Once qualified, pilots require regular annual testing:

- Medical assessments

- A ‘line check’ whereby an examiner observes you controlling the aircraft

- Emergency procedures check

- Technical proficiency

- Winter operations

- Dangerous Goods

So many important jobs make use of OBSERVATION as a way of guaranteeing the quality, especially when lives and livelihoods are at stake. And the observer is a trusted expert - someone who can be relied upon to maintain both quality and safety of people doing the role day in, day out.

So why don’t we see Leaders being observed, whilst they lead?

Did Leadership somehow miss the memo? Or worse, did Leaders decide for themselves that observation, feedback and coaching whilst they went about doing their job, was too uncomfortable, too awkward, or better placed hidden away from the workplace in the pastry-laden rooms of a fancy hotel?

However it happened, I’d like to suggest that there’s another overlooked implement, buried at the bottom of the leadership development toolkit, which could help organisations to create better leaders, at a faster rate. Sometimes known as ‘Shadow Coaching’ or ‘Observational Coaching’, there are huge benefits for individuals and business performance, if organisations can create a learning culture in which leadership improvement, through shadow coaching with a trusted expert, is welcomed rather than eyed suspiciously.

If there are leaders in your organisation who are struggling, shadow coaching can act like mentoring, to feel like there’s help in your corner. If there are leaders in your organisation who are motivated but lack the skills to communicate with the clarity of a leader, shadow coaching can provide the specific skills and practise needed. And if there are high performing leaders in your organisation who need stretching with some honest feedback - you guessed it - the observation of a trusted expert can help them too.

Whatever development headaches you face as a Learning & Development professional, this curious rusty tool at the bottom of the toolkit can help - IF THESE SIMPLE PRINCIPLES ARE IN PLACE:

1) The learning culture is fertile - leaders have to want to improve. The culture of the organisation has to value learning & growing. if the Shadow Coach is seen as a spy, a snitch or a know-it-all rather than a valuable learning intervention, the initiative is unlikely to take.

2) The Shadow Coach is skilled - leaders are normal people - they’re dealing with life - being able to handle professional and personal conversations in a way that builds trust, is super important. Most Shadow Coaches only focus on work-based scenarios, but given the impact of mental health & wellbeing in the workplace it is now essential for Shadow Coaches to be skilled at WHOLE PERSON CONVERSATIONS. That’s why I qualified as a hypnotherapist, stress management specialist and mental health first aider. Obviously, excellent Coaching & Mentoring skills are a given, alongside the mental agility to extract the learning from the coachee at every unforeseen opportunity

3) Outcomes are Measured & Evaluated and iterative - There is very little research on the statistical benefit of Shadow Coaching. However, Shadow Coaching in real time is a much easier place to measure behaviour change than traditional executive coaching methods. Observing a live situation, evaluating first hand the way that a leader communicates assertively in a challenging conversation, there’s no where for the leader to hide - there’s either improvement or there isn’t. And the outcomes then iteratively seed the next phase of learning - the continuous improvement cycle !

Following these 3 principles will give organisations a great head start in leveraging a much under-utilised method of Leadership Development. It can be one of the fastest and most effective ways of developing leadership in action. And it’s much needed. The ‘State of Leadership Report 2018’ from Harvard Business Publishing found that two-thirds of participants on leadership development programmes admitted their leadership skills HAD NOT improved upon returning to work.

We must keep innovating !! And Shadow Coaching is the tool we should use to do it

Simon Thomas is a leadership development specialist, shadow coach, hypnotherapist and speaker. He believes that people deserve better quality leaders, and that leaders deserve the best quality training & development. Simon believes in bringing leadership development to the front line - in the moment when busy leaders need it most

Let’s Connect: simon@optimuslearning.co.uk 07947 479175