Purpose of coaching

Coaching for Performance

Ei4Change

Definition of coachingCoaching

The process of empowering others. Whitmore, 1997

Coaching is unlocking a persons potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them. Whitmore, 2002

Coaching helps individuals access what they already know. They may never have asked themselves the questions but they have the answers. A coach assists, supports and encourages individuals to find these answers. Zeus and Skiffington, 2002

I give you focus and somehow my mere presence moves you to action. Lowe (undated) a coaching Haiku

Definition of coachingCoaching

The Power of the Coaching ProcessI never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talents that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought insolvable.

John Russell, MD Harley-Davidson

Underlying belief within coachingIntent to help

The underlying belief in coaching is that the coachee has within them the ability, competence and knowledge that will enable them to effect changes that will result in improvement.

The role of the coach is to draw these out and gain commitment to action.

Within organisations benefits are seen in financial performance retention development of executives in communications

- 99% of executives who have been coached believe that coaching delivers tangible benefits- 92% saw an increase in the bottom lineBenefits of coachingImpact of coachingDevelop managers and leadersSupport changeDevelop talentImprove performanceImprove skillsProblem solvingMotivate and inspireManage conflictManage time and stressImprove communication

When to use coachingWhat are the sorts of situations in which you might use a coaching approach?Who should generate the coaching discussion?Think back over the last month - were there any situations you could have turned into a coaching opportunity?

When to coach?Management development

Improving performance

Problem solving

Realising potential

Managing conflict

Team development

Could be formal (planned) or informal (at the vending machine)

Core coaching skills Coaching is characterised by:

Creating rapport

Deep listening

Effective questioning

Insightful feedback and enabling learning

Intense focus on process and results

Self aware of own learning and development needs10Levels of listeningCosmetic listeningConversational listeningActive listeningDeep listening

11Cosmetic If it looks like Im listening, Im not really. Im some place else listening to my own thoughts. This is pretending to listenConversational Im engaged in the conversation, listening, talking, thinking, talking, thinking Our focus is on the other person as well as ourselves. Its a natural activityActive listening Im very focused on what youre saying, recording facts, paying attention. The listener is making more effort to listen than speak. They stay focused and affirms the other. They seek to understand activelyDeep Im more focused on you than me, Im getting a sense of who you are now. This is where intuition and empathy play a central role. The listener can experience the other fully with little awareness of their Self/ego. The mid of the listener is calm and quietQuestioning skills

? Questions and the coaching process must not get in the way of building rapport and empathising with the individual.

It is better to retain a curious concern than find the killer question.Questioning skillsOpen ended probes

Neutral probes

Brief assertions

Pause

Reflective probes

Summary statements

Leading questions

Close ended probes

? Questioning skills

? Are your questions relatively simple (but detailed enough to avoid ambiguity)?

Do they build sequentially from the previous question to keep the whole sequence connected and follow the coaching framework?

Do they have clarity of purpose and intention?Push and Pull Model

Listening to understand Reflecting Paraphrasing araphrasing Summarising Asking questions that raise awareness Making suggestions Giving feedback Offering guidance Giving advice Instructing PULLHelping someonesolve their ownproblemPUSHSolving someonesproblem for them Non-directiveDirective(Myles Downey Effective Coaching 2003 Thomson Texere, New York)

15WILLmilestonesactionscommitmentREALITYevidenceawarenessunderstandingOPTIONSWhats possible?GROW coaching frameworkWhat do you want?What is happening now?What could you do?What WILL you do?GOALsituationvision objective

16The GROW+ model enables the coach to structure the coaching conversationIt is A model not THE model.The coachee explains what they would like to achieve or changeWhat is wanted as an outcome from this conversation? Is this realistic - or does the goal need to be separated into bite-size chunks?What are the time frames for the short and long term goals?

GOALsituationvision objective

The coachee describes and explores the issue / situation from all anglesAsk questions to open up different aspects of the issueIdentify whats working well in respect of the issue as well as the barriers and the challengesExpand the conversation, BEFORE focusing on the detail

REALITYevidenceawarenessunderstanding

The coachee reflects on the options and generates ideas for potential solutionsResist solving the problem by providing solutionsEncourage the coachee to be creative in considering alternatives and optionsReview advantages and disadvantages of eachKeep the questions short and openInclude feeling questions such as: What solution appeals the most?

OPTIONSWhats possible?

The coachee commits to specific actions in a time frame by being asked What will you do?Encourage the coachee to take actions to which they are drawn, feel positive about and motivated to doAsk questions that will facilitate the coachee to be explicit about the benefits of the action Ask them to rate their intention, enthusiasm and commitment on a 10-point scale

WILLmilestonesactionscommitment

Key questions for a coachee in a coaching sessionWhat issues would I most value the coachs support with?What outcomes do I want, or do I want to avoid?What can I do to make the most of the time together?

Lightbulb Moments CDOur Lightbulb Moments CD includes 18 Lightbulb Moments cards Introduction to Coaching.

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