Being A Super Coach
Coaching Skills
Introducing Successful Coaching And
Programs Within Your Organization
EVOLVE - PARTICIPANT MANUAL
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Being A Super Coach
Why Do We Need Coaching?
Over the last few years there has been considerable debate on the value of coaching
within the organization. In particular whether or not organizations should seek these
skills outside the organization or develop them from within.
Although the answer is very much dependent on the actual organization in question, this
course will highlight effective ways by which coaching can be employed within any
organization. The main reasons why organizations need coaching activities are as
follows:
To maximize knowledge transfer.
To increase the skill levels.
For succession planning.
Let’s look at these in more detail
To maximize knowledge transfer
Coaching provides a learning channel that effectively transfers knowledge within the
organization.
Critical knowledge is maintained in the organization.
Contextual learning is evident.
To increase skill levels
The coaches and mentors can very effectively transfer core skills.
Customization of skills in relation to the core activities of the business is retained.
Cross training of staff can be achieved.
For succession planning
Coaching enhance the ability for the organization to identify ‘fast track’
candidates and prepare them for new jobs.
Coaching can ensure continuity of performance when key staff leave the
organization because core skills have been transferred.
The primary beneficiaries to coaching programs are:
The Coach
The Employee
The Department
The Organization
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Benefits to the Coach can be described as:
Job Satisfaction
Further development of own skill level
Involvement in strategic activity
Benefits to the Employee can be characterized as:
Increase in skill level
Access to detailed knowledge
Individual attention in terms of training and development
Career path progression
Benefits to the Department may include:
Retention of staff
Retention of key knowledge and skills
Succession ability within the team
Motivation of staff
Benefits to the organization can be classed as:
Retention of staff
Increased skill and knowledge levels
Succession planning
Competitive advantage through better people
Maximum utilization of human resources
With all of these benefits on offer, it makes sense to clarify exactly what coaching means.
Coaching
Coaching can be defined as:
the art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of another person
The key word is ‘facilitating’. The main assumption is that the coachee has the ability to
actually think things through themselves and the coach brings out latent potential.
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Case Study:
John and Anita were team leaders at company X. Their manager had just announced the
years new performance targets. In a meeting with the team leaders, he took time to
explain the goals of the plan and how exactly it worked. He then expected the team
leaders to roll out the plan within their teams.
After this meeting, John rolled out the plan in his team. He did the same things the
manager did i.e. he explained to his team the goals of the plan and how exactly it worked.
After this announcement, John then went about his regular tasks in managing the team.
At the beginning, his team was excited about the plan. However, towards the end of the
month, John realized that his team was had not worked towards meeting the targets of the
month.
Anita too rolled out the plan in her team. She too explained to her team, the goals of the
plan and how the plan worked. As in John’s team, Anita’s team members were very
excited. Apart from this, she also took a number of other steps through the month to
ensure that the plan was successful. The manager began to notice positive changes in
Anita’s team within the very first week. By the end of the month, the entire team met the
goals of the month. About half of them actually overachieved the targets.
Assuming that both Anita and John had team members of similar profiles (in terms of
experience and capability), how is it that Anita’s team did much better? What did Anita
do, that John did not? Use the space below to hypothesize the differences between the
approaches used by Anita and John.
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Coaching can be characterized as:
Job/Function focused activity
A responsibility of Managers who must coach all staff
Usually taking place within the confines of the formal manager - employee
relationship
Initiated and driven by the manager
Based on Relationships that are finite
Characteristics of an Effective Coach
The following are the characteristics of an effective coach.
Belief in human potential
Focus on learning
Let those coached do the work
Active listening
Set the performance management system as a support for the coaching activity
These arise from a set of attitudes for effective coaching
Flexibility
Responsibility
Assume ability on the part of those being coached
Increase the available choices
Facilitate continuous improvement
Coaching is a very personal thing and so strong personal attributes are required to make
coaching work.
What personal characteristics do you possess that would help you to be a great
coach?
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Types of Coaching
There are essentially two main types of coaching and the one chosen is dependent upon
the context in which the coaching takes place.
Directive Coaching
Push Style
Solve the other’s problem for them
Giving instruction
Non Directive Coaching
Pull Style
o Help the other to solve their own problem
o Listen and understand
Context
The context of the coaching activity is set in the linkage between the individual, the task
and the organization. The key elements are:
Clarity
Trust
Communication
Coaching for Effective Actions
This starts with focusing on places where the coachee was unsuccessful or has not yet
reached their full potential.
Ask them about the time when they were ineffective or stuck.
Ask for examples of the assessments they made of these situations
Ask them to be specific about the problem area.
Help them to find the strategy behind their action
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Six Ways To Start Coaching
There are six ways to start coaching so that the outcome will be regarded as positive for
both the coach and the coachee.
Using feedback
Through appraisal/performance review
Through a team agreement
Through an individual agreement
Through the use of practice clients
As part of a change program or work based projects.
Once the approach has been decided then the program can be developed.
Which of the six ways, or combination of them, would you recommend if a coaching
program were to start in your organisation? Explain your choice.
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Designing a Coaching Program
Firstly define the goals and make sure that they are aligned with the overall strategy of
the organization. From this you can then build in the relevant phases. To illustrate,
Contracting The Activity
Goal Setting
Coaching Sessions
Interim And Final Review Sessions
It is important that you remember a basic coaching concept:
Potential – Interference = Performance
If you can reduce interference through an effective coaching process then performance of
the employee will increase. The challenge is to always work with those coached to find
where the interference is within their life.
Skills for Effective Coaching
The first set of skills are communication skills that include:
Listening
Actively listening to the coachee
Gathering all information both verbal and non-verbal
Checking for understanding
Questioning - using questions
To facilitate the process
To gather further information
Challenge the coachee
Next is giving feedback. In the coaching situation the feedback will have three main
components:
Information which must be accurate
Intent which must be clear
Emotional charge which must be managed
The final skill is giving instruction. This may be required in certain circumstances
When the coachee is tired
When there is significant time pressure
When the coachee is upset or panicking
When the process is complex but known to the coach
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The coach throughout the coaching process requires each of the communication skills,
with dependence upon different skills becoming apparent as the process progresses.
Is it possible to rank the communication skills by identifying which one you feel is
most important for a coach to have?
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The GROW Model for Coaching
After the focus for the coaching activity has been decided, the GROW model gives a
useful framework on which to hang the process components. It is divided into sections
that can be described as follows:
Goal - set the goal for the coaching session
Reality - look at the current and proposed situation in a realistic manner.
Options - examine what it is possible for the coachee to do.
Wrap-up - ensure that there is clarity around the expectations, actions to be
taken, support required and commitment from both parties
Setting the Coaching Goal
As in any other business activity, the importance of setting a goal and working towards it.
It should be noted that the goal in the GROW model is for the coaching session - not the
long-term goal. The goal set must conform to SMART criteria:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time bound
Identify an area of your role where you feel coaching would be a useful way of
obtaining knowledge and developing a new skill. What goal would you set and how
would it relate to the SMART criteria.
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Establishing the Reality
Here an accurate picture of the current situation must be formed. It is important at this
stage that you do not:
Form conclusions
Generate ideas
Make suggestions
Why do you think it is not advisable for the coach to make suggestions: Please
explain your answer.
Generating The Options
After establishing the reality, now begin to generate options:
List as many options as possible
Don’t judge or exclude at this point
Use brainstorming to multiply the options
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Wrapping It Up / Way Forward
In this part of the session, select the most appropriate options and:
Ensure clarity on the actions to be taken
Ensure clarity on the expectations
Ensure clarity on the time lines involved
Ensure clarity on any support that is needed
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ACTION PLAN
1. I believe that my Coaching skills are effective in the following areas:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2. These skills are measurable in the following ways:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Note: Be sure goals are specific, attainable and measurable.
3. I believe that I need to improve my knowledge, skills and abilities in the following
areas:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Note: These improvements will represent your goals from completion of the course.
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Being A Super Coach
4. These improvements will be measurable in the following ways:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
5. To attain these improvements I will need to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
6. This is how I plan to attain these improvements:
Goal Action Step Target Date Proposed Evidence
7. The following people and resources will assist me in accomplishing my goals:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
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8. The following are constraints that may impact the achievement of my goals:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
9. Here is a list of others factors that I need to consider in achieving my goals:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
10. To achieve my goals will involve:
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Being A Super Coach
FURTHER READING
Coaching, Mentoring, and Managing: Breakthrough Strategies to Solve
Performance Problems and Build Winning Teams by Micki Holliday
(Editor) (Paperback)
Coaching Skills (NetEffect Series) (Neteffect Series) by Andrew J.
DuBrin (Paperback)
CoachingFirst-Year and Student Teachers by India Podsen, et al
(Paperback)
Coaching, Counseling & Mentoring: How to Choose & Use the Right
Tool to Boost Employee Performance by Florence M. Stone
(Hardcover)
Coaching, Mentoring and Managing by William Hendricks (Editor),
et al (Paperback)
Mentoring Beginning Teachers: Guiding, Reflecting, Coaching by Jean
Boreen, et al (Paperback)
The Everything Coaching Book: How to Increase Productivity, Foster
Talent, and Encourage Success (Everything Series) by Nicholas Nigro
(Paperback)
Mastering Mentoring and Coaching with Emotional Intelligence:
Increase Your Job EQ by Patrick E. Merlevede, Denis Bridoux
(Paperback - July 2004)
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Coaching: Practical Conversations To Improve Learning, Performance
And Potential by Eric Parsloe, Laura Parsloe (Paperback)
Fifty Activities for Coaching-Mentoring by Donna Berry (Ring-bound -
December 1993)
When Performance Meets Alignment - a Compass for Coaching by Jan
Ardui, Peter Wrycza (Paperback)
Coaching: Practical Methods to Improve Learning by Eric Parsloe,
Monika Wray (Paperback)
Techniques for Coaching by David Clutterbuck, David Megginson
(Paperback)
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