Coaching for Performance
Definition of Coaching for Performance:
Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them. Timothy Gallwey
GROW
The GROW model provides a structure which will help achieve the task and development outputs from the coaching process. First established by John Whitmore.
After identifying the performance issue you want to work on, you need to set the goal you wish to achieve. Ask questions to help the person be clear on what they really want.
Goals – should be:
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Trackable
Reality – a stage for exploring, gathering information, finding out, not a time for making decisions or finding solutions. Ask questions aimed to help the person to really understand what is going on and why they are not achieving already.
• No assumptions
• Cut through irrelevant history
• Avoid problem solving at this stage
• Review session goal if necessary
• Gathering information to facilitate a high quality decision
Options – solution time! Ask questions to help the person find solutions, which will suit them, deal with their challenges and help them achieve the desired goal.
• Generate all possibilities
• Offer suggestions – carefully
• Ensure choices are made - weigh up and test options for feasibility
Will or Wrap Up – agree action. End the coaching with a clear action plan.
• Make action steps specific and time phased
• Identify possible obstacles and strategies to tackle them
• Agree support
• Confirm commitment to take action
As appropriate offer a follow-up session to encourage and support action.
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Thursday 13 October 2011
Strategy as Seeing
Henry Minztberg developed this model and I particularly like it because it asks you to investigate all perspectives in thinking through your strategic options. I find the model can be used at any level of the organisation from Corporate to individual. There are 6 perspectives and the Seeing it Through aspect.
Seeing behind – what is the history and legacy? What learning do we have from our past? What are the things we need to keep in our future (and what to dump)?
Seeing ahead – if we keep doing what we’re doing now, what does the future look like?
Seeing above – the helicopter view or the big picture. Where do we fit in? How do we relate to those around us? What is our position in the big picture?
Seeing below – the detail of how we operate. What are our strategic assets and capabilities? What are the (hidden) gems that make us what we are and give us strategic advantage?
These four perspectives give you the current situation and going forward, the next two ask for creative thinking about how to improve what you do.
Seeing beside – what is going on in other organisations, which we could copy and adapt for our business in order to improve? Eg supermarkets copied airline distribution patterns.
Seeing beyond – what are the new possibilities for our business/organisation? This is the space for ‘blue sky’ thinking.
The analysis and learning from these perspectives will inform your business strategy, then you need to develop the Business Plan, which is Mintzberg’s Seeing it through.
There are many popular tools and techniques which can be used under each of these perspectives, for detailed and structured analysis and for creative thinking. More on those another time, though if you would like this information please contact me.
Seeing behind – what is the history and legacy? What learning do we have from our past? What are the things we need to keep in our future (and what to dump)?
Seeing ahead – if we keep doing what we’re doing now, what does the future look like?
Seeing above – the helicopter view or the big picture. Where do we fit in? How do we relate to those around us? What is our position in the big picture?
Seeing below – the detail of how we operate. What are our strategic assets and capabilities? What are the (hidden) gems that make us what we are and give us strategic advantage?
These four perspectives give you the current situation and going forward, the next two ask for creative thinking about how to improve what you do.
Seeing beside – what is going on in other organisations, which we could copy and adapt for our business in order to improve? Eg supermarkets copied airline distribution patterns.
Seeing beyond – what are the new possibilities for our business/organisation? This is the space for ‘blue sky’ thinking.
The analysis and learning from these perspectives will inform your business strategy, then you need to develop the Business Plan, which is Mintzberg’s Seeing it through.
There are many popular tools and techniques which can be used under each of these perspectives, for detailed and structured analysis and for creative thinking. More on those another time, though if you would like this information please contact me.
Thursday 22 September 2011
3 E's of Learning
• Experience: learning through trial and error
• Example: learning by observing
• Education: learning through training (including reading books etc)
Experience – there’s no substitute for learning by doing. Experience is often the most valuable way to learn to lead. The more chances you have to actually practice leading in real-life situations, the more likely it is that you’ll become a better leader. Learning a skill takes practice, practice, practice – Gladwell identified that it takes 10,000 hours to achieve excellence.
Whether it’s facilitating team meetings, leading a special task force or heading up a charity fundraising event, the more chances you have to serve in leadership roles the more likely it is that you’ll develop the skills to lead – and the more likely that you’ll learn the important leadership lessons that only come from the failures and successes of action.
Example – other people are essential sources of learning. We all remember the parent we looked at when wondering how to handle an unfamiliar situation, the special teacher who exhibited such joy in her vocation etc. Perhaps you have had a coach or mentor who believed in you more than you believed in yourself, or a manager who treated everyone with respect and who encouraged your leadership aspirations. Role models are critical to learning anything and they are especially important when learning how to lead.
As you think about your continuing leadership development, look around for role models, coaches and teachers in your organisation or community. Don’t be shy about asking for their help or for permission to watch them at work. Take them out for coffee and interview them on how they handle difficult situations. And even if you can’t observe them directly, well-known contemporary or past leaders are also excellent sources of learning. Pick up a couple of biographies and read about what these people did to become esteemed leaders.
Education – formal training and education can definitely improve your chances of success. On the list of ways we learn to lead, coursework can be a high-leverage opportunity. Done right, training enables you to spend concentrated period of time with an expert focused on one subject with only a few skills. This focused attention helps you to learn something more quickly and with the benefit of multiple chances to practice and get feedback in a safe environment. Your team don’t want you to experiment with new, untested behaviours on them, any more than you want to be on an airplane with a pilot who’s never been at the controls before. Training and education provide valuable opportunities for taking some “test flights”.
Leaders are learners. People who are more frequently engaged in learning activities, no matter what their learning style, perform better as leaders. The more we seek to learn, the better we’ll become at leading – or at anything for that matter. The best leaders approach each new and unfamiliar experience with a willingness to learn and an appreciation of the importance of learning.
• Example: learning by observing
• Education: learning through training (including reading books etc)
Experience – there’s no substitute for learning by doing. Experience is often the most valuable way to learn to lead. The more chances you have to actually practice leading in real-life situations, the more likely it is that you’ll become a better leader. Learning a skill takes practice, practice, practice – Gladwell identified that it takes 10,000 hours to achieve excellence.
Whether it’s facilitating team meetings, leading a special task force or heading up a charity fundraising event, the more chances you have to serve in leadership roles the more likely it is that you’ll develop the skills to lead – and the more likely that you’ll learn the important leadership lessons that only come from the failures and successes of action.
Example – other people are essential sources of learning. We all remember the parent we looked at when wondering how to handle an unfamiliar situation, the special teacher who exhibited such joy in her vocation etc. Perhaps you have had a coach or mentor who believed in you more than you believed in yourself, or a manager who treated everyone with respect and who encouraged your leadership aspirations. Role models are critical to learning anything and they are especially important when learning how to lead.
As you think about your continuing leadership development, look around for role models, coaches and teachers in your organisation or community. Don’t be shy about asking for their help or for permission to watch them at work. Take them out for coffee and interview them on how they handle difficult situations. And even if you can’t observe them directly, well-known contemporary or past leaders are also excellent sources of learning. Pick up a couple of biographies and read about what these people did to become esteemed leaders.
Education – formal training and education can definitely improve your chances of success. On the list of ways we learn to lead, coursework can be a high-leverage opportunity. Done right, training enables you to spend concentrated period of time with an expert focused on one subject with only a few skills. This focused attention helps you to learn something more quickly and with the benefit of multiple chances to practice and get feedback in a safe environment. Your team don’t want you to experiment with new, untested behaviours on them, any more than you want to be on an airplane with a pilot who’s never been at the controls before. Training and education provide valuable opportunities for taking some “test flights”.
Leaders are learners. People who are more frequently engaged in learning activities, no matter what their learning style, perform better as leaders. The more we seek to learn, the better we’ll become at leading – or at anything for that matter. The best leaders approach each new and unfamiliar experience with a willingness to learn and an appreciation of the importance of learning.
Tuesday 19 April 2011
Skills and Qualities required for Good Coaching
Coaching is unlike training, consultancy, advising, or providing a professional service in which work is completed on behalf of a client. Coaching is helping the client to work through challenges and find their own solutions. The qualities required for good coaching are different to those found in these other disciplines too:
Listening
In coaching, listening is more important than talking. By listening, people can be helped to overcome their fears, be offered complete objectivity and given undivided attention and unparalleled support. This leads to the intuitive questioning that allows the client to explore what is going on for themselves.
Communication skills
Coaching is a two-way process. While listening is crucial, so is being able to ask questions, interpret and reflect back, in ways that remove barriers, pre-conceptions, bias, and negativity. Communicating well enables trust and meaningful understanding on both sides.
Coaches are able to communicate feeling and meaning, as well as content - there is a huge difference. Communicating with no personal agenda, and without judging or influencing, are essential aspects of the communicating process, especially when dealing with people's personal anxieties and challenges.
Good coaching uses communication not to give the client the answers, but to help the clients find their answers for themselves.
Rapport-building
A coach's ability to build rapport with people is vital. Normally such ability stems from a desire to help people, which all coaches tend to possess. Rapport-building is made far easier in coaching compared to other services because the coach's only focus is the client. When a coach supports a person in this way it quite naturally accelerates the rapport-building process.
Motivating and inspiring
Coaches motivate and inspire people; the ability to do this lies within us all. It is borne of a desire to help and support. People who feel ready to help others are normally able to motivate and inspire. When someone receives attention and personal investment from a coach towards their well-being and development, such as happens in the coaching relationship, this is in itself very motivational and inspirational.
Curiosity, flexibility and courage
Coaching patterns vary; people's needs are different, circumstances and timings are unpredictable, so coaching relationships do not follow a single set formula. Remembering that everyone is different and has different needs is an essential part of being a coach. Ultimately, everyone is human - so coaches take human emotions and feelings into account.
Coaching is client-led - which means that these emotions have to be tapped into from the very beginning of the coaching process. So, having the flexibility to react to people's differences, along with the curiosity and interest to understand fundamental issues in people's lives, are also crucial in coaching.
The coach's curiosity enables the client's journey to be full and far-reaching; both coach and client are often surprised at how expectations are exceeded, and how much people grow.
All this does take some courage - coaches generally have a strong belief in themselves, a strong determination to do the best they can for their clients, and a belief, or faith that inherently people are capable of reaching goals themselves.
Coaching maxims and principles
Typically good coaches will use and follow these principles:
• Listening is more important than talking
• What motivates people must be understood
• Everyone is capable of achieving more
• A person's past is no indication of their future
• People's beliefs about what is possible for themselves are their only limits
• A coach must always provide full support
• Coaches don't provide the answers
• Coaching does not include criticizing people
• All coaching is completely confidential
• Some people's needs cannot be met by coaching , and coaches recognise clients with these needs
Listening
In coaching, listening is more important than talking. By listening, people can be helped to overcome their fears, be offered complete objectivity and given undivided attention and unparalleled support. This leads to the intuitive questioning that allows the client to explore what is going on for themselves.
Communication skills
Coaching is a two-way process. While listening is crucial, so is being able to ask questions, interpret and reflect back, in ways that remove barriers, pre-conceptions, bias, and negativity. Communicating well enables trust and meaningful understanding on both sides.
Coaches are able to communicate feeling and meaning, as well as content - there is a huge difference. Communicating with no personal agenda, and without judging or influencing, are essential aspects of the communicating process, especially when dealing with people's personal anxieties and challenges.
Good coaching uses communication not to give the client the answers, but to help the clients find their answers for themselves.
Rapport-building
A coach's ability to build rapport with people is vital. Normally such ability stems from a desire to help people, which all coaches tend to possess. Rapport-building is made far easier in coaching compared to other services because the coach's only focus is the client. When a coach supports a person in this way it quite naturally accelerates the rapport-building process.
Motivating and inspiring
Coaches motivate and inspire people; the ability to do this lies within us all. It is borne of a desire to help and support. People who feel ready to help others are normally able to motivate and inspire. When someone receives attention and personal investment from a coach towards their well-being and development, such as happens in the coaching relationship, this is in itself very motivational and inspirational.
Curiosity, flexibility and courage
Coaching patterns vary; people's needs are different, circumstances and timings are unpredictable, so coaching relationships do not follow a single set formula. Remembering that everyone is different and has different needs is an essential part of being a coach. Ultimately, everyone is human - so coaches take human emotions and feelings into account.
Coaching is client-led - which means that these emotions have to be tapped into from the very beginning of the coaching process. So, having the flexibility to react to people's differences, along with the curiosity and interest to understand fundamental issues in people's lives, are also crucial in coaching.
The coach's curiosity enables the client's journey to be full and far-reaching; both coach and client are often surprised at how expectations are exceeded, and how much people grow.
All this does take some courage - coaches generally have a strong belief in themselves, a strong determination to do the best they can for their clients, and a belief, or faith that inherently people are capable of reaching goals themselves.
Coaching maxims and principles
Typically good coaches will use and follow these principles:
• Listening is more important than talking
• What motivates people must be understood
• Everyone is capable of achieving more
• A person's past is no indication of their future
• People's beliefs about what is possible for themselves are their only limits
• A coach must always provide full support
• Coaches don't provide the answers
• Coaching does not include criticizing people
• All coaching is completely confidential
• Some people's needs cannot be met by coaching , and coaches recognise clients with these needs
Monday 14 March 2011
Making the most of your time
Stephen Covey came up with a useful analysis of how you should allocate your time.
The framework for analysing your tasks is simple, there are two dimensions: Urgency and Importance.
Research found that the most effective people spend 65% or more of their time in Important and Not Urgent activity. This includes planning, relationship building, preparing for important events, setting direction, clarifying vision and values, empowering others, etc. The critical place to be spending time, this is strategic and pro-active, the real work that moves us forward and gets things done.
Effective people spend 20-25% of their time in Urgent and Important tasks. Dealing with crisis, pressing problems, deadline-driven projects, meetings, preparation, etc. While sometimes necessary, too much time here can lead to high stress levels and burnout.
They spend about 15% of their time in Urgent, Not Important activity such as dealing with interruptions, some mail and reports, some meetings, many immediate pressing matters and many popular activities. It is best to be aware of time spent here and choose to limit it by creating rules and parameters that others are aware of as well.
The Not Important, Not Urgent category, eg trivia, some conversations, time wasters, escape activities, shouldn't take more than 1% of your time as it is neither productive nor “refreshing”, this is where energy spent yields no return on the personal investment
When new tasks arrive use the 4 D's and this framework to decide how to handle them: Do it now, Delay it to quality time, Delegate it, or Dump it.
For more information on how to make the most of your time contact Amanda via the comment box below.
The framework for analysing your tasks is simple, there are two dimensions: Urgency and Importance.
Research found that the most effective people spend 65% or more of their time in Important and Not Urgent activity. This includes planning, relationship building, preparing for important events, setting direction, clarifying vision and values, empowering others, etc. The critical place to be spending time, this is strategic and pro-active, the real work that moves us forward and gets things done.
Effective people spend 20-25% of their time in Urgent and Important tasks. Dealing with crisis, pressing problems, deadline-driven projects, meetings, preparation, etc. While sometimes necessary, too much time here can lead to high stress levels and burnout.
They spend about 15% of their time in Urgent, Not Important activity such as dealing with interruptions, some mail and reports, some meetings, many immediate pressing matters and many popular activities. It is best to be aware of time spent here and choose to limit it by creating rules and parameters that others are aware of as well.
The Not Important, Not Urgent category, eg trivia, some conversations, time wasters, escape activities, shouldn't take more than 1% of your time as it is neither productive nor “refreshing”, this is where energy spent yields no return on the personal investment
When new tasks arrive use the 4 D's and this framework to decide how to handle them: Do it now, Delay it to quality time, Delegate it, or Dump it.
For more information on how to make the most of your time contact Amanda via the comment box below.
Thursday 13 January 2011
10 Key Success Factors for implementing coaching in organisations
If you are thinking of creating more of a coaching culture in your company or at least using coaching in some way for the development of your people, you'll want to know how best to do that and what are the pitfalls to avoid. These 10 Key Success Factors are a great starting point for your planning.
1. Develop an organisation-specific understanding of coaching: coaching is a term that is interpreted in many ways and this step ensures that you achieve a shared understanding of what you in the company mean by coaching. for example is it 1:1 learning delivered by technical experts or is it a facilitated and purposeful discussion based around the individual's development needs?
2. Take a systematic approach: this allows you to properly control the learning intervention and learn from the results, whereas an ad-hoc approach, where everyone does what they think is appropriate is difficult to evaluate and understand the impact.
3. Choose an adequate level of penetration: once you have determined the purpose and aims of using coaching as a development tool, what forms of coaching would be appropriate to use and at what level in the organisation? Do you simply want to conduct a test on the effects of executive coaching with senior managers or a wider and deeper initiative including all layers of the organisation in some way?
4. Involve top management: coaching is a way of working and for the coaching iniative to be successful, you need to have at least the full backing of the Board. Ideally you want them to role model the coaching style, so you want them actively participating and role-modeling.
5. Promote coaching as a positive developmental tool: historically some organisations have used coaching as a last-resort intervention for poor performers. This drastically limits the potential of coaching, it should be positioned and promoted as a positive intervention that helps achieve great results. Eg an early example of someone who is considered good, benefitting from coaching support to achieve great results, would be a positive promotion of coaching.
6. Optimal win-win value for all stakeholders: coaching is a type of intervention that can achieve good results for all concerned - the individual improves their performance, the coach improves their coaching, the line manager sees improvements, the team's performance also sees better results. How can you ensure that all parties see that their investment in coaching will pay back significant results?
7. Full consistency with business strategy: any development strategy should be designed to deliver the business strategy and coaching is no exception. Decisions around what coaching to provide to whom should all be based on what capability is required to deliver the business strategy.
8. Complete transparency of the coaching concept: by being open about the coaching concept and its implementation in the organisation, you encourage people to ask questions and to get on board with this development strategy. This reduces any resistance to a new way of working and encourages participation.
9. Effective and careful evaluation: Think about how you will evaluate the coaching right from the start, so you put in place the necessary benchmarks and measures to be able to evaluate effectively. Additionally the confidential aspects of coaching need to be handled with care and never abused.
10. High integrity and quality at all levels: Your company-specific definition of coaching and the coaching concept you have chosen to implement will determine what is quality and integrity for you. It is important to be clear on these aspects from the outset and to recruit appropriate coaches and ensure those participating in the coaching do so with integrity.
This brief introduction to the 10 Key Success Factors may raise more questions than it answers and there is a lot of detail and clear guidelines in the book. I hope it has got you thinking about what you need to consider if you are implementing coaching in your organisation, or if you have had some form of coaching for a while and now want to improve and extend the coaching provision. If you learn best by doing, plan to participate in the pragmatic seminar on how to implement coaching in your organisation.
From the book "The Global Business Guide for the successful use of coaching in organisations" written by Frank Bresser and edited by Amanda Bouch
1. Develop an organisation-specific understanding of coaching: coaching is a term that is interpreted in many ways and this step ensures that you achieve a shared understanding of what you in the company mean by coaching. for example is it 1:1 learning delivered by technical experts or is it a facilitated and purposeful discussion based around the individual's development needs?
2. Take a systematic approach: this allows you to properly control the learning intervention and learn from the results, whereas an ad-hoc approach, where everyone does what they think is appropriate is difficult to evaluate and understand the impact.
3. Choose an adequate level of penetration: once you have determined the purpose and aims of using coaching as a development tool, what forms of coaching would be appropriate to use and at what level in the organisation? Do you simply want to conduct a test on the effects of executive coaching with senior managers or a wider and deeper initiative including all layers of the organisation in some way?
4. Involve top management: coaching is a way of working and for the coaching iniative to be successful, you need to have at least the full backing of the Board. Ideally you want them to role model the coaching style, so you want them actively participating and role-modeling.
5. Promote coaching as a positive developmental tool: historically some organisations have used coaching as a last-resort intervention for poor performers. This drastically limits the potential of coaching, it should be positioned and promoted as a positive intervention that helps achieve great results. Eg an early example of someone who is considered good, benefitting from coaching support to achieve great results, would be a positive promotion of coaching.
6. Optimal win-win value for all stakeholders: coaching is a type of intervention that can achieve good results for all concerned - the individual improves their performance, the coach improves their coaching, the line manager sees improvements, the team's performance also sees better results. How can you ensure that all parties see that their investment in coaching will pay back significant results?
7. Full consistency with business strategy: any development strategy should be designed to deliver the business strategy and coaching is no exception. Decisions around what coaching to provide to whom should all be based on what capability is required to deliver the business strategy.
8. Complete transparency of the coaching concept: by being open about the coaching concept and its implementation in the organisation, you encourage people to ask questions and to get on board with this development strategy. This reduces any resistance to a new way of working and encourages participation.
9. Effective and careful evaluation: Think about how you will evaluate the coaching right from the start, so you put in place the necessary benchmarks and measures to be able to evaluate effectively. Additionally the confidential aspects of coaching need to be handled with care and never abused.
10. High integrity and quality at all levels: Your company-specific definition of coaching and the coaching concept you have chosen to implement will determine what is quality and integrity for you. It is important to be clear on these aspects from the outset and to recruit appropriate coaches and ensure those participating in the coaching do so with integrity.
This brief introduction to the 10 Key Success Factors may raise more questions than it answers and there is a lot of detail and clear guidelines in the book. I hope it has got you thinking about what you need to consider if you are implementing coaching in your organisation, or if you have had some form of coaching for a while and now want to improve and extend the coaching provision. If you learn best by doing, plan to participate in the pragmatic seminar on how to implement coaching in your organisation.
From the book "The Global Business Guide for the successful use of coaching in organisations" written by Frank Bresser and edited by Amanda Bouch
Monday 3 January 2011
Highlights in 2010
As the New Year starts, it's worth taking a moment to think about the highs and lows of the year just gone. This will help focus your mind on what kind of things to be paying attention to in 2011: what things bring you success and you would do well to do more of; what things didn't work so well and you would be advised to stop doing?
I invested in learning about doing business online in 2010, which has been somethign of a highlight and now I want to make that business worth something in 2011, so I'll be focusing my effort on the marketing. I find it interesting that although the same fundamental principles apply in the online marketplace, the context is so different and the scale is significantly different.
So I'll be out there seeking to meet people online, to speak/write and be heard and to show how my business can help.
At the same time for my 'traditional' business I will be focusing on meeting people, getting to know others and understand their particular needs and show how I can help. When I was doing that in 2010, it generated a huge buzz for me and it's so enjoyable to meet and work with others to create better business results. The focus though is on much smaller numbers of people and a much more personal relationship, especially as I specialise in helping people improve how they operate individually.
So it is helping people that have given me my best highs and I look forward to much more of that in the year to come.
What about you? I'd love to hear what highs you enjoyed in 2010 and how you will match or better that in 2011. Please do comment.
I invested in learning about doing business online in 2010, which has been somethign of a highlight and now I want to make that business worth something in 2011, so I'll be focusing my effort on the marketing. I find it interesting that although the same fundamental principles apply in the online marketplace, the context is so different and the scale is significantly different.
So I'll be out there seeking to meet people online, to speak/write and be heard and to show how my business can help.
At the same time for my 'traditional' business I will be focusing on meeting people, getting to know others and understand their particular needs and show how I can help. When I was doing that in 2010, it generated a huge buzz for me and it's so enjoyable to meet and work with others to create better business results. The focus though is on much smaller numbers of people and a much more personal relationship, especially as I specialise in helping people improve how they operate individually.
So it is helping people that have given me my best highs and I look forward to much more of that in the year to come.
What about you? I'd love to hear what highs you enjoyed in 2010 and how you will match or better that in 2011. Please do comment.
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