner, The Ken Blanchard Companies, is available for interviews on the Blanchard research study.

Randy Conley, Trust Practice Leader, The Ken Blanchard Companies, is available for interviews on Building Trust.

Madeleine Homan Blanchard and Linda Miller, authors of Coaching Essentials, are available for interviews.

About The Ken Blanchard Companies
The Ken Blanchard Companies is the global leader in management training. For more than 35 years, Blanchard has been creating the best managers in the world, training over 150,000 people each year. From the award-winning First-time Manager program—based on the best-selling business book, The New One Minute Manager®—to Situational Leadership® II, the most widely taught leadership model in the world, Blanchard is the provider of choice of Fortune 500 companies as well as small to medium businesses, governments, and educational and nonprofit organizations.