Coaching for Success

Coaching is perhaps the most effective method of increasing performance available to managers, team leaders, and colleagues. This article defines coaching and outlines a process for effective coaching.

Coaching Defined

Coaching is perhaps the most effective method of increasing performance available to managers, team leaders, and colleagues.

If you wish to improve the skills of your employees, you must plan to observe them and provide them with feedback. If you're like most supervisors or managers, you have limited time and are looking for employees to become proficient - and independent - faster.

Entelechy's Coaching Model is designed to help you do just that!

The Coaching Model is appropriate for developing the skills of employees if the employee is willing to improve. Coaching should not be used as a softer, gentler version of corrective action; if a performance problem occurs, you will want to use the Problem Solving model.

The Coaching Model is based on several important principles:

  • There are two primary goals to coaching:

    • To improve performance.

    • To help employees gain the ability to self-assess.

  • It is important that the coaching sessions follow a predictable process. This will help the coachees feel more comfortable and relaxed, which will help to ensure they actively participate in these sessions. It is for this reason that we suggest that you share the coaching model with your employees prior to coaching.

  • Coaching is a planned development process and should not be a surprise.

  • The way you open the conversation sets the tone for what will follow.

  • After we open the conversation using our initial probe, we discuss positives first and areas for improvement last. Beginning with positives first is motivational and accomplishes the following:

    • The goal is to have employees increase their performance. If they are not in a positive frame of mind, they will not be open to this change.

    • Reinforces good behavior and ease into the coaching session.

    • Builds self-esteem.

  • Ending the coaching session with a discussion of areas for development ensures that they are focusing on those areas.

  • Always give the coachee a chance to self-assess before you offer your insights. Encouraging self-assessment is positive for several reasons:

    • It encourages improvement even when you are not coaching.

    • It allows you to determine why the employee may not be performing as desired; they may not know that they're doing something incorrectly.

    • It builds self-esteem.

    • It increases the chances that behavior will change.

  • Reinforce correct self-assessment.

  • Defer or redirect inappropriate or incorrect self-assessment.

  • We focus coaching on only two strengths and two areas for development. Limiting the discussion is important and accomplishes the following:

    • Increases the coachee's ability to reach proficiency.

    • Focuses on the most important issues.

    • Other issues can be addressed after some progress has been made on the most important issues first.

  • If an employee is not identifying areas that you identified (or has identified them incorrectly), use increasingly specific questions to allow the employee to self-assess if possible. This allows you to determine if the employee doesn't know what's expected, doesn't have the skill, or simply chooses not to demonstrate the skill.

    The Coaching Model at Work

    Now let's turn our attention to Entelechy's Coaching Model in practice.

    Step 1: Open the Conversation

    The coach opens the conversation with a general question; this helps the coach get a sense for the accuracy of the coachee's self-assessment. If the coachee responds with, "that was the best call ever" and you thought that the call was poor, you know that you'll have to adjust your coaching conversation.

    Step 2: Probe for What Went Well

    The coach asks the coachee what went particularly well and listens for the responses. By identifying what went well first, a positive tone for the coaching session is set. We want to make sure that the coachee continues doing these things. This also forces the coachee - NOT THE COACH - to identify superior performance.

    Step 2a: Redirect or Defer

    Sometimes the coachee will bring up a negative when you're discussing positives. You will want to defer that discussion until later in the coaching conversation by saying, "I'd like to talk about that more later. What else went particularly well?"

    Other times, the coachee will claim something as a positive that - in your opinion - was an area that needs development. You will want to redirect their perception by pointing out what you saw that helped you conclude that it was less than desirable. "Oh, really? Did you happen to see John's face when you discussed the product's features? That's right, he seemed to lose interest when you started talking about us rather than about him...."

    Step 2b: Support and Build

    When the coachee correctly assesses his performance - both strengths and areas for development - support the assessment by saying, "I agree." Build from their conclusions to reinforce the accuracy of their self-assessment. In this way, you are reinforcing one of the most valuable skills anyone can acquire: the ability to assess and improve their own performance.

    Step 3: Probe for Areas for Development

    The third step is to ask the coachee what he would change if he could do it again. Obviously, if the coachee knows what could be improved and knows how to improve it, he won't benefit from YOU telling him! And by mentally rehearsing what he will do differently, the likelihood of him actually carrying out the improvement is increased.

    Most experts agree that two or three areas for development are enough for anyone to work on. Working on a laundry list of things to change is frustrating and futile. Focus on the areas of greatest need.

    When identifying areas for development, the coachee may not have identified the one that you thought was most important. Again, you can redirect their perception by identifying what you saw that they might not have that allowed you to come to your conclusion. "I agree that the two areas that you identified would definitely had made the call go better. What do you think the effect of your product feature presentation was on the customer? Why? What might you do differently the next time...?"

    Step 4: Summarize and Support

    Even though you may have limited the coaching to a few strengths and a couple areas for development, you will want to briefly summarize the discussion, especially what the coachee will do differently the next time. This recap will cause the most important things to remain fresh in memory. You will also want to support the changes by saying something like, "I think those changes will make your next call go even better."

    Follow these four steps to help your employees and colleagues increase their performance.

    (This information comes from Coaching for Performance, a module in Entelechy's High Performance Management program. Check out this module as well as our 40 other modules, training tools, and eGuides at www.unlockit.com)

    I have a diagram jpg or Word drawing of the coaching model that would illustrate the process better than words. I also have this available in Word format.

    About The Author

    Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized training programs in the areas of sales, management, customer service, and training. Check out our 40 customizable modules, training tools, and eGuides at www.unlockit.com. Terence can be reached at 603-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com

    • More Resources

    Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

    More Coaching Information:

    Related Articles

    Addiction to Blame
    Allen consulted with me because his wife of 18 years had threatened to leave him if he didn't stop blaming her all the time. He admitted to frequently blaming her in a variety of situations.
    How to Create Your Ideal Life - Excerpt from Individual Power
    When I lost it all, I felt powerless. During my darkest hours, I wrote letters to God asking "why?" I received answers in writing.
    The Benefits of Coaching
    When I was first introduced to the profession of personal coaching, my first initial thought was that it sounded exactly like something I would love to pursue. I did further investigation into the profession and before I knew it I was happily enrolled in the Coach Training Program offered through Coach U University in Colorado, USA.
    Purpose
    Many people go through much of their lives without really thinking about their purpose. I don't mean a lofty, philosophic, and often unrealistic purpose that has us striving to save the world or solve the challenge of poverty throughout the world (although these are both admirable for those whose true purpose is to do so).
    Change the Words and Change the World
    Excerpt From The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and Improve Every Relationship in Your Life by Kevin B. BurkIf we want to change our lives in any way, all we need to do is to change our words, thoughts and beliefs.
    Personal Development Profiles
    Personal development profiles, also known as personality profiles, are a tool I frequently use before starting a course of coaching with a client. The client answers a series of questions about preferred behaviour styles and their responses generate a report which outlines their strengths, areas for improvement, blind spots, their contribution to the team, ways they could improve their communication and how to deal with challenging people.
    The Long Way
    I wrote you about four years ago, when my eight year marriage was ending in divorce. At that time you gave me some great advice about beginning again.
    Success at Work : People Skills : Complaining
    Do you know an individual at work who is a chronic complainer? Are YOU a chronic complainer? People don't like complainers. Listening to a chronic complainer gets people depressed.
    Freedom for All; Is it Possible?
    Freedom for all species and people, and freedom of stress; is it possible? Could the Internet be a tool to getting there?Freedom, what is it? I am an Internet writer whose job is to write about the Internet. Does that mean I am locked into this one area? Am I allowed to write about other things? Well today I am going to test out my supposed freedom, by writing about freedom.
    You Are Never Trapped!
    "The meaning of life is that it stops." -Franz Kafka (1883-1924)A good friend of mine graduated from Boston University Law School.
    Coaching is Asking the Right Questions
    Have you ever known anyone who asked themselves "Why me?" over and over every time something happened they didn't like? Or how about, "What did I do to deserve this?" And my favorite, "Whose fault was that?" Perhaps, these questions have popped into your head once or twice before.When we ask ourselves questions, our brain hunts for the answer.
    What You See is What You Get
    H. Jackson Brown Jr.
    How to Get More Business Without Even Trying
    Why are you in business? Hopefully you enjoy what you do, however is it because you want to make money so that you can have, be and do more in your life?Who pays you? Your clients do and never forget that. Unfortunately many people do.
    The Biggest Loser
    I am a "Loser". You're gonna learn from this writing today the reason why you too must be a "Loser".
    Do You Really Need A Home Business Mentor?
    Having a mentor can mean the difference between success and failure if you want to have a successful Internet home business.Many of you have dreamed of owning your own Internet business, and have probably been involved in countless opportunities, and succeeded at none.
    Media Underload! The Stress Reducing Psych-Diet
    The war, taxes, the economy, increased health problems, crime on the rise, overwhelming divorce rate, corruption in corporate America, and, oh yes, Janet at the Super Bowl! Where does it end? With so much going wrong, whats going right in the world?It is times like these that I find myself mired down in the muck spewing forth from every media outlet. Like water dripping on a sponge, this negativity begins to seep in and pervade my thoughts and influence my reactions to the world around me.
    A Christmas Wish
    My sister is a woman now beginning her thirties. She has had few friends and her boyfriends have never been good for her.
    Resolving Conflicts Effectively
    Every relationship has conflicts. In some relationships, conflict is a serious problem; in others, differences seem to be resolved without creating a major incident.
    Do You Ever Give Up Coaching Employees?
    In principle, we don't want to give up coaching employees. We want to believe that we can eventually make a difference.
    Tame The Financial Beast
    Are holiday bills surprising you? Are you hoping that if you ignore your finances long enough, maybe they will fix themselves?Let's liken our finances to a garden. If we neglect the garden, weeds will grow and take over.