COACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: HOW TRAINING AS A LIFE COACH HAS AFFECTED THE WAY I TEACH

Dr Bex LewisBex.Lewis@winchester.ac.uk

Coming Up…

What is coaching? What defines a

successful coach? Effect on Self

Encouragement Commitment &

Responsibility

Group Work Learning Styles

Facilitating Group Sessions Thinking Hats

Techniques Active Listening Questioning Silence

What is (life) coaching?

“Life coaching gives you the opportunity to step back and take a look at your life, allowing focused time out to analyse your motivations and dreams, tuning into the possibilities and defining action plans for direction in life, with accountability to your life coach”

http://drbexl.co.uk/life-coaching/what-is-life-coaching/

“The Learning Organisation” “Most of us, at one time or another, have been part

of a great ‘team’, or group of people who functioned together in an extraordinary way – who trusted each other, who complemented each other’s strengths and weaknesses and compensated for each other’s limitations, who had common goals that were larger than individual goals and who produced extraordinary results. I have met many people who have experienced this sort of profound teamwork – in sports or in the performing arts or in business. Many say they have spent much of their life looking for that experience again. What they experienced was a learning organisation.”

Parsloe & Leedham, 2009, 62-63

Mentor vs Coach

Mentor More experienced in the subject they are giving

your advice on, likely a long-term relationship Focus on the person, their career, giving support

for individual growth “Off-line help from one person to another in

making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking”(Clutterbuck, 2004, 13)

Coach Elicits ideas to help coachees reach their potential,

doesn’t need to be an expert in that field, likely a short-term relationship

Draw out the expertise from the coachee

Greater Awareness & Responsibility

Whitmore, 2009, 54

The Traits of a Successful Coach They are interested in

people They truly want to help They are determined,

committed, and willing to learn

They are flexible and resilient

They see the best in people – even when others don’t

Brilliant Coaches

Authenticity Empathy Insight Curiosity Ability to listen Courage and willingness to offer feedback Ability to use (appropriate) humour Ability to tolerate ambiguity Ability to confront others Respect for self and own boundaries Respect for others and tolerate their differences

Brian Draper: “Spiritual Intelligence” “So what kind of story will people tell at

your funeral? What kind of story will those who have worked with you, lived with you, loved you, really tell about the way you have lived and loved? You have the chance – before that funeral! – to craft something much richer, deeper and more beautiful than the usual script; but only if you dare to awaken to the possibilities – and to the harder fact that you are, at the moment, asleep.” (2009, 11)

Being open to experimentation

Experiment Aim for excellence

rather than perfection

Prepare Turn Up Do Your Best Evaluate

Start from where you are

You can’t change who you are now…So what do you want to improve for the next stage?

Encourage Students

Where possible, don’t GIVE solutions.

If possible reaffirm solutions already given. “You mentioned x,

a really good idea... Do more of that”

Commitment Based Teaching I will do whatever it takes! I will do it unless/I will do it until I’ll try I don’t really care (but I’ll act like I do to

‘play the game’)

Results or relationship focused?

Individuals? Groups?

Learning Styles

Visual (65%)

Take numerous detailed notes Sit at the front of the class Like to see what they are learning Benefit from illustrations & presentations that

use vivid colours Are attracted to written & spoken language rich

in imagery, including mind maps Need to use ‘big’ questions then chunk down Find something to watch if they are bored “I see what you’re saying”

Auditory (30%)

Sit where they can hear, but needn’t pay attention to what is happening in front

May not co-ordinate colours or clothes, but can explain why they are wearing what they are wearing and why

Acquire knowledge by reading aloud Remember by verbalising lessons to

themselves. Hum or talk to themselves or others when bored “I hear what you’re saying”

Kinaesthetic (5%?)

Learn by imitation/practice May be slower to learn, but retain knowledge Need to be active and take frequent breaks Speak with their hands and with gestures Remember what was done, but have difficulty

recalling what was said or seen Communicate by touching, appreciate physical

encouragement, e.g. pat on the back Find reasons to tinker or move when bored “I feel bad about that”

In practice…

Break up Sessions Provide a range of

activities Lectures Visuals on slides YouTube Discussions Practical

Facilitating Group Sessions

Role of the Facilitator

The facilitator’s job is to support everyone to do their best thinking. To do this, the facilitator encourages full participation, promotes mutual understanding and cultivates shared responsibility, By supporting everyone to do their best thinking, a facilitator enables group members to search for inclusive solutions and build sustainable agreements.

Kaner, S et al, 2007

Facilitating Group Sessions

Identifying Observed Behaviours Underlying Motivation Suggestion for positive impact

Quiet/Shy Participant Overly Talkative Participant Overly Negative or Argumentative

Participant ‘Multiple Conversation’ Participant

http://www.fao.org/docrep/X0185E/p041.gif

Quiet/Shy Participant

Sitting back Listening more

than speaking Quiet Looking

down/away Not engaging

Quiet/Shy Participant: Solutions Ask direct questions Smile/eye contact Pair work – ask them to

summarise group discussions

Name games Warn will ask questions

after break – maybe take to one side over the break

Recognise contribution positively & ask for more.

Overly Talkative Participant

Talks more than listens

Animated Not aware of

other’s needs Not necessarily

relevant to discussion point

Tunes out when others are talking

Overly Talkative Participant: Solutions

Ask them to hold that thought Stop and ask for relevance Give them 10 words to summarise their

point Small groups – get groups to

resummarise each others arguments Ask them to allow space for others after a

break – recognise they have great contributions to make

During pause for breath – speak/restate agenda, look at watch, emphasise relevant points/time limits, refuse to catch their eye

If they look like they’re about to speak, invite someone else into the discussion (say you may come back to them)

Overly Negative or Argumentative Participant

Argues Plays ‘Devil’s

Advocate’ Can’t seem to see

the positive in any points

“Yes, but…” “Why am I doing

this?”

Overly Negative or Argumentative Participant: Solutions

Find a relevant example for their arguments Help them find their own goals Empathise (defuse) Ban the word BUT Thank them for the comment and ask them

how we would turn that into a positive statement.

Paraphrase and recap in objective terms. Find merit, express agreement and move

on. Respond to comments, not the attack. Open discussion of their comments to the

group. Mention – time constraints – will ‘park’ for

the next meeting.

‘6 Thinking Hats’ (Edward de Bono)

http://mappio.com/mindmap/ajwilcox/six-thinking-hats-by-edward-de-bono

‘Multiple Conversation’ Participant Mobile Usage Not listening to

everyone else Not engaging Clock-watching Looking around

room Staring into space Distracting others

‘Multiple Conversation’ Participant: Solutions

Do something unexpected to catch their attention

Draw attention to them if they are being disruptive

Give a look Use them as a focus to bring them in

positively. Keep them engaged – show them the

value and set up rules of engagement. Ask them to share their ideas with the

group Walk near them Restate a recent point and ask them

for their opinion

Techniques

Active Listening: Listening for ‘the total message’

Benefits for the Speaker The speaker feels understood The speaker has opportunities to express thoughts more

clearly and concisely without having to rush The speaker has opportunities to correct

misunderstanding Benefits for the listener

The listener will obtain a wealth of information about the speaker’s thoughts , ideas and failings

The listener will be accepted and trust more readily by the speaker

The listener will actually get to know and understand the speaker as an individual

Recognising Poor Listening

Faking attention whilst thinking about something else Showing impatience or irritation (doodling, etc) Distracted by what’s going on around you Being put off by another’s appearance, accent, choice of

words, etc. Being too pre-occupied with getting own ideas across, so

don’t hear what other is saying Impatience, no time to listen Switching off whilst mentally rehearsing a response Trying to finish a sentence before the other has finish

speaking Switching off

Questioning

Use a wide variety of questions, divergent/convergent

Respond and acknowledge Provide positive reinforcement Interrelate previous comments Restate discussion goal periodically Equitably select those to question Select volunteers and non-volunteers to

answer questions “5 levels of why”

Sitting with the Silence

Allow people time to reflect If you’re too preoccupied with keeping a

flow going and filling all the gaps (with questions, etc), the other person doesn’t have time to reflect and work things out

Three Second Rule Question clarification? Extended if necessary – trust intutition

Bibliography Professional Coaching Certification Programme,

ICF Accredited, The Kerslake Company, 2008-9 Clutterbuck, D. Everyone needs a mentor:

Fostering talent in your organisation CIPD, 2004 (4th Ed)

Draper, B. Spiritual Intelligence Lion Hudson, 2009

Minter, T. ‘Personal Effectiveness’, CIPD, 2007 Parsloe, E. and Leedham, M. Coaching and

Mentoring: Practical Conversations to Improve Learning Kogan Page, 2009 (2nd Ed)

Townsend, J. & Donovan, P. The Facilitator’s Pocketbook Management Pocketbooks, 1999

Whitmore, J. Coaching for Performance Nicholas Brealey, 2009 (4th Ed)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

QUESTIONS?