with Sean Mohammed of Blue Ocean Contact Centers

Sean Mohammed sat with our COO, Pablo Leites, to discuss how a Coaching Culture has become synonymous with Corporate Culture at Blue Ocean Contact Centers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he’s Senior Manager of HR. He shares his insightful experiences with Alison Hendren and Merv Rogers of Coaching out of the Box®, and how their guidance revolutionized the company’s coaching and client servicing approach.

“Coaching out of the Box® is a tool in the toolbox […]; it covers a very fundamental piece of coaching: how to get the very best out of your employees. They’re usually 99% of the way there already, and it’s about helping them get to those answers. Ours really find a lot of value in it and they enjoy the training. They come out of it with such excitement and want to put the skills to use. It’s so useful for work, and so useful for life, too.”

“Coaching is an evolution,” he states. Coaching out of the Box® training led by Rogers significantly enhanced Blue Ocean’s methodology when culture transitioned to virtual training during the pandemic, still promoting this shift from a supervisory role to a supportive coaching approach that empowers employees to tap into their potential.

“People respond better to a coaching environment.”

The impact of this training was evident among Blue Ocean’s new coaches, who were eager to apply the acquired skills to drive positive change. It’s about sitting down and “listening; [employees] know the answers, it’s their job. And they’re more likely to hit the targets if it’s their idea. So, you ask a lot of questions, let them lead, and don’t feed them information,” he says. It’s a guided conversation.

The adaptability of Coaching out of the Box® seamlessly integrated into their organizational culture and altered Blue Ocean’s coaching narrative. And it isn’t limited to management alone; it’s deeply ingrained in their corporate DNA, now.

“We don’t have supervisors, we have coaches. Anyone in the company who has a people management role is required to take Coaching out of the Box® and be fully immersed in that culture.”

From recruiters to trainers, coordinators, managers, and even the senior team; everyone has embraced this transformative coaching approach, significantly impacting employee engagement and retention.

“Culture is hard to change; it’s taken many years, and it’s ingrained now that Blue Ocean has a coaching culture.”

Coaching out of the Box® fosters this supportive coaching environment, where employees feel heard, empowered, and confident.

Learn more about the benefits of corporate coaching and how Coaching out of the Box® can help positively direct organizational impact with our Corporate Leadership Coaching programs that help empower individuals to take ownership and accountability of their work, fostering a culture of creativity and innovation.