coaching for development - houstoncoaching for development learning and development center 7 module...

Coaching for Development

Helping Employees Achieve their Full Potential

Participant Manual


Learning and Development Center

© 2011 by HRDQ

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Learning and Development Center 7

Contents

Module 1: Defining Coaching Course Objectives............................................................................................................ Introduction..................................................................................................................... What Coaching Is and Not............................................................................................ Coaching Elements......................................................................................................... Three Types of Coaching............................................................................................... Self-Assessment...............................................................................................................

Module 2: Beginning the Coaching Process The Coaching Process..................................................................................................... The Coaching Process Cycle.......................................................................................... Five Core Skills for Coaching........................................................................................ Five Core Skills Coaching Self-Assessment................................................................ Building/Establishing Rapport..................................................................................... Trust................................................................................................................................... Observe and Analyze...................................................................................................... Questions and Listens..................................................................................................... Provide Feedback............................................................................................................ Facilitate Learning...........................................................................................................

Module 3: Goals and Development Plans Identifying Useful Goals................................................................................................ Questions for Identifying Goals.................................................................................... Creating a Development Plan........................................................................................

Module 4: Conducting Effective Coaching Sessions Coaching for Success...................................................................................................... Coaching for Improvement........................................................................................... Managing Performance Issues......................................................................................

Module 5: Monitoring Progress and Addressing Challenges Coaching Challenges...................................................................................................... Monitoring and Following Up...................................................................................... Best Practices for Successful Coaching........................................................................

Review Action Plan....................................................................................................................... Test Your Knowledge...................................................................................................



MODULE 1

Defining Coaching

Objectives Explain what coaching is and how it differs from teaching/training, mentoring, counseling and directing.

• Develop a basic understanding of why this topic matters

• Discuss three types of coaching

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Course Objectives Successful completion of this course will increase your ability to:

• Learn to discern the difference between coaching and other development strategies.

• Discover the key elements to successful coaching relationships.

• Understand the coaching process and how to apply each step.

• Identify common challenges to successful coaching.

• Discover effective strategies for managing challenges.

• Establish and maintain a successful coaching relationship with an employee.

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Introduction To remain competitive, companies need to retain valuable employees, address problems that interfere with productivity, and help employees achieve their full potential. But the traditional “command and control” method of managing employees has been shown to be less effective than involving people in their own development—and the best way to do this is to guide them through improvement.

A Society for Human Resources study revealed that 55 percent of organizations use or have used formal coaching programs to aid in their employees’ development. The study also showed that coaching is a good investment that can have a positive impact on an organization’s bottom line.i

The ability to coach helps you increase your employees’ commitment and level of engagement, and helps you avoid and handle problems that interfere with working relationships and productivity. Coaching others can also make it easier for you to achieve your own goals and make you more valuable to your organization.

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What Coaching Is—And Is Not Coaches work with employees one-on-one on a collaborative basis over time to help them improve their performance, develop their existing skills, develop new skills and abilities, and identify and resolve performance problems that may be interfering with their ability to succeed. Coaching can be informal, on-the-spot, and/or a carefully planned and structured program. Often, it’s a combination. People often confuse the following four strategies for development with coaching. Although it includes elements of all four strategies, it’s important to note the differences. Coaching is not:

• Teaching—which is a temporary, mostly one-way relationship in which the teacher (the expert) transmits information (the learning).

• Mentoring—in which a more experienced person shares his or her expertise and knowledge on a one-to-one basis over time.

• Counseling—which is used to help people deal with emotional issues and feelings.

• Directing—in which a manager tells an employee what to do and, possibly, how to do it.

Individual Activity: What Needs to Be There for Coaching to Succeed?

Instructions: Think about your experiences having been coached or as a coach. What did a coach do to help you improve your development? What did you do as a coach to help someone else improve?

What elements need to be there for a coaching relationship to succeed?

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A Successful Coaching Relationship has the Following Elements:

• Agreement. You and the employee agree that coaching is the best approach for achieving a goal.

• Credibility. The employee believes that you are knowledgeable and competent.

• Mutual Trust. You and the employee believe that you can both be counted on to be honest and truthful and to always follow through on commitments.

• Collaboration. You and the employee have a “win-win” attitude and believe that you are working together toward shared goals.

• Communication. You use questions to encourage the employee to come to his or her own conclusions and find his or her own solutions.

• Confidentiality. The employee believes that you will keep anything he or she says during coaching sessions confidential.

• An open mind. You and the employee are willing to take new perspectives and explore new ideas and approaches.

• A nonjudgmental attitude. The employee believes that he or she can share feelings and ideas without the fear of being judged.

• Patience. You and the employee understand that successful coaching takes time.

• Accountability. You hold the employee accountable for carrying out the actions needed to effect change.

• Commitment. You and the employee commit to the process of achieving change.

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Three Types of Coaching

Coaching for Success – Guiding employees toward success in new and challenging

situations.

• Taking on a new assignment, project, responsibility etc.

• Learning a new skill, job function

• Handling a new or challenging situation

Coaching for Improvement – Guiding employees to improve unacceptable

performance or work habits.

• Constantly being negative in the workplace

• Missing deadlines

• Receiving complaints from internal/external customers

• Being uncooperative with management and co-workers

Coaching for Performance Issues – Addressing chronic performance or work habit

issues or a serious misconduct.

• Not meeting productivity goals

• Chronic tardiness and absenteeism

• Violating a policy

• Threatening or harassing

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Individual Activity: Self-Assessment

Instructions: For each statement, circle the number that best reflects how well it describes you. Use the following scale:

1 = doesn’t describe me at all

2 = describes me to a small extent

3 = describes me to a moderate extent

4 = describes me very well.

Add the numbers assigned to each statement and see how your coaching skills measure up by reviewing the interpretations on the following page. Then answer the follow-up question.

Total_______

Statement Rating

1. I have the knowledge, expertise, and competence to be a successful coach.

1 2 3 4

2. I can be trusted to do what I say I will do. 1 2 3 4

3. When working with others, I always seek a win-win solution to issues.

1 2 3 4

4. I keep confidential information confidential. 1 2 3 4

5. I try to be nonjudgmental when listening to others’ feelings and ideas.

1 2 3 4

6. I am patient because I understand that some things take time to achieve results.

1 2 3 4

7. When I listen, I focus on the speaker and seldom interrupt. 1 2 3 4

8. I am comfortable collaborating with others to find solutions to problems and new ways of doing things.

1 2 3 4

9. One value I do my best to uphold is that honesty is the best policy.

1 2 3 4

10. I believe that people do best when given the chance to figure things out for themselves.

1 2 3 4

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10–15: Your coaching skills need significant improvement.

16–20: Your coaching skills could use improvement.

21–25: Your coaching skills are not bad, but you still have some room for improvement.

26–30: You are on your way to becoming a good employee coach, but there are some skills you need to work on.

31–35 : Your coaching skills are pretty good, but you could still improve.

36–40: You have excellent coaching skills! You can use what you learn in this course to become even better.

Which statement had the highest rating? This is where your strength lies. Elaborate on how it has helped you or could help you coach employees successfully.

Objectives

• Learn how to work with an employee to identify goals.

• Explore techniques for creating and implementing a development plan.

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MODULE 2

Beginning the Coaching Process

Objectives

• Understand the two primary reasons for employee coaching

• Define and illustrate the five core skills to maintain a successful coaching relationship

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The Coaching Process

There are two primary reasons for employee coaching:

• To address an ongoing performance problem

• To respond to a need or desire for development

Example: Initiating Coaching

Suki has become aware that Jeremy is not giving his direct reports clear directions and is often not available when they need help or answers to questions. She thinks he has excellent potential—he is very reliable, responsible, and creative—so she has been thinking about ways to raise the subject. She saw her opportunity during a meeting when Jeremy and one of his employees argued about whether Jeremy had been clear about what the employee was supposed to do. “Jeremy, do you have a few minutes to talk?” Suki asked as people were leaving the meeting. “Sure,” Jeremy said. Suki closed the door of the meeting room so they wouldn’t be disturbed. She described the interchange that had taken place. “I wonder how you felt about that.” she asked. “I get that all the time,” Jeremy said. “They want me to do everything for them.” “That must be difficult for you,” Suki said. “It sure is. I hardly have time for my own work when everyone keeps coming to me with questions.” Jeremy paused. “Tell you the truth, I’m not sure I’m cut out for this supervisory thing. Maybe I should just go back to the stuff I’m good at.” “Have you been thinking about that?” Suki asked. Jeremy shrugged. “Maybe. But there’s no future in just plodding along at the same old stuff.” “Would you like to take some time to talk about this?” Suki asked. “We could look at what’s going on and come up with some ideas to change things for the better. What do you think?” “Yeah, sure, if you can spare the time,” Jeremy said. He gave a rue smile. “It couldn’t make things worse. And I do want to do a good job.” “Good,” Suki said. She pulled out her phone. “Let’s look at our calendars and set up a time in the new few days to get started.”

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Group or Individual Activity: Steps in the Coaching Process

Instructions: Now that Suki has raised the topic with Jeremy and he has agreed to accept

help, what process should they follow to come up with ideas for improving his

performance? What should Suki do first, second, and so on?

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The Steps in the Coaching Process

A coaching process usually follows these steps:

1. Establish rapport and build trust: lay the foundation for successful coaching.

2. Set goals: agree on the target and process.

3. Create a development plan: identify actions, timelines, and resources for achieving goals. (HEAR Plan)

4. Conduct coaching sessions: navigate challenges and provide feedback.

5. Monitor and follow up: check on progress and evaluate the situation if coaching hasn’t achieved the desired results.

Objectives

• Understand the two primary reasons for employee coaching.

• Initiate and maintain a successful coaching relationship by establishing rapport and building trust.

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The Coaching Process Cycle

EMPLOYEE ➢ Gaps filled ➢ New capabilities

developed

COACH ➢ Attitude about

learning ➢ Belief about

people

Builds

Rapport

Observes

and

Analyzes

Facilitates

Learning

Provides

Feedback

Questions

and

Listens

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“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to

maximize their own performance. It is helping them

to learn rather than teaching them”

Timothy Callwey

Five Core Skills for Coaching

1. Build Rapport

2. Observe and Analyze

3. Question and Listen

4. Provide Feedback

5. Facilitate Learning

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Coaching Self-Assessment

Instructions: Read each statement carefully. Refer to the Response Key at the bottom of

the Response Form and circle the pair of letters that correspond to your

choice for each statement.

As a coach, I:

1. Match my verbal communication to the employee’s.

2. Find ways to watch the employee in action.

3. Repeat word for word what my employee says instead of using my own words.

4. Avoid criticizing the employee when discussing the employee’s performance. 5. Provide needed resources to help employees improve their performance.

6. My nonverbal behaviors mirror the employee’s.

7. Make sudden decisions about my employee’s actions.

8. Listen for both content and feeling.

9. Once employees share their ideas, offer suggestions for improvement. 10. Seek Opportunities for the employee to connect new learning to practical situations.

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11. Make employees feel comfortable by being open-minded to what they should say. 12. Seek developmental opportunities for the employee. 13. Encourage employees to share their opinions. 14. Explain in non-judgmental terms the specific behaviors that I saw and heard. 15. Allow risk-taking and experimentation only when I’m confident of positive outcomes. 16. Keep away from sharing my experiences, as they might not be significant to my employee. 17. Utilize numerous methods to get to know the employee’s present level of performance. 18. Ask open-ended questions to clarify the situation. 19. Provide occasional feedback. 20. Model the behaviors that I expect from my employees.

21. My promises should be kept, discuss again if necessary.

22. Bear in mind the effect of the employee’s behavior on others

23. Look for specific information regarding a situation.

24. Convey to employees what they are doing. 25. Create an environment in which mistakes are looked upon as helpful sources of information.

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Response Form

Directions: Choose the statement ending that best reflects the way you communicate. Circle

your choice for each statement.

1

GE CE

ME

SE VS

2

GE CE

ME

SE VS

3

GE CE

ME

SE VS

4

GE CE

ME

SE VS

5

GE CE

ME

SE VS

6

GE CE

ME

SE VS

7

GE CE

ME

SE VS

8

GE CE

ME

SE VS

9

GE CE

ME

SE VS

10

GE CE

ME

SE VS

11

GE CE

ME

SE VS

12

GE CE

ME

SE VS

13

GE CE

ME

SE VS

14

GE CE

ME

SE VS

15

GE CE

ME

SE VS

16

GE CE

ME

SE VS

17

GE CE

ME

SE VS

18

GE CE

ME

SE VS

19

GE CE

ME

SE VS

20

GE CE

ME

SE VS

21

GE CE

ME

SE VS

22

GE CE

ME

SE VS

23

GE CE

ME

SE VS

24

GE CE

ME

SE VS

25

GE CE

ME

SE VS

This statement describes my behavior to a:

GE = Great Extent VS = Very Small Extent

CE = Considerable Extent SE = Small Extent ME = Moderate Extent

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1

5 4

3

2 1

2

5 4

3

2 1

3

5 4

3

2 1

4

5 4

3

2 1

5

5 4

3

2 1

6

5 4

3

2 1

7

1 2

3

4 5

8

5 4

3

2 1

9

5 4

3

2 1

10

5 4

3

2 1

11

5 4

3

2 1

12

5 4

3

2 1

13

5 4

3

2 1

14

5 4

3

2 1

15

1 2

3

4 5

16

1 2

3

4 5

17

5 4

3

2 1

18

5 4

3

2 1

19

1 2

3

4 5

20

5 4

3

2 1

21

5 4

3

2 1

22

5 4

3

2 1

23

5 4

3

2 1

24

5 4

3

2 1

25

5 4

3

2 1

Builds

Rapport

Observes &

Analyzes

Questions &

Listens

Provides

Feedback

Facilitates

Learning

3

17



Scoring Sheet

Core Skills Below Average Average Above Average

Builds Rapport 5 – 14 15 – 21 22 – 25

Observes and Analyzes 5 – 16 17 – 21 22 – 25

Questions and Listens 5 – 16 17 – 21 22 – 25

Provides Feedback 5 – 15 16 – 20 21 – 25

Facilitates Learning 5 – 15 16 – 20 21 - 25

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Building Rapport

Even if you already know the person being coached, taking the time to building rapport is essential if the process is to succeed.

But what is rapport? Here’s one definition:

“A close and harmonious relationship in which people understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.”

Group Activity: How to Establish Rapport

Instructions: Suppose you were about to begin coaching an employee you have worked with for a while but do not know well. What could you do to build rapport with that person?

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Build Rapport

Even if you already know the person being coached, taking the time to establish rapport is essential if the process is to succeed.

But what is rapport? Here’s one definition:

“A close and harmonious relationship in which people understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.”

Pacing to Build Rapport

Pacing requires consciously paying attention to factors you may not normally notice when you are speaking to your employee. Mirroring or matching is the same as pacing.

• Speed (pace) –rate of talking (fast, medium or slow)

• Voice – loud, soft, intense, relaxed, soothing, commanding

• Facial expression – sad, angry, etc.

• Mood/emotion – excited, disappointed, frustrated, angry, concerned

• Appearance – formal, casual, intense, relaxed, orderly, precise, comfortable

• Posture/movements – upright, tense, relaxed, animated, gestures, little movement.

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10



Match Personality Style to Build Rapport

It is important to build rapport with your employees is to recognize and match their personality styles. Once identified, communicate in that style to create and maintain rapport.

Four Personality Styles

Direct – Direct people are intense, fast-paced, and results oriented. When coaching an employee with this style, it is important to be prepared and focus on business. Keep the pace moving and communicate quickly. Do offer positive feedback, however you can be to the point when giving constructive feedback without worring about the employees’ feelings. When creating an action plan, provide him/her with alternatives so that they feel they are ready to make decisions. Don’t be weak or undecisive; don’t speak hesitantly or too slowly, and don’t make decisions for them that is perceived as non-challenging.

Major Characteristics for identification:

➢ Faster pace

➢ Actions oriented

➢ Authoratative

➢ Body language displays ready for action, intense, rigid

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Analytical/Systematic – Analytical people are perfectionistic, slower-paced, careful people who plan, schedule, research, and then show action. When coaching an employee with this style, it is important to be prepared with facts and data to support your comments and suggestions. They sometime appear detached and rarely show emotion. Actions to avoid are to offer feedback without facts, getting too personal, and using a loud voice and huge gestures. Create an action plan that centers on quantative results and quality expected.


➢ Slower pace

➢ Information, facts, figures, details and scheduling is essential

➢ Formal and reserved

➢ Body language displays carefulness that says “think before you act”

Supporting/Considerate – Supporting/Considerate people are perfectionistic, slower-paced, warm, personal, and friendly. They value relationships above everything. They are self-disclosing and talk comfortably about personal things and they genuinely care for others. They are caretakers and peacemakers. They may tell you what they hear rather than what they really think or feel because thay don’t want to cause conflict. Allow- silence—give him or her time to respond to your suggestions. When offering feedback about a major change, break it into smaller, easier to implement actions, rather than all at once. When coaching an employee with this style, it is important to be patient. Show sincere interest in the employee, and allow time to build rapport. Encourage him/her to open up and disclose what he or she is thinking and feeling. Create an action plan that focuses on helping them prioritize their work. Follow up on a regular basis to see if they have questions or concerns.


➢ Slower pace

➢ Empathetic, warm, nurturing, and sensitive

➢ Less assertive, smiley, and soft spoken.

➢ Body language displays “comforting and approachable”

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Expressive/Spirited – Expressive/Spirited people are faster-paced, energetic, lively, and animated who are spontaneous, creative, and emotional. They react to a lot of situations emotionally. They seemed to react in a constant motion. Their facial expressions change frequently and uncover whatever is going on inside. Sometimes they are flamboyant, loud, funny and exaggerated. They can be very charming or rebellious, depending on the changing moods around them. When coaching this employee, be energetic and enthusiastic. Alow them time to provide input and ideas. Be aware that their natural optimism may mask a lack of specifics about how to improve performance. When you give this employee constructive feedback, separate the person from the performance so they don’t feel rejected personally.

When creating an action plan, brainstorm with the employee, however, be sure to leave suggestions and follow-up in writing. This will help the employee stay focused.


➢ Faster pace

➢ Dramatic, energetic, playful and emotional

➢ Very reactive, tend to say what they feel

➢ Body language displays “look at me”

Group Activity: How to Build Rapport

Instructions: Suppose you were about to begin coaching an employee you have worked with for a while but do not know well. What could you do to build rapport with that person according to their personality style?

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Flexing Your Coaching Style

Liz has run into some bad luck. She missed two important deadlines in the past month.

Each time she had reasonable explanation and promised that it wouldn’t happen again.

Unfortunately, the department’s reputation is suffering as a result, and you’re

concerned that it’s becoming a habit.

If Liz has a Direct Style:

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

If Liz has an Analytical/Systematic Style:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

If Liz has a Supportive/Considerate Style:

_____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

If Liz has an Expressive/Spirited Style:

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Tips for Building Rapport

Here are some suggestions to help you get off to a good start:

• Instead of jumping right into the performance or development issue that triggered the coaching, begin with a relaxed conversation so the two of you can become comfortable with one another.

• Encourage two-way communications by getting to know one another. Explore interests, backgrounds, lifestyles, and values you may have in common.

• Show that you are willing to be vulnerable by sharing your own personal feelings and values.

• Be approachable - demonstrate a caring attitude and convey to the employee that you sincerely care about his or her success.

• Find a common ground such as a project or goal.

• Share similar experiences.

• Do what you say you will do.

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What is Trust?

Trust is part of building rapport. Coaching should be a place where you and your

employee can discuss things openly. Having a trusting relationship with your

employees is essential to the coaching process. Without trust, you will seldom get to the

root cause of issues that could be hindering their performance.

Trust is built over time and is accomplished through your actions. Trust, in the realm of

coaching, could be defined as the ability to instill confidence, and reliance in you by

being fair, truthful, honorable, and competent in what you do as a manager. Lacking in

any of these areas could hinder you instilling trust into your employees.

The Essentials of Trust

These essential behaviors can help you build trust in a coaching relationship:

• Be honest and behave with integrity.

• Demonstrate competence.

• Do what you say you will do—be trustworthy and keep your promises.

• Trust first - demonstrate trust in the other person by being the first to share information about yourself.

• Demonstrate respect for the other person’s feelings, ideas, and point of view.

• Keep confidential information confidential.

• Be willing to share information and resources, and be honest about the reasons when you are unable to do so.

• Show that you have the other person’s best interests at heart.

1) Think of someone you trust in your workplace. What behavior makes you trust that person?

2) What are some things you could do in the workplace to help your employees feel comfortable with your presence while they are working?

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Concerns about Observing Behavior

✓ Check any that might apply

Employees will think I don’t trust them

People don’t like others looking over their shoulders

It would take away from other responsibilities

Employees would think that I don’t have enough time

My manager does not approve of my spending too much time with employees

I feel that I’m spying or micromanaging

I feel awkward about observing and I don’t know what to say

What are some things that you could do in your workplace to help your employees feel comfortable with you being there while they work?

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Observe and Analyze – Encouraging Mutual Trust and Respect

Which ideas below would work for you to be able observe your employees without eroding trust?

✓ Check all that you think might be effective.

Have a meeting with all employees to tell them that I have decided to pay

more attention to what they do so I can provide more helpful performance

evaluations.

Send an email to all employees to inform them that I have decided to pay

more attention to what they do so I can provide more helpful performance

evaluations.

Tell each employee individually that I have decided to pay more attention to

what they do so I can provide more helpful performance evaluations.

Start visiting the work area to ask how things are going, comment on what

the employees are doing, ask how I can help and gradually increase the

numbers of times that I do it.

During each employee’s next evaluation appraisal tell them that I plan to do a

better job with their evaluation and will be making a special effort to observe

them more often to help me do that.

What are some things you could do in your workplace to help your employees feel comfortable with you being there while they work?

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10



Observe and Analyze

Rachel was a dependable call center representative who had never arrived late for work

or taken extended breaks, consistently completed calls within the standard, and had

very few complaints from customers.

Carol, the supervisor, was thinking about Rachel in preparation for completing a

performance appraisal the following month. Even though Rachel’s performance was

acceptable and she had no problems, John had a nagging feeling that she was capable of

more and decided to observe her more carefully for a while.

During the next week Carol started walking through the call center more frequently

than usual and stopped to chat briefly with different employees when they are not busy

with a call. During these visits to the call center she made an extra effort to observe

Rachel and other employees.

Carol noticed that the call center representatives would complete a call and

immediately make notes on their call logs. When chatting with the reps, Carol looked at

their notes and saw that often they had written not only what the problem was and how

it had been resolved, but they also had suggested about how to prevent the problem

from recurring.

Carol realized that she could not recall ever seeing suggestions on Rachel’s call logs and

checked her reports from the past few months. The check confirmed that Rachel had

made no suggestions.

Carol decided to discuss this with Rachel during the coaching session and suggest to

her that making suggestions about customer situations she handled would increase her

chances for bonuses. When Carol mentioned this, she was surprised when Rachel

responded, “I have thought about doing that several times but I was afraid you would think I

was sticking my nose into your business

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Cont’d

Carol explained to Rachel that she would appreciate all of the suggestions Rachel could

offer. Rachel seemed excited about the possibility and submitted several suggestions the

next day. She continued to include suggestions each week.

1. What benefit(s) did Carol derive from observing her call center employees?

2. How was Rachel helped by Carol’s observations?

3. What potential benefit to the organization could result?

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Tips for Observing and Analyzing

• Determine whether gaps exist between expectations and current performance

and consider the impact on others and the organization.

• Identify formal and informal observation opportunities.

• Seek input from others, as needed.

• Consider developmental opportunities.

• Recognize and reinforce strong performance.

• Identify and encourage improvement when needed.

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Asking Useful Questions

Successful coaching relies on asking questions that help people understand themselves and their situation, come to their own conclusions, and make their own decisions.

You can help employees do this and ultimately build a stronger connection with them by helping them understand:

• Their point of view—this involves uncovering the root cause of feelings, issues, and problems and eliciting facts and ideas.

• How to see the situation differently—this involves exploring new ideas and approaches.

• Where they want to go and how they can get there—in other words, identifying their goals.

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Listening Objective Method Listening Technique

Clarifying – When you want to clarify, want facts, want to explore further, or to check assumptive meaning and understand

State a what, how, or when question. Then restate what you thought heard.

1. “Is this the problem as you see it?”

2. “Will you clarify what you mean

by?”

3. What specifically do you mean

by...?

4. What I understand you to say is....

Is that correct?”

Accuracy – To check your listening accuracy and encourage further discussion. To let the person know you grasp the facts

Restate the person’s ideas, emphasize the facts.

1. “As I understand it, the problem

(restatement). Am I hearing you

correctly?

2. “What I think you said was...”

Feeling – To show you are listening and understanding. To reduce anxiety, anger, or other negative feelings. To let the person know you understand how he or she feels.

Summarizing– To focus on

main points. Pull important

ideas or facts together

Reflect the person’s feelings. Paraphrase in your own words what the employee is saying. Match the employee’s depth of meaning, light or serious. Ensure accurate communication of feelings by matching the employee’s meaning.

Restate, reflect, and

summarize major ideas.

1. “You feel that you didn’t get the

proper treatment.”

2. “It was unjust as you perceived it.”

3. “It seems to me that you got

turned off when John talked to you

in that angry manner.”

3. “I sense that you like doing the job

but are not sure how to go about it.”

1. “These are the key elements of the

problem.”

2. “Let’s see now, we’ve examined all the factors”

3. “These seem to be the key ideas you expressed.”

4. “To summarize, the main points as I heard them are...”

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Unfamiliar Phrases The employee has used unfamiliar language

“Could you elaborate on what you mean by _____________?”

Encourage without bias The employee is getting into sensitive areas and has stopped talking. You want to encourage without biasing.

“You say things started to fall apart when ________________ became very angry.”

Digressing The employee is digressing and is not telling you what you were waiting to hear.

“Perhaps I’m mistaken, but weren’t you going to tell me about what you did that wasn’t taken care of?”

Going in circles The employee has been going in circles, saying the same things over and over. You want to move on.

“Let me summarize what I understood you to say. You said ________, _________, and __________Now, was there anything else affecting the situation?”

Generalization The employee has not explicitly stated what you think is behind the words, so you employ the “risk technique” and state what you think is on your mind.

“Is this the situation? You feel that if I don’t take care of this right now, Mary might not finish the project by the deadline?”

Clarification The employee does not seem to agree with a statement made earlier. You want to clarify.

“I thought you said a few minutes ago that______. Now I hear you saying______. These two statements seem to be in conflict. Would you clarify?”

Check Understanding The employee has an opinion and you want to check for understanding

“In your opinion, we have too many people taking their lunch at the same time, so the front desk is not covered properly to greet the customers. Is that right?”

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Group Activity: What Questions to Ask?

Instructions: Read the situations below. For each situation, write down 2–3 three useful questions you would ask to facilitate the employee’s understanding and help him or her to come to a conclusion/decision. Then discuss your reason(s) for asking each question.

Situation#1. Paula started her job three months ago, and since then Liam has noticed

that she rarely speaks up in meetings and that the other team members have simply

started to ignore her. He would like to help her address this issue because it is

important to her and the team’s success. After one meeting where he thought the team

really needed her participation, he asked her to have a cup of coffee with him so he

could raise the issue and offer help.

Situation #2. Rosalva told Dan that she would like more opportunities to move ahead

in the organization, and Dan agreed to help her obtain the necessary skills and

expertise. They have already had an initial meeting and are feeling quite comfortable

with one another. Now Rosalva is ready to identify her goals and create a development

plan.

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Questions for Identifying Goals

Uncovering the Root Cause

“What do you think is happening that makes it difficult for you to stay on top of your

workload and meet your deadlines?”

“In what other situations have you experienced this same challenge?”

“What is likely to make it difficult for you to change the situation?”

Understanding the Reasons for Change

“What do you think might happen if you do nothing to change?”

“Why is it important to you to improve?”

“How would changing the situation affect your feelings about your work? What

impacts might it have on your career?”

“How would improving the situation affect your relationships with your colleagues?”

Envisioning the Desired State

“What would you like to accomplish?”

“How will you know when you’ve succeeded?”

Exploring Actions for Achieving Change

“What actions could you take to achieve the change you want?”

“When could you take these actions?”

“What resources and support will you need and who can provide them?”

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Listening

Group Activity: Are You Listening?

Instructions: Working with a partner, decide who will play the role of the coach and who will play the role of the employee. Read the dialogue aloud to one another while following the instructions in parentheses.

Coach: How’s that presentation going?

Employee: Good.

Coach: That’s great. Can you tell me more? (While the employee is speaking, pick up some papers and keep glancing at them.)

Employee: All my slides are ready and I’ve been practicing. But I wish I had more time. This presentation is so important.

Coach: (do not make eye contact) Uh-huh.

Employee: (pause and then sigh loudly). And I’m still waiting for the stats. They were supposed to be here three days ago.

Coach: (look up) What?

Employee: The stats.

Coach: (cross your arms) Oh. Well, can I do anything

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Guidelines for Active Listening

To make sure that you understand what others say and let them know that they have been heard, do the following:

Staying Focused

• Clear your mind.

• Make eye contact.

• Focus on one idea.

• Ignore distractions—other conversations, ringing phones, unrelated concerns, etc.

Capturing the Message

• Be aware of the speaker’s tone and body language so you can pick up nonverbal messages.

• Be open-minded—respect the speaker’s feelings and point of view, even if you think they may be wrong.

• Avoid telling the person what you think they should do—remember that your job is to help the person come to their own conclusions.

• Extract the main ideas.

• Ask questions as needed to make sure that you understand what the speaker is saying (“Do you mean that…?” “If I understand you correctly, you would like to…”)

• To encourage the speaker to go into the subject in more depth, ask for more information (“That’s really interesting. Could you tell me more?” “I’d really like to know more about…” “Would you like to expand on that?”)

• From time to time, summarize the speaker’s verbal or nonverbal message (“I can see that you are upset about…” “You’ve obviously given this a lot of thought…”)

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Helping the Speaker

• Avoid distracting nonverbal actions—fidgeting, slumping, blank stares, etc.

• Encourage the speaker by saying “yes, I see” and using small nods (but only when in agreement).

• Help a speaker who’s lost their train of thought by saying “you were just saying…” or “I think you also wanted to say something about…”

• Keep your facial expressions open—do not scowl, grimace, or clench your teeth.

• Maintain an alert posture—sit up straight or lean forward slightly.

• Avoid interrupting the speaker or jumping in as soon as they stop speaking to give them a chance to expand on or clarify the message and let you consider what was said.

• Allow for moments of silence—remember that it can be difficult for someone to get their message across, especially when feelings are involved.

Group Activity: Listen Actively

Instructions: Take turns telling one another about something you hope to accomplish within the next 1–2 weeks at work. When the other person is speaking, try to listen actively.

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Providing Feedback

Feedback is important to successful coaching because it tells you whether they are on the right track—what they are doing well and what they might need to do differently. Feedback also increases motivation and commitment when you acknowledge efforts and successes.

When you provide feedback to your employees about their performance, follow the following guidelines to help them learn, improve, and grow.

Group Activity: What Makes Feedback Helpful?

Instructions: Think of a time when you received feedback on your performance. What was helpful? What was not helpful?

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Is This Good Feedback?

Read the feedback examples below and evaluate them using the criteria just explained. Check the box for your evaluation. If the example does not deserve a good rating, explain why in the space below.

1. “Your presentation in the meeting today was pretty dry and boring. Maybe a little humor would help.”

Good

Fair

Poor

2. “You finished the project ahead of schedule and under budget. Excellent work.”

Good

Fair

Poor

3. “Pat, I am concerned about the number of times you have arrived after starting time. Today was the third time during the past two weeks.”

Good

Fair

Poor

4. “Alex, several people have complained to me about your attitude lately. You probably need to work on that.”

Good

Fair

Poor

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Instructions: Provide feedback using the scenarios below with a partner. Then do this again, this time allowing the other person to provide feedback too. When you are in the role of the employee, just listen—do not respond. When the activity is over, discuss what you experienced as a speaker and as a listener.

Situation 1

The employee has completed a complex project and the work was quite good. Give positive feedback matching the style of the employee.

Situation 2

The employee’s productivity has dropped in recent weeks. You have not noticed anything that would explain the change in performance. Give feedback about what you have observed as a step toward engaging the person in a conversation that might reveal the cause of the reduced productivity. Your objective is to get the productivity back to the desired level.

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Guidelines for Providing Helpful Feedback

To give useful feedback as a coach, do the following:

Focus on behavior and results, not on the person.

Instead of this: You have a bad attitude when people ask you to do things for them.

Say this: I noticed that you answered JoAnn in one-word sentences and didn’t make eye contact when she asked you to…

Be specific instead of vague and general.

Instead of this: You did a great job with that report!

Say this: Your report was accurate, complete, and submitted on time.

Use examples.

Instead of this: You’re doing much better!

Say this: I noticed that you listened without interrupting when Hans explained…

Focus on facts and avoid making assumptions.

Instead of this: I know you hate the weekly meetings…

Say this: I noticed that you have come late to the last two weekly meetings and spent

most of your time checking your messages…what do you think is going on?

Choose the right time and place.

Instead of this: (Stopping the person in the lunchroom to say) I wondered how you felt

about the presentation you gave a couple of weeks ago…

Say this: (Immediately after the presentation or at least within one day, find a quiet moment

and a private place to say the following.) Is this a good time to talk about the presentation? I

wondered how it went for you…

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Group Activity: Implementing Guidelines for Providing Helpful Feedback

Instructions: Think of an employee to whom you would like to give feedback. Using a pseudonym for the employee’s name, give that feedback to your partner as if he or she was the employee. Then do this again, this time allowing the other person to think of an employee and provide feedback. When you are in the role of the employee, just listen—do not respond.

When the activity is over, discuss what you experienced as a speaker and as a listener.

Individual Activity: Your Insights

What insights did you gain from this module that might help you coach employees

more successfully?

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When you provide feedback you:

Share information through observation, analysis, questioning and listening with the

employee in a way that upholds dignity while communicating the impact it has on

everyone and the organization.

Provide feedback in a timely manner.

Be specific of behavior observed.

Provide relevant feedback.

Do not criticize or blame.

Solicit ideas first, and then provide your own.

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Facilitate Learning

In the space below, identify one new learning experience in which you’ve participated and answer the questions that follow.

1. Think of a new learning experience in which you’ve recently participated. Describe it in the space below.

2. How did it feel to be a “beginner” again? What were the pros and cons of stepping outside of your area of expertise?

3. Who helped you through your new learning experience? What guidance and support did you receive?

4. What did you learn about yourself?

Reflect on your learning experience. Identify 2-3 actions you can take to encourage

others to step outside of their “comfort zones” and have a more positive learning

experience.

➢

➢

➢

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Identify Coaching Opportunities

Read the information provided below regarding the Present and the Future. Complete the assignments for each. Share your ideas with a fellow coach or colleague and ask for insight and ideas.

The Present

Look around you. Has something happened recently that could have been handled differently or better? Is there a current situation in which someone needs help or support? For example, an individual developing a program for the first time, or trying to handle an irate citizen’s problem?

To strengthen an individual’s performance and bring about a positive outcome, you should follow the Skill Steps for coaching.

• The individual‘s reaction to the situation and his/her confidence in his/her ability to handle the situation.

• The intended outcome he/she is trying to achieve.

• The individual’s ideas for how to handle the situation, plus any needed resources for doing so,

• The individual’s ideas on how he/she could improve build on his/her strengths or prevent similar events from happening again.

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Cont’d

The Future

Look at your own “to do” list or consider your work group’s goals or your

department’s objectives. Then identify tasks that lend themselves to be handled by

others, given the appropriate amount of support and guidance. For example, leading an

upcoming project or helping to train a new employee.

During your conversation, you should discuss:

• The individual’s competency level and confidence in his/her ability to

handle the situation.

• The outcome he/she will be asked to achieve and why.

• The individual’s ideas for what he/she will need (resources, support,

guidance) to accomplish the new task.

• The benefits of committing to and accomplishing a new task.

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Coaching Others to Learn from Their Mistakes

Mistakes are a learning opportunity. As a coach you can help your employees to learn

from their mistakes.

Take a look at your organization. What happens when they make a mistake? The

following are common outcomes. Check all that is true in your department.

Reprimanded by supervisor

Written up and information is placed in their file

Ridiculed or teased by co-workers

No longer trusted by the supervisor

The mistake is ignored and no one says anything

Everyone makes mistakes and when a mistake results in this kind of treatment, some

predictable lessons are learned.



Here is a five-step approach for helping people learn from a mistake. It is important to

use all five steps. It is also important to complete each step before moving to the next.

Step 1: Demonstrate Respect – you may want to be more respectful; you may want to

show the person you care by being supportive and reassuring. Say, “That’s okay. We all

make mistakes. “Or” “Don’t beat up on yourself. You just made a mistake.

Step 2: Share One of Your Own Mistakes – Be sincere and share your mistakes. Tell

them briefly about when and where you did it and how you felt. It is important to keep

it brief because you want the person to learn from the mistake.

Step 3: Ask Your First Question – For people to learn from their mistakes, they must

first realize how the mistake occurred. You can ask “How did this happen?”

Step 4: Ask Your Second Question - “How can you fix it?” Not all mistakes can be

fixed but you want to explore the options.

Step 5: Ask Your Final Question – “How can you prevent it from happening again?”

Even though making a mistake is just being human and it is inevitable that all of us

make mistakes now and then, it is not desirable to make the same mistake again.

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Tips for Facilitating Learning

• Provide needed resources to help your employees succeed.

• Offer support and encouragement to solve problems, make decisions, and fix mistakes.

• Offers opportunity to learn new things.

• You become more open to new ideas.

• Creates an environment for employees to see mistakes as learning opportunities.

• Be tolerant of risk taking and honest mistake.

• Find opportunities for employees to apply what they learned.

• Acknowledge incremental improvements.

• Model behavior you want your employees to see and be a continuous learner.

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MODULE 3

Conducting Effective Coaching

Sessions

Objectives

• Apply the interaction process using Communication Guidelines and Basic principles to effectively coach

• Recognize opportunities to build your employees’ knowledge, skills, and confidence



The Interaction Process

Communication Guidelines and Basic Principles

There are basic communication skills called Basic Principles, that can be used to help

motivate people, reduce their defensiveness, and gain their cooperation and

commitment. When people work together, it requires two kinds of needs:

• Personal needs - to be understood and involved. (Basic Principles)

• Practical needs – to reach a productive outcome (Six Communication

Guidelines).

DEVELOP

AGREE

CLARIFY

OPEN CLOSE

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Basic Principles

1. Maintain or enhance self-esteem – be specific and sincere, recognize ideas, acknowledge progress

2. Listen and respond with empathy – describe facts and feelings, don’t minimize concerns

3. Ask for help and encourage involvement – unleash ideas with questions, advocate stretching

4. Share thoughts, feelings, and rationale (to build trust) – disclose feelings to build trust, share your experience(s)

5. Provide support without removing responsibility. (to build ownership) – Help the employee make decisions, but don’t take over, follow through

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Case Study: Anything’s Negotiable

Michael is one the supervisors for Strategic Purchasing in the City of Houston. Linda, a

member of the purchasing team, recently assumed responsibility for working with

several vendors who supply paper.

The paper suppliers already conduct some quality checks at their locations, but some

quality checks are done in house. The purchasing team has decided to renegotiate

contracts with the paper suppliers and get them to commit to doing all quality checks.

Other team members are already negotiating contracts with other vendors. The goal is

to improve cycle time, which will satisfy customer needs.

Office Depot is the largest of the paper suppliers and the first one the team is

approaching about new terms. Linda agreed to negotiate with Tony the sales rep for

Office Depot. If Linda handles the negotiation well, she will go on and conduct

negotiations with other large suppliers. Because the discussion with Office Depot is so

important, Linda wants advice, so she asked Michael to meet with her to help her get

ready.

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• This is Linda’s first negotiation with any vendor. She’s excited about doing

something new but feels the pressure of knowing that Tony will probably raise some

objections. Linda wonders if she can be assertive as she needs to be in the meeting.

• Paying more for the paper isn’t the option, so Linda must get Tony to agree to

provide the additional quality checks at no charge.

• Linda has some ideas for handling the negotiation, but she’s really hoping that

Michael will put her on the right track. Michael negotiated the original agreement

with Office Depot.

• Michael had seen positive results during the few weeks Linda has been working

with the paper suppliers. In addition, he has seen her competently handle difficult

issues within and outside the team, and he feels confident that she can handle the

negotiation with Office Depot.

• Michael is a skilled negotiator and wants to pass that knowledge on to Linda.

However, he knows that for Linda to become an effective negotiator, she must take

responsibility for thinking through the approach, not just carrying it out.

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Coaching for Success

Date: __________________

Discussion with: Linda

What do you want to discuss? Why is it important?

What is your objective(s) for this discussion?

How will you know whether the person/team has accomplished the task or is

achieving desired results after the discussion? How will progress or success measured?

What are the personal needs, tendencies, or characteristics of this person/team that you

need to consider?

What are the opportunities/Challenges in this discussion or the underlying situation?

Opportunities Challenges

Discussion Planner

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1. Open by identifying the opportunity

State the purpose of the discussion Identify the importance (impact on the person, team, and organization)

2. Clarify details about the level of coaching needed

Seek and share information Identify concerns and issues

3. Develop ideas for achieving success

Seek and discuss ideas Explore needed resources/support

4. Agree on plan for achieving and measuring success

Specify actions, including contingency plans Confirm how to measure progress

5. Close by summarizing and confirming confidence

Highlight important features of plan Confirm confidence and commitment

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Case Study: Kyle vs. the Team

Susan leads a project team in the IT department that is updating the City’s outdated systems. The project has been progressing smoothly, yet the upcoming deadline is causing increasing urgency and tension as well as decreased collaboration among team members.

Kyle, who reports to Susan on this project, is having trouble balancing his workload

with his role as the team’s technical expert and support person.

• Lately, Kyle has become frustrated, less helpful, and less tolerant of the questions and requests for help that he gets from team members.

• Several team members have complained to Susan that Kyle is impatient and even rude. As a result, they’re less willing to approach him.

• Betty, a team member, told Susan that when she asked Kyle for help last week, he essentially told her to figure it out for herself. Betty told Susan she wouldn’t ask for Kyle’s help anymore, even though she is still confused

Unfortunately, these increasing complaints also are taking up more of Susan’s time.

At the same time, Kyle is in a difficult position. He’s receiving lots of requests for guidance and information, which take him away from work on the system. Kyle believes the team members could figure out the answers with a little more effort on their part. His job will only become more difficult and stressful as the deadline approaches for bringing the system online.

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Coaching for Improvement

Date:

__________________

Discussion with: Kyle






need to consider?



Discussion Planner

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Interaction Guidelines

1. Open by identifying the improvement opportunity


2. Clarify details about the performance/work habit situation


3. Develop ideas for improvement


4. Agree on specific plan and self-monitoring method


5. Close by summarizing and confirming positive expectations


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No Going Back

The Situation

Six months ago, the City moved technical support and other specialists out of several departments and onto cross functional teams. The move was designed to create teams able to support customers in all facets of doing business internally and externally.

The Team

One of the many teams chartered at that time was the IT Technical Team. The team is responsible for servicing all City departments. Tom leads the team. Four people report to Tom, including Sharon, a technical support specialist.

The Problem

Sharon has been very unhappy with her job from the time she joined the team (although she never shared this with Tom) Sharon loved her old department. She liked being a specialist and working with people with similar backgrounds. She enjoyed only servicing one department. However, through the consolidation, Sharon had to leave her department and she is servicing the whole City.

Sharon’s position on the team is also more demanding than her previous position.

• Sharon had limited customer contact before. Now, because she’s the only experiences technical support person on the team, she must support customers from several departments. Sharon has love for servicing a lot of customers, and she resents having to juggle these responsibilities.

• Team members must coordinate their efforts closely and support one another, but Sharon doesn’t have a team member mind set.

Sharon’s Behavior

For several months Sharon has displayed unacceptable behavior in meetings and in

interactions with customers. The items in Sharon’s personnel file provide a history of

this behavior as well as her manager’s attempts to deal with it.

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Managing Performance Issues

Date: __________________

Discussion with: Sharon






need to consider?



Discussion Planner

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Interaction Guidelines

1. Open by identifying the improvement opportunity


2. Clarify the situation and consequences of continued behavior


3. Develop ideas for improvement


4. Agree on specific plan and monitoring method


5. Close by summarizing and restating expectations


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MODULE 4

Monitoring Progress and

Addressing Challenges

Objectives

• Identify common challenges to successful coaching.

• Explain the importance of monitoring progress

• Discover effective strategies for managing challenges.



Coaching Challenges

Group Activity: Common Coaching Challenges

Think about your experiences with coaching. What are some challenges that you faced?

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Common Coaching Challenges

Sharing expertise and knowledge instead of coaching.

A normal tendency to help people by telling them what we already know gets in the

way of being able to ask the questions that allow them to reach their own conclusions.

Difficulty separating role as manager or supervisor from role as coach.

As a manager or supervisor, your job is to direct people by telling them what to do and,

sometimes, how to do it. But as a coach, your job is to facilitate change that people

decide they want to make.

Lack of time.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen with a few coaching sessions

either. Successful coaching takes time, and time is always a challenge in today’s busy

workplace.

Lack of organizational support.

Many organizations recognize the value of coaching, but some do not. Without

organizational support, you may encounter obstacles that make it difficult to establish

trust, allow people to try out new behaviors, or reward success.

Weakening motivation and commitment.

Employees often begin a coaching program highly motivated and strongly committed

to change. But change requires hard work and constant attention. After a while, they

may begin putting in less and less effort, even finding excuses not to continue.

Resistance to feedback and change on the part of an employee.

You may believe that an employee has excellent potential but needs to improve

essential behaviors or develop new skills, or you may think that coaching is important

to address a performance problem. In spite of this, the person responds negatively and

defensively to feedback and the suggestion of coaching, and he or she seems

uninterested in or even unwilling to change.

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Group Activity: Handling Common Coaching Challenges

Instructions: Discuss the coaching challenges you have been assigned. What strategies

could you use to avoid or handle them?

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Strategies for Handling Common Coaching Challenges

Sharing expertise and knowledge instead of coaching.

• When you begin coaching someone, remind yourself often that your role is that of a facilitator, not a teacher, counselor, or mentor. Your job is to ask questions that help people reach their own conclusions.

• When you notice you are starting to give advice or tell someone how to do something, take a deep breath and then ask a question.

• Recognize when you are over-using “I,” which can indicate you are giving advice instead of coaching.

• Be aware of when you are talking too much, which can mean that you are not giving the person a chance to express his or her thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

• Avoid giving advice disguised as questions. Instead of saying, “Do you think it might work better if you tried it this way?” say “What are some other methods you could try?”

Difficulty separating role as manager or supervisor from role as coach.

• Keep in mind that coaching is only one of the tools you use to help people succeed.

• Decide when someone needs coaching and when he or she needs instruction or direction.

• When it’s time to direct, direct, and when it’s time to coach, coach—avoid doing both at the same time.

Lack of time.

• Make coaching one of your priorities, and build the time into your schedule even if you are very busy.

• Recognize that successful coaching can help employees be more productive, and find ways to give them the time they need to effect change.

• Avoid embarking on coaching at times when there are too many other urgent priorities.

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Cont’d

Lack of organizational support.

• Remember that coaching takes place within a specific context and environment that you may not be able to change.

• Help employees recognize any contradictions there might be between their values and goals and those of the organization, and decide what they can do about them.

• Discuss your plans to coach employees with your own manager so he or she knows what you are doing and why you think it’s important.

Weakening motivation and commitment.

• Ask yourself whether you are giving the employee sufficient feedback on his or her change efforts.

• Make sure that you are finding ways to acknowledge and reward the person’s efforts and small wins.

• Ask questions to help the person discover the reasons that his or her motivation or commitment is weakening and decide what to do about it.

Resistance to feedback and change on the part of an employee.

• Understand the common reasons that people are sometimes uninterested in or unwilling to change—perhaps the person does not recognize that there is a problem or see the benefits of improving, or maybe the person is more afraid of stepping into the unknown than continuing in a less-than-desirable situation.

• Have patience, be calm, and ask nonjudgmental questions to try to uncover the root causes of the resistance.

• Remember that the desire to change has to come from the person and that not every person wants to change.

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Monitoring and Following Up

No matter how hard you try, coaching is not always successful. An employee may not agree that change is needed or may not want to change. Even when a coaching program begins well, people can lose their commitment and motivation.

What can you do to help people identify and handle problems?

What are steps you can take when coaching doesn’t seem to work?

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What to Do When Coaching Doesn’t Work

Do a self-assessment.

• Am I putting in enough time to provide the support the employee needs?

• Am I being patient and remembering that coaching isn’t a quick fix?

• Am I using the right approach? Am I coaching or directing?

• Is coaching really the best tool to improve the situation?

Did the employee actually agree to accept coaching, or is he or she just going along with my idea?

Work with the employee to figure out why this is happening and discuss what to do.

• Do the goals accurately express what the employee wants to achieve?

• Are the strategies the right ones for achieving the goals?

• Does the employee feel frustrated because he or she is aiming too high or taking on too much at one time?

• Does the employee have the necessary resources, including time?

• How does the employee feel about the situation? Does he or she want to continue the coaching program?

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Best Practices for Successful Coaching

Group Activity: Putting It Together

Instructions: Suppose your manager asks you to summarize what you learned today into a set of best practices that could be shared with others who want to coach their employees. Write them on the flip chart page(s).

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Best Practices for Successful Employee Coaching

• Decide when coaching is appropriate and when directing, teaching, counseling, or mentoring would be more likely to effect change.

• Ask employees whether they want coaching.

• Choose the right time and place for coaching conversations.

• Be patient and remember that coaching takes time.

• Begin by establishing rapport, building trust, and demonstrating caring.

• Instead of giving advice, ask questions to help people come to their own conclusions.

• Ask open-ended questions and listen actively.

• Acknowledge efforts and reward successes.

• Remember that coaching is a collaborative process.

• Be nonjudgmental and demonstrate respect for the employee, even when you disagree.

• Focus on behaviors and results, not on personality or personal characteristics.

• Avoid making assumptions.

• Set goals.

• Help the employee create a development plan.

• Provide Feedback with specifics and examples.

• Make coaching a priority and schedule the time.

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Guidelines for Conducting a Successful Coaching Session

Five Core Steps to a Successful Coaching Session There are five core steps to conducting a successful coaching session. These are: set the stage, confirm purpose and expectations, review performance, discuss future plans and goals, and close the meeting.

1) Set the stage

Prepare for the coaching session with your employee. This could be done by reviewing

the employee’s work and/or observing him or her handling some challenging tasks.

Similarly, allow the employee to be prepared. Schedule some time together and give

the employee some advanced notice. Try to create a positive, non-threatening, and

private environment, especially if you have negative feedback to discuss with the

employee.

Put the employee at ease when welcoming him or her to the meeting. Making small

talk about a neutral topic is a great way to start. Maintain the employee’s self-esteem

by focusing on the specific behavior, rather than on the individual’s personality. For

example, if an employee missed an important deadline on a project, talk about the

specific problems that resulted from the employee’s approach, rather than saying, “You

made a dumb mistake.” There are times when very pointed feedback and direction

must be given, but this kind of message should still be delivered in a way that attacks

the problem and not the person.

2) Confirm Purpose and Expectations

Thoroughly explain the purpose of the discussion--to recognize his or her

accomplishments and to improve their continuing performance, growth, and

development. Make sure the employee knows that the meeting allows for two-way

communication and encourage his or her input. Verify his/her understanding of your

standards and expectations for the future.

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Cont’d

3) Review Performance

Focus on performance standards objectives, and then describe how the employee’s

performance met or did not meet these standards. Be careful not to compare the

employee’s performance to that of other employees. Also, remember to use specific

examples and/or situations when the individual’s performance did not meet the

standards. The more specific you are, and less likely that he or she will take the

feedback as a reflection on the person or personality.

4) Discuss Future Plans and Goals

Discuss future targets and goals to ensure the employee’s understanding and

agreement. If his or her performance did not meet expectations, reevaluate objectives

and strategies. Be prepared to address roadblocks that may not be within the

employee’s control. Help the employee by letting him or her know that you are there at

any time to provide guidance and support.

If the employee’s performance met or exceeded expectations, help him or her to identify

new challenges for employee growth and development. Ideas may include cross-

training in another area, working on a project outside of normal job duties, and

becoming involved in a professional association.

5) Close the Meeting

At the end of the meeting, summarize your observations and ratings, being very clear in

your comments to the employee. Review the targets/objectives to which you have

agreed and discuss how you will monitor and assess the employee’s performance in

working toward their accomplishment. Ask the employee if they have any questions or

comments that they would like to add. Finally, thank him or her for participating in the

discussion.

Individual Activity: Your Insights

What insights did you gain from this course that might help you coach employees more

successfully?

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Objectives

• Revisit the course’s key insights and lessons

• Test your knowledge with review questions



Action Plan 1. In which coaching skill did you score the highest? Why are you particularly good at

practicing the behaviors associated with this skill? How could you apply your strength in this area to the other coaching skills?

2. In which coaching skill did you score the lowest? Why are the behaviors associated with this skill particularly difficult for you to practice? How might you overcome those challenges?

3. When you realize that your coaching efforts were not as effective as they could be, which coaching skill is most often related to your ineffectiveness? How is this reflected in your scores?

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Test Your Knowledge

1. Which of the following describes employee coaching?

a. A more experienced person sharing his or her knowledge and expertise over time to help someone develop new skills.

b. A temporary relationship, usually one-way, in which an expert transmits knowledge to others.

c. A collaborative relationship in which someone works with another person over time to help them improve their performance and develop their skills.

2. List three elements that are essential for successful coaching:

•

•

•

3. The first essential step in the coaching process is to set goals.

a. True

b. False

4. Circle the three behaviors for establishing trust.

a. Keep confidential information confidential.

b. Demonstrate flexibility.

c. Do what you say you will do.

d. Be honest.

5. What are the five core skills to be an effective coach?

•

•

•

•

•

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6. Which is an open-ended question?

a. Are you pleased with the way you ran that meeting?

b. Do you think you did a good job running that meeting?

c. Did you making any mistakes while you were running that meeting?

d. How do you feel about the way you ran that meeting?

7. Listening actively means that you remain aware of the speaker’s tone, expressions, and body language, as well as his or her words.

a. True

b. False

8. Which would be an indication that you might be giving advice instead of coaching?

a. Using too many “I” messages.

b. Asking too many questions.

c. Saying, “What are some alternatives?”

9. It’s best to keep feedback general instead of specific so the employee can figure out for him or herself what you mean to say.

a. True

b. False

10. Which question would be most useful when you are helping an employee identify the root cause of a performance problem?

a. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

b. “What do you think might be happening?”

c. “How will you get the resources you need?”

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Appendix

Contains: • References



References

Bacon, Terry R., and Laurie Voss. Adaptive Coaching: The Art and Practice of a Client-Centered

Approach to Performance Improvement. 2nd ed. Boston: Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2012

Bliss, Wendy. “Coaching in a Business Environment.” Last modified March 21, 2013.

http://www.shrm.org/templatestools/toolkits/pages/coachinginabusinessenvironme

nt.aspx

Chan, Janis Fisher. Communication Skills for Managers. 5th ed. American Management

Association, 2002.

Emerson, Brian, and Anne Loehr. A Manager’s Guide to Coaching: Simple and Effective Ways to Get

the Best out of Your Employees. AMACOM, 2008.

Hasan. “How to Coach Your Staff for Improved Performance.” Last modified June 28, 2007.

http://www.dirjournal.com/guides/how-to-coach-your-staff-for-improved-

performance/.

Harvard Business School. Coaching and Mentoring: How to Develop Top Talent and Achieve Stronger

Performance. Harvard Business Essentials. Harvard Business Press, 2004.

Linder-Pelz, Susie. NLP Coaching: An Evidence-Based Approach for Coaches, Leaders and Individuals.

London: Kogan Page, 2010.

Mind Tools. “Building Rapport.” https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/building-

rapport-coaching.htm.

Mind Tools. “What is Coaching?”

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_15.htm.

Proviano, Cathy J. and HRDQ Research and Development Team. Get Fit for Coaching

Zenger, John H. and Kathleen Stinnett. The Extraordinary Coach: How the Best Leaders Help Others

Grow. McGraw-Hill, 2010.

i Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Catalyst. “Employee Development

Survey Report.” April 2005.

http://www.shrm.org/research/surveyfindings/documents/employee%20developme

nt%20survey%20report%20-%20%20a%20study%20by%20shrm%20and%20catalyst.pdf.

ii Kouzes, James M. and Barry Z. Posner. The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary

Things Happen in Organizations. 5th ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2012

http://www.books24x7.com/books.aspx?imprintid=238


https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_15.htm


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