Delivering What We PROMISED: Outcomes of a Coaching and Leadership Fellowship for Mentors of Underrepresented Mentees

Research demonstrates that mentorship can significantly improve career success, career satisfaction, and persistence for underrepresented (UR) minority faculty. However, many UR faculty members do not receive the mentorship they need, nor do mentors always possess the range of skills required to guide UR mentees through the unique challenges they face. We developed a 1-year fellowship training program, PROMISED, designed to help mentors promote career self-authorship and leadership among their UR mentees. PROMISED fellows participated in a two-day in-person training to develop career coaching skills, followed by a series of one-month leadership training/mentoring modules. We assessed mentors’ skills at the start and completion of the program. We found that PROMISED fellows reported an increase in perceived skill level in nearly every training topic, with “addressing diversity” demonstrating the most significant change. These results provide evidence that career coaching and leadership training offer an effective supplement to traditional mentor training and that mentors can incorporate these skills effectively into their mentoring practice. Taken together, we believe our data suggest that a program designed to train mentors in coaching and leadership can enhance career satisfaction, persistence, and retention of their UR mentees.

Career development and coaching: Straddling two worlds and bringing them together

This article distinguishes between the areas of professional practice of 'coaching' and 'career guidance', reviewing recent change and noting the emergence of 'career coaching' as a crossover activity. We argue for further integration of coaching and careers work under this label and note some of the benefits for coaches who are working on career development issues to share a theoretical understanding of career development. We flag some attendant risks of not integrating further and note that a learning focus is a potential shared understanding that could be used as a basis for this ongoing integration.

Influence of Coaching on Employee Retention in Commercial Banks in Kenya

Purpose: The main objective of the study was to determine the influence of employee coaching on employee retention in commercial banks. The study specifically aimed to determine the influence of performance coaching, career coaching, life skills coaching and executive coaching on employee retention in commercial banks.Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design and the target population comprised of a total of 306 staff working in the six selected Commercial Banks in Kenya. The selected commercial banks included; Cooperative bank of Kenya Ltd; Kenya Commercial Bank Ltd; Consolidated bank of Kenya Ltd; Standard Chartered bank Kenya Ltd and CFC Stanbic Bank Ltd and NIC bank. The study adopted a probability sampling design by using a stratified random sampling technique to select the sample size of 136 respondents. Questionnaires were used as the main data collection instruments and pretested for validity and reliability using a pilot study. Data gathered was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using tables and charts.Findings: The study findings indicated that performance coaching factors notably, goal setting, feedback, personal development and goals achievement influences employee’s retention in commercial. The study also noted that career coaching ensured that employee personal interests are considered, employee career expectations are met there is achievement of employee personal goals and employees are able to effectively plan their careers. The study concluded that performance coaching is the major coaching method that influences most employee retention in commercial banks, followed by career coaching, then executive coaching and lastly life skills coaching.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that to improve on performance coaching, the bank management should offer performance coaching programmes which equips employees with skills to enable employees to understand organization goals and set their goals and work towards achievement of the goals. The bank management should adopt effective career coaching programmes which motivate employees to stay working in the organization in order to advance their careers. The bank management should provide coaching programmes which ensures that employee personal interests are considered, employee career expectations are met and there is achievement of employee personal goals and employees are able to effectively plan their careers. This will contribute towards employee career development and growth which influences most employees to remain working in organization and hence leading to increased rate of retention