The Power of Coaching and
Follow up: Lessons in strengthening health system performance
Following
various training's in leadership, management and governance in the Eastern region
of Kenya, It evidently showed that coaching is a unique approach to developing health
care providers potential in a more effective and sustainable way. During the
post training coaching, one could not help but notice the uniqueness of making
the follow up coaching sessions to participants in their work place other than
converging them to one venue.
A number of organizations
use a lot of resources for training and updating the health care providers, with
the expectation that the outcome would be positive and sustainable. But in most
cases, change does not happen and when it happens it does so very slowly and
after consuming a lot of resources and time. Upon participating in various
coaching session, the genuine value added by this activity is noticeable as
described below.
Value:
During the coaching session, many team members expressed that these strategy of
coaching after training, made the teams feel valued. The Coaching focused on
practically building the skills and resources of the team. While at the work
place, the teams do not rely
on a review schedule, but now support one another along the path to meeting
their goals. It was easy to realize that the best learning moment for many
teams and the majority of these people were not direct participants of the
training. During coaching, the teams start getting the time and
space to explore areas of their work that get pushed to the side and they start
believing in higher
values like courage and altruism to achieve results.
Team
Work and Mutual Trust: During coaching the direct training
participant are encouraged to involve and invite the larger team and colleagues
at work. This strategy has made the whole team to understand better what is
expected and they were all able to discuss the anticipate had results and
brainstorm on alternative ways to achieve their results. It was realized that coaching
language was adopted within the organization. In one of the health facility,
one nursing officer in charge, once said that “We realized coaching after trainings
was the best way to make follow up for our staffs after continuous medical
educations (CMEs) or any updates. In this way the trained personel gets to
practice what was taught and to demonstrate to others the skill gained” Isaac
Ithiki, Nursing Officer in charge, Siakago Hospital. Most teams that were coached
voiced out the realization of a positive change among all staffs because of continuously
being acknowledged and involved during the coaching sessions and this was building a more workable
workplace.
Enhancing
Governance: During the post training
coaching, the teams understood the value and importance of giving continual
performance feedback to their larger supporting teams, both positive and
corrective. To strengthen performance and support all the teams consistently
gave feedback and meeting held were well documented. The teams focused on progression and this
was a motivation to many.
The coaching provided staffs with the opportunity to grow and achieve optimal
performance through the consistent feedback.
One mistake that a number of Organizations
offering capacity building to health care providers commit is the overlooking
or avoiding the performance issue and assuming the health worker understands
the significance of the training. This is a typical mistake. To support the
team in improving their performance, the trainers must be able to make follow
ups to the institution and recognize the nature of issue, challenges and opportunities
available for enhancing the changing behavior. This can best be done through a
coaching session at the work environment.
Keep Growing and exploring
alternatives: The coaching sessions helped the health care
workers choose sustainable alternatives ways of achieving results. After discussions, a number of teams gave
their verbal commitment regarding what action will be taken and when it will be
taken. The teams explored ways that an issue can be improved or corrected by
brainstorming alternative solutions and maximizing the number of choices to
consider. One facility wanted to meet their measurable result of immunizing
1250 children with Vitamin A. They had a number of challenges and one of them
was the lack of a community unit which could not be formed for that level of
hospital. During the coaching sessions
with the larger team many of who were not the direct participants of the
training, they found a way of linking a dispensary with a community unit, to
the hospital. The team surpassed their target and by the end of 6 months they
had immunized 1608 children with vitamin A and achieved a number of secondary
results too. Dr Ann, the district Medical officer and the acting medical
superintendent, was one of the training participants, and she pointed out that
the coaching that was conducted to all the facility staffs made
the difference and enhanced the team to reaching their potential as high
performers. Dr Ann said “It seems people
fear to ask enough from themselves. When
you stretch yourself, and set higher aspirations, then you know you have it in
you. This achievement was a motivation and inspiration”.
Conclusion
Post training coaching develops the team capability and
competencies allowing people to see new perspectives around their
actions leading to greater performance.
A number of capacity building organizations have expressed their admiration to
using this strategy to strengthen the health workers performance. A Chinese
philosopher, Wang Yang-Ming (1472-1529) believed that knowledge is incomplete
until it becomes conduct, and conduct is not complete until it becomes
knowledge at work. Coaching can be the key to achieve and replicate this
success.
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