Growth from within
How coaching inspires and strengthens associates
Self-confidence, visibility, self-reflection – these and many other topics are an integral part of the Bosch Power Tools coaching program. For around five years, the program has been available to all Bosch associates who are facing change, want to develop personally, strengthen their resilience or better resolve conflict situations.
The environment in which we operate, both professionally and personally, is becoming increasingly complex. This results in numerous individual challenges to which there is no ready-made answer – everyone has to carve their own path. Solutions often lie in profound changes in behavior, breaking patterns or in thinking differently about ourselves and the context in which we find ourselves. In these cases, coaching can help.
Support in finding solutions
The coaching program at Bosch Power Tools was launched around five years ago. Today, 18 volunteer coaches from different areas and countries use their knowledge to support associates in one-to-one meetings who are confronted with changes in their professional environment, for example, or who want to deal with topics such as stress management, work-life balance or feedback culture. The needs are as diverse as the associates themselves. The coaching service is free of charge, confidential and can be used without the manager's approval. The commitment of the coaches is voluntary, but at the same time professional – all coaches have certified training and are regularly coached themselves.
Courage is the first step
Petra Maier, responsible for risk management at Bosch Power Tools, accompanied product manager Benjamin Panther as a coach for around a year. Years earlier, she herself had been a coachee in a professionally challenging situation that required her to adapt to constantly changing work structures within a very short space of time. "The process gave me clarity, I reflected on what motivates me and was ultimately able to develop solutions to achieve positive changes," she says. The topics of personal development and resilience sparked her interest. What gives people stability in turbulent times? When she was increasingly asked for personal advice by people around her, she decided to train as a mindfulness-based, systemic coach.
Petra is a manager and says: "During the very intensive training, I learned a lot about myself and my role as a manager. Also about ways to support people even better in developing their potential." She spent a year and a half preparing for coaching practice in numerous webinars, face-to-face trainings and teaching coaching sessions. She has now accompanied many coachees and knows: "It takes a bit of courage to take the first step". But this courage pays off.
Room for self-reflection
Coaching provides space for self-reflection and is individually tailored to the needs and goals of the coachee. New thought processes are initiated to better recognize and utilize one's own resources and strengths. It is often about certain patterns of how people react to others and their statements. "One client, for example, had difficulties dealing with pressure. Together, we analyzed why deadlines cause her a lot of stress and identified ways to deal with it better. A lack of boundaries within one's own team is another common situation that can be perceived as a burden," says Petra. "Understanding these patterns can be the first step towards the desired change." A variety of methods and questions trigger a development process: "For example, I use systemic practice methods, that means measures to view and visualize situations holistically. I also use mindfulness exercises to give my coachees impulses for new ways of thinking and seeing things," explains Petra.
Pursuing goals together
For Petra, coaching has long been a topic close to her heart. But Benjamin, her coachee, has also discovered new paths for himself through the one-to-one sessions. "I had only been at Bosch for a short time, in a different industry than before and with a new area of responsibility. I used the job change to take stock of my personal situation and question what I wanted to do differently in my new working environment. I came across the coaching offer by chance," says Benjamin.
"The coaching was more about becoming aware of my strengths and how I can use them – less about learning new skills," says Benjamin, describing his inisghts. But the whole thing is not a sure-fire success. "I had to work on myself a lot, push forward what I had learned on my own and pursue the goals I had set myself. Petra supported me methodically and provided input, which enabled me to look at issues from a new perspective. Thanks to the protected environment, I was able to quickly build up a relationship of trust, which is important for an open exchange." What have the coaching sessions taught him for his day-to-day work? “I am much more likely to question how I approach things, how I communicate, how I structure my resources, and ultimately how I can work more efficiently.”
Summary
Whether private challenges or in everyday working life – for some years now, Bosch associates have been able to take advantage of free and anonymous coaching sessions. 18 trained coaches provide assistance in finding solutions in individual one-to-one meetings.
