The Chamber of Mines of Peru disseminates this discipline to improve safety in mining operations.
During the last few years, most mining companies have seen a reduction in their profitability level. This is due to the crisis that the sector is going through, which makes it impossible to achieve all the objectives set. However, a discipline is gaining more and more relevance among companies. We are referring to the application of ontological coaching to obtain greater profitability.
It has been demonstrated the need to implement new mechanisms that contribute to achievement of the maximum performance standards of workers. Therefore, one of the tools designed to contribute to the achievement of this objective is the aforementioned process. An emerging professional discipline that provides assistance so that human groups can identify and overcome those elements that become obstacles; so that they can reach their maximum performance.
The Chamber of Mines of Peru, as part of its commitment to the development of mining, contributes to the dissemination of new techniques that allow obtaining the best possible results from workers.
For this reason, the institution will develop the conference: «Ontological Coaching and Personal SWOT for the Integral Development of the Mining Professional». This outstanding presentation will be given by Mr. Carlos Castagnola Sanchez, Senior Management Advisor of the Chamber of Mines of Peru.
The presentation will also be part of the I Seminar «Effective Strategies to Achieve Success in the Mining Sector». This event will be held on June 24 and 25 at the Raul Porras Barrenechea Hall of the Congress of the Republica.
Ontological coaching is a discipline that provides a different way of interpreting human beings. It analyzes the way they relate, the way they act and the way they achieve the goals they set for themselves, their companies and society. This method focuses on achieving organization-wide goals, principles and values. This means that managers must support workers in achieving objectives.
«Ontological coaching is directly involved with everything that has to do with achievements towards the future. It consists of assisting a person or group so that they can achieve goals that seem unattainable. It is related to a paradigm shift,» says Mr. Castagnola.
«This method has a fundamental philosophical root that emphasizes the importance of language in the nature of the human being. Moreover, it indicates that this element serves to represent what is happening outside. In other words, the human being does not have direct contact with reality, but with the interpretation he makes of it. Then, it would be affirmed that we can claim that we are and achieve what there is in our conversations; not only the conversations we have with others, but also with ourselves. In conclusion, it can be said that this model is based on the capacity to obtain extraordinary achievements; from producing changes and working with our conversations», concludes the Senior Management consultant.
This practice has become increasingly important in recent years. It is therefore a clear sign that the world of work is abandoning the old model of the industrial revolution, in terms of management and leadership. It is important that those in management positions develop coaching skills; allowing them to understand what is going on and identify what is missing in order to obtain the desired results.
The importance of applying ontological coaching is that it enables people to adapt to change quickly and effectively. In addition, it mobilizes the core values and commitments of the human being; it renews relationships and makes communication in human systems effective; it stimulates people towards the production of unprecedented results.
In addition, it predisposes people to collaboration, teamwork and consensus building; finally, it boosts the potential of workers, enabling them to achieve goals that would otherwise be considered unattainable. For a correct application of ontological coaching it is necessary for each worker to know his or her SWOT. That is, a scheme of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
In Latin America, Chile is one of the pioneers in the application of ontological coaching. «The objective is for the person to connect with his or her deepest self so that a change of perspective can take place. Ontological coaching questions, with respect, the ways in which people and work teams perceive their realities and situations; to allow them to change those strategies that, although they were successful in the past, may not be effective today. The objective is to replace them with others that are more effective in achieving the desired results,» explains PhD. Rafael Echeverria. The specialist was one of the promoters of this method worldwide, and is currently president of Newfield Consulting.
As an example, in every mining operation, daily coordination meetings are held prior to the start of the mining operation, with two well-defined objectives. The first is to increase the production of the different processes (drilling, blasting, loading, etc.); while the second is based on influencing the safety of each of the workers.
Then, ontological coaching should be constituted as a tool based on the motivation of workers; in order to promote achievement of mining activity with higher standards of productivity and safety.
The problem is that many times professionals or technicians, who carry out these previous meetings with operative personnel inside the mine, develop a deficient management in what is related to the direction of their team. In order for them to achieve the goals set, they resort to demands and threats instead of motivation.
In this sense, the idea is to break with this paradigm and opt for application of ontological coaching. Thanks to this discipline, the reasons why employees do not achieve the objectives set will be known. In this way, motivate them to comply with the plan, based on the fact that a motivated worker will always increase performance.
In relation to the same objective, knowledge of the SWOT of each employee helps to optimize results and avoid future problems. For example, in the case of drilling in a 1.60 m high pit, it is not advisable to employ a worker who is much taller (1.90 m), since his physiological characteristics will prevent him from performing a good task and there is a risk that he will suffer a future spinal injury.
Finally, increasing the motivation of workers and making use of the knowledge of human resources contributes to optimize the work performed. Consequently, the employees themselves will develop a degree of satisfaction with the results obtained.
