Coaching Skills in the Workplace 2-Day Workshopnelcscotlandorg....Coaching Skills in the Workplace...

Coaching Skills in the Workplace2-Day Workshop

OverviewThis two-day workshop has been designed to help participants develop acoaching style of management. It is a practical workshop which helps toraise self-awareness and provides opportunities to practise in a safeenvironment the key coaching skills of listening well and asking questionswhich help individuals to find their own solutions.

You will practise in small groups with examples which are real for you.You will receive feedback on your listening and questioning skills whichwill support you in developing your confidence and competence in using acoaching style to increase morale, motivation and performance in theworkplace.

As this is a practical workshop we ask participants to identify andshare two areas in which they would like to be more effective orsuccessful. This allows authentic coaching conversations tohappen in a safe and confidential environment and supports thelearning of the group.

Learning OutcomesParticipants will:• understand the definition of a coaching style in the context of

management and leadership styles;• understand the benefits of using a coaching style and know when it is

appropriate to do so;• learn how to use the OSCAR framework to support and structure a

coaching conversation;• develop self awareness and confidence in their listening and

questioning skills and in using techniques to help people find their ownsolutions;

• identify the actions they can take to develop a coaching culture withintheir own team or department.

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Workshop Outline

Day 1• Welcome and Introductions• Expectations and Ground Rules• Coaching Definitions and Philosophies• Qualities of an Effective Coach• Coaching Skills – Effective Questioning and Active Listening• The OSCAR Model• Coaching Practise, Peer Feedback and Self Reflection

Day 2• Circles of Influence and Concern• Developing Self Awareness

o Suspending Judgemento Emotional Triggerso Communication Preferences

• Belief Cycles• SMART Objectives• Coaching Practise, Peer Feedback and Self Reflection


DAY 1Coaching Definitions and Philosophies

Daniel Goleman describes six leadership / management styles, each ofwhich: derives from different emotional intelligence competencies, worksbest in particular situations, and affects the organisational climate indifferent ways.

Coaching is one of the six styles he describes; it is this style on which wewill focus during this workshop.

In the tables below, the words in brackets are the names by which thestyles were previously described. Three of these styles have now beenrenamed - the current names are shown in capital letters.

Goleman’s Six Leadership / Management Styles

AFFILIATIVE VISIONARY(Authoritative)

COACHING DIRECTIVE(Coercive)

PARTICIPATIVE(Democratic)

PACESETTING

Leader’smodusoperandi

Creates harmonyand buildsemotional bonds

Avoids conflictand emphasisesgood personalrelationships

Provides long-term directionand vision

Firm but fair

Develops peoplefor the future

Demandsimmediatecompliance:

Closely Controlsemployees

Forges consensusthroughparticipation

Encouragesemployee input undecision- making

Sets highperformancestandards, doingmany taskspersonally andexpecting othersto follow byexample

The style ina phrase

“People comefirst”

“Come with me” “Try this” “Do it the way Itell you”

“What do youthink”

“I’ll do it myself”

Motivates by...

trying to keeppeople happy

persuasion andfeedback on taskperformance

providingopportunities fordevelopment

threats anddiscipline

rewarding teameffort

setting highstandards andexpects self-direction fromemployees

UnderlyingEIcompetence

• Empathy• Building

Relationships• Communication

• Self-confidence

• Empathy• Change

Catalyst

• Developingothers

• Empathy• Self-

awareness

• Drive toachieve

• Initiative• Self control

• Collaboration• Team

Leadership• Communication

• Conscientious• Drive to

achieve• Initiative





PACESETTING

Effectivewhen ...

• used with otherstyles

• tasks areroutine andperformanceadequate

• managingconflict

• cleardirections andstandards areneeded

• the leader iscredible

• skills need tobe developed

• employees aremotivated andwanting todevelop

• there is acrisis

• deviations arerisky

• employees areworkingtogether

• employees haveexperience andcredibility

• employees arehighlymotivated andcompetent

• little direction isrequired

•managingexperts

Ineffectivewhen ...

• performance isinadequate –affiliation doesnot emphasiseperformance

• there are crisissituationswhich needdirection

• employeesareunderdeveloped – theyneedguidance onwhat to d

• the leader isnot credible –people won’tfollow yourvision if theydon’t believein it

• the leaderlacks expertise

• performancediscrepancy istoo great

• in a crisis

• employees areunderdeveloped – littlelearninghappens withthis style

• employees arehighly skilled –they becomefrustrated andresentful atthemicromanaging

• employees needto be co-ordinated

• there is a crisis– no time formeetings!

• there is a lack ofcompetency –closesupervision isrequired

• workloadrequiresassistancefrom others

• development,coaching andco-ordinationare required

Overallimpact on

climatePositive Most strongly

positive Positive Negative Positive Negative


THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON DRIVERS OF CLIMATE

Research investigated how each style affected the six drivers of climate, or working culture (left side of grid).According to the data the Visionary style has the most positive effect on climate, however three others – Affiliative,Participative and Coaching, follow close behind. Directive and Pace setting styles have the least positive effect onclimate.

That said, the research indicates that no style should be relied on exclusively and all have at least short term uses.

The figures below show the correlation between each style and each aspect of Climate.




PACESETTING

Clarity 0.37 0.44 0.38 -0.11 0.35 -0.28

Commitment 0.34 0.35 0.27 -0.13 0.26 -.02

Flexibility 0.27 0.32 0.17 -0.28 0.28 -0.07

Responsibility 0.16 0.21 0.08 -0.37 0.23 -0.04

Rewards 0.48 0.54 0.43 -0.18 0.42 -0.29

Standards 0.31 0.38 0.39 0.02 0.22 -0.27

Overall Impacton climate

0.46 0.54 0.42 -0.26 0.43 -0.25

Source: “Leadership that Gets Results” Daniel Goleman, Harvard Business Review, March – April 2002

What is Workplace Coaching?

There are a number of definitions; however, there is wide spreadagreement on the following descriptions:

“Coaching is the art of facilitating another person’s learning,development and performance. Through coaching people are able tofind their own solutions, develop their own skills and change theirown behaviours and attitudes.”

“Coaching is an ongoing process designed to help employees gaingreater competence and overcome barriers to improvingperformance.”

“Coaching is appropriate when the person has the ability andknowledge but performance is not maximised.”

“Coaching can help maximise performance and deliver ‘PerformanceManagement’.”

“Coaching enables others to achieve goals by using their own innerresources.”

“Coaching is unlocking a person's potential to maximise their ownperformance.”

Reference: Coaching for Performance: Sir John Whitmore

"The brilliant Coach is the one who brings out the brilliance ofothers"

Reference: Time to Think: Nancy Kline

Different Coaching Approaches

Coaching can be used in a variety of different settings / situations and on a scale of very informal to very formal. Thetable below describes some of the situations and the typical features of those situations.

Approach FeaturesAd hoc Coaching ‘Ad hoc coaching’ is spontaneous coaching and is used, typically, by a manager or team

leader, in response to a question by their team member.

Rather than ‘telling’ the person how to address the problem, the manager asks theperson what their outcome is, or what they’d like to achieve and what options theyhave, etc.

This coaching isn’t planned and takes place on a day-to-day basis. Managers who ask‘coaching’ questions to enable staff to resolve their challenges, rather than ‘tell’ and/orprovide answers are using a ‘coaching style of management’.

Coaching managers provide support, challenge, feedback and guidance - but rarelyanswers.

Planned coaching as part ofon-going developmentsupport

This is used, typically, by a manager or internal coach as part of an on-goingdevelopment plan for a team member.

It may be used to help a person become more effective, for example to develop theirinterpersonal skills or confidence during interviews, presentations, meetings, etc.

Or it could be used to help them address a specific issue, e.g. conflict with anotherteam member, work life balance; etc.

This type of coaching is agreed with the manager / coach and the individual and theindividual defines what they want to achieve.

The purpose of the coaching is to help the individual move forward and achieve their

Coaching Skills in the Workplace – 2 day programme (April 2018) of 65

desired outcomes.

This coaching approach could be asked for by the individual, suggested by the manageror be part of an on-going personal development process.

Planned coaching to raiseawareness of an issue

This approach is typically used by the manager who wishes to raise the awareness of amember of their team that there is a potential issue with their performance.

This issue may relate to the way the person interacts with other team members orcustomers, or it may be related to a process, etc.

This is often referred to as having ‘the difficult conversation’. At this stage it isn’t aperformance issue but it does need to be addressed in a positive way to prevent it fromescalating into a performance issue.

In this type of coaching, the manager / coach will typically call the meeting and theywould use the session to understand the ‘issue’ from the individual’s perspective and toraise the awareness of the individual of the impact of their behaviour on others or thesystem.

Planned coaching to addressa specific under performanceissue

This approach is typically used by a manager wishing to use a coaching approach,rather than a capability approach to address an area of underperformance.

The goal of the manager / coach is to raise the awareness of the individual and tosupport them to identify some actions that they can take to proactively address theirperformance.

The performance wheel is a useful coaching tool to help raise awareness and address aspecific under-performance issue.

Source: Adapted from ‘The OSCAR Coaching Model: Simplifying Workplace Coaching (2009)’

The same skills are used in whichever type of coaching is being used!

Developing a Coaching Style -a useful approach for Managers

Studies over many years have discovered some interesting insights as towhat motivates people at work. The top three motivators at work appearto be:• Feeling appreciated and valued• Feeling trusted and involved in decision-making• Feeling supported during tough times

In a 2012 study, 50% of respondents believed that their organisationprioritised financial goals over the above motivators.Source: ILM Trust Survey

Further studies have consistently shown that one of the main reasonspeople give for leaving their job is ‘Their relationship with their manager’.Source: CIPD Development Survey

Using a coaching style of management can have a very direct influence onthese motivators.

A coaching style is a very inclusive style – when it is used well it looks andfeels like an open conversation between people who have a goodrelationship. This means that there is plenty of opportunity to:• demonstrate how you appreciate and value each other – research

shows that just committing some time to speak to each other makesyou feel valued!

• demonstrate trust and involve each other in decision-making.• be supportive during tough times.

Therefore, a coaching style, when used well and consistently, directlyaddresses the top three reasons why the relationship between a managerand team member deteriorates. Becoming confident in the use of acoaching style can help managers to gain buy-in from their staff andenable their staff to perform at their full potential.

Managers who consistently use a coaching style improve productivity,morale and job satisfaction for themselves and their colleagues. Suchmanagers find that people are more empowered and less dependent onthem, thus freeing them up to focus on their more strategic prioritiesrather than being caught up in the operational issues.

This means the manager has more time to spend on developing the skills,competence and independence of team members and this continues toreduce their dependence on the manager. The end result is improvedperformance, less stress, more time for the important things - as opposedto constantly ‘putting out fires’, and ultimately, a happier more productiveworkforce.


Maximising Performance through using a Coaching Style

According to Binder (1998) six components need to be in place ifperformance is to be maximised.

To enable people to perform well, consideration must begiven to:

• ClarityPeople need clear objectives, expectations, feedback and boundaries.

• EnvironmentPeople need the right tools and equipment to do the job, with clearprocedures and processes, and appropriate behaviour from the peoplethey work with.

• Consequences and IncentivesPeople need to know what is rewarded and what is punished. Whatincentives are there to perform well?

• Knowledge and SkillsPeople need to receive the appropriate training to do the job. Thiscould be technical, behavioural, managerial or organisational.

• Individual CapacityPeople need to have the emotional and intellectual capability toperform, and share a common set of values and beliefs with their workcolleagues.

• Motives and PreferencesPeople need to feel motivated, have clear reasons for working, clearcareer and personal goals, and to feel valued and appreciated for theefforts they make.

Increasing Awareness and Responsibility

In responding to the manager's coaching questions the staff memberbecomes aware of every aspect of the task and the actions necessary.This clarity enables them to envisage the near certainty of success, and soto choose responsibility.

By listening to the answers to their coaching questions the managerknows not only the action plan - but the thinking that went into it. Themanager is therefore far better informed than they would be if they toldthe staff member what to do - and therefore has better control of what isgoing on. Coaching provides the manager with real, not illusionary controland provides the staff member with real, not illusionary responsibility.


What does coaching involve?

Coaching is the very opposite of telling someone what to do. The effectivecoach uses questions to help raise the awareness and understanding ofthe person they are coaching.

Coaching is essentially the art of asking good questions, and of knowingwhen and how to ask them and, of course, to actively listen to theanswers – what is being said as well as what is not being said.

Effective coaches have the ability to and, more importantly, thewillingness to:• Ask effective questions• Actively listen and reflect back• Use silence where necessary to enable a person’s thinking• Remain detached and non-judgemental• Be patient and supportive• Build rapport and empathy• Give and receive feedback• Refrain from giving advice and providing solutions

Coaching, in its purest form, is creating a space for an individual to findanswers to their own questions. It assumes the individual has theanswers to the questions they ask of themselves. They just may not beable to get at those answers as they are covered up by layers of lifeexperience, beliefs, conflicting understandings, and anything else thatmay come up. A coach’s job, therefore, is to support the coachee to getfrom A to B, quicker and more effectively than they might on their own.

One of the key benefits of coaching is that it is a sustained intervention -the coachee and the coach connect on a regular basis and the coachee’sprogress can be monitored.

Coaching is widely recognised as a method of developing employees toenhance organisational performance. Coaching is one of the mosteffective ways of unlocking potential and creating an empoweringatmosphere at work. It is a flexible process whereby an individual,through direct discussion and guided activity, helps a colleague to learn tosolve a problem, or do a task better than would otherwise be the case.Coaching is, therefore, a low-cost, low-risk tool to effectively manageperformance.

The essence of coaching is that it encourages people to: takeresponsibility for themselves; experience themselves as powerful;continue learning; be creative in problem-solving; be in charge of theirown development and able to make excellent decisions and fulfil theirpotential.


The key features of coaching

• A flexible technique for improving performance and learning ability.

• Involves a dynamic interaction rather than a one-way flow ofinformation.

• It is not a quick fix; it is about establishing sustainable change.

• Emphasises feedback to the learner.

• Can focus on interpersonal skills that cannot be readily or effectivelydeveloped in a traditional training environment.

• It is highly effective when used as a means of supporting traininginitiatives to ensure that key skills are transferred back to theworkplace.

Note: ‘Life Coaches’ use the same techniques as workplace coaches. Inlife coaching the coach focuses entirely on helping the individual toachieve their own goals i.e. the performance standards are set by theindividual being coached.

As a manager using a coaching style there is a focus on shared team andorganisational goals. The performance standards will often be set by theorganisation – a key role of the ‘coaching manager’ is to use a coachingapproach to increase engagement and performance to ensure thoseperformance standards are met.


How does coaching relate to otherdevelopment / supporting activities?

Coaching is not the same as some other methods of developing people,though it shares a number of common strands with them. The maindifferences are shown in the table below.

Other development / support Coaching

Therapy and counsellingAssumes the person is ill andneeds a cure/help and hastemporarily lost their sense ofresourcefulness.

Coaching assumes the person iswell and can solve their ownproblems; it typically has a strongfocus on goals. It is work ratherthan help.

TrainingThe content and agenda is ownedby the trainer and works to anexternal curriculum. Theassumption is that knowledge willpass from trainer to trainee.

Coaching is owned by thecoachee; there is no externalcurriculum or timetable. Thecoach does not assume that he orshe has knowledge that thecoachee lacks.

MentoringAssumes the mentor is moreexperienced, knowledgeable aboutthe subject, and knows best. Amentor offers trusted advicebased on experience.

Coaching assumes the coacheeknows best. The coach does notoffer advice or solutions butencourages the coachee to wrestlewith problems themselves andfind their own solutions.

AppraisalA formal part of the controlsystem happening at intervals thefocus is a judgement by themanager on the performance ofthe appraisee.

Coaching is an informal process ofdevelopment that can happenevery day; judgement onperformance is only a small partof what takes place.

All of the aboveHave a power differential: thetherapist, trainer and mentor allassume the more ‘senior’ role andthe appraiser is likely to be seniorto the appraisee.

Coaching is far more arelationship of equals for thepurposes of the conversation,even where one person is moresenior than the other.

Source: Manager as Coach: The New Way to Get Results (2012)


Principles, Beliefs and Qualities of anEffective Coaching Style

An effective coaching style is based on the principle that the individualprobably knows more about their own situation than the coachingmanager does. The manager believes in the ability of the individual tocreate insights and ideas (choices) that enable the individual to movetowards the outcome they want.

The role of the manager is to use well developed skills of listening,questioning and reflection to create highly effective conversations andexperiences for the individual.

A coaching style uses non-directive rather than directive language - evenin a planned session that is being held to help raise the awareness of anindividual about a situation.

The coaching style is designed to help the individual reach their ownsolutions, choose to change their own attitudes and behaviours andaddress any negative habits or limiting beliefs. This cannot be done bytelling someone what to do!

Using a coaching style encourages the individual to delve beneath thesurface to acknowledge and understand their thoughts, beliefs, emotionsand needs. This in turn helps them gain insight and generate newcreative ways of thinking that help to move them forward.

A true coaching style operates from principles of success. According toJulie Star (2008) a manager with an effective coaching style:

maintains their commitment to support the individual remains detached and non-judgemental builds their relationships on honesty, openness and trust believes that the individual is responsible for the results they are

creating believes that the individual is capable of much better results than they

are currently generating maintains their focus on what the individual thinks and experiences believes that individuals can generate perfect solutions (i.e. perfect for

the individual, if not for the manager!). ensures that their conversations are based on equality.

Source: Julie Starr (2008). The Coaching Manual


The personal qualities of someone with an effective coaching style includethe capacity to:

• be self aware• inspire others• build relationships• be flexible• communicate clearly• be forward looking• manage professional boundaries.


Questioning Skills

Asking Effective Coaching Questions

When using a coaching style effectively, the questions asked are designedto generate awareness and insight. To have an effective coaching styleyou must ask effective questions.

Open QuestionsOpen questions are the most effective for raising awareness anddeveloping insight. Open questions seek information and inviteconversation. Beginning with Who, What, Where, When, How, etc, theyare used to gather information.

Asking Why tends to be discouraged in coaching, since it may implycriticism / judgement and can evoke defensiveness e.g. “Why did you dothat?”, a better question would be; “What prompted you to take thataction?”, or “What stopped you?” rather than “Why didn't you?” , or “Whatwere your reasons?” rather than “Why did you do it?”.

Probing QuestionsProbing questions are designed to dig deeper and uncover detail.Questions should begin broadly and increasingly focus on detail. Probingdeeper or asking for more detail keeps the individual focused on the issueand helps to bring into their consciousness those often partially obscuredfactors that may be important in helping them to find a solution.

By probing sensitively the individual can be helped to identify problemareas or barriers that they were previously unaware of – these aresometimes referred to as ‘blind spots’.

Leading QuestionsBe aware of trying to lead the individual to the answers you want, or towhere you want them to be. Avoid leading questions and questions thatsuggest actions for them e.g. “Do you think it would be a good idea ifyou……..” or “Have you thought of………..”

Hypothetical QuestionsHypothetical questions ask people to imagine a situation and considerwhat they might do. They can be very useful in enabling creative thought– do be careful though that you are not dressing up a leading question asa hypothetical one though!

Closed QuestionsClosed questions are used to determine specific information eg ‘yes’ or‘no’ answers – they should be used sparingly in coaching.


Listening Skills

Listening to UnderstandWhen listening to understand, you must be fully attentive to theindividual’s answers to your questions. If you are not, trust is likely to belost and also you will not know what question to ask next. The ‘rightquestion’ to ask usually comes from the individual’s answer to yourprevious question rather from a pre-prepared list of questions!

Listen to the individual’s voice - watch out for changes in pitch, tone,tempo, volume, etc as this will give you information about their emotionalreactions. Their choice of words can be very revealing, e.g. apredominance of negative terms, a shift towards formality or informality,etc can help you understand the issues that are of most importance tothem and therefore help you to ask more effective questions.

Watch also for changes in posture, stance, skin tone, etc as changes andreactions in response to your questions can help you with your choice ofnext questions. Also be aware of your own body language, what mightthey imply about you? Is this what you intend?

Reflecting back and taking notesHowever clear you believe you are about what the individual has told youit is always worth reflecting back your understanding to the individualfrom time to time and summarising key points. This demonstrates you arelistening; ensures correct understanding; and also allows the individual toclarify what they've said if that is required.

You should try to keep note taking to a minimum. It is very difficult toactively listen if you are concentrating on making notes! Asking theindividual to write down their desired outcome and actions is important inensuring commitment to action – they are more likely to feel ownership oftheir actions if they write them down.

It is important that you keep a note of what you have agreed with theindividual - this can be done at the end of the session when it will notinterfere with your listening.

Source: Effective Coaching: Lessons from the Coach’s Coach (2003)


How to be a better listenerActive listening is a key communication skill and vital in developing acoaching style - you have to want to listen.

Active listening means withholding judgement about what is being said. Itis important to concentrate on receiving the message without attemptingto react to it.

Listening is the ultimate compliment. If I listen to you, not just hear you,then I am doing you the honour of trying on your ideas. That is a verygenerous and complimentary thing to do.

Everyone has a deep-rooted need to feel listened to and understood. Noone goes to work saying “I can’t wait to be misunderstood today!” Disputeresolution bodies (e.g. ACAS and Relate) state that in most cases a partyto the dispute will, at some point, state the problem as “they don’tunderstand me!”

One of the most important points to note is that part of listening is reallyproving that you have listened by being able to summarise, paraphraseand reflect back what you have heard and understood. “I heard what yousaid, now I’m going to tell you what I heard you say” establishes whetherlistening has occurred. This is NOT reacting or making judgements onwhat is said.

A good listener is someone who doesn’t just work at it, but who showssome evidence that the job has been done - the person who says thingslike:

“Let me check that I’ve got that right, are you saying ……?”“What I heard you say was…………… is that correct?”“Have I understood that correctly?”

The motto of the good listener is “Receive before you react”.

It is also important to become aware of your ‘triggers’. These can bewords, tone, expressions, etc – anything you have anchored a feeling to.Most of us are aware that we have anchored certain feelings to particularpieces of music - we are often less aware of our other anchors and maynot realise that these can cause a kind of emotional deafness by involvingus in the exercise of our own private thoughts and prejudices – whichstops us listening.


The 6 Levels of Listening

Level Activity of listener Effect on person being listened to:

1

Listening to ‘argue’

Making judgements about what theother person is saying, the listener isthinking, “do I agree or disagree withwhat this person is saying?”

The listener is getting ready to interruptand put their views across!

Doesn’t feel listened to and doesn’t feelheard or understood - and possiblymight even feel undermined.

2

Listening to ‘think about your nextquestion’

Not really listening to what the person issaying. The listener is thinking, “Whatquestion should I ask next?”

The listener is thinking about the correct‘formula’ they should be following.

Doesn’t feel listened to and doesn’t feelheard or understood – and possiblymight feel the listener is following somesort of training manual!

3

Listening to ‘demonstrate you arelistening’

Using eye contact and positive bodylanguage to demonstrate you are a goodlistener.

The listener’s desire to ‘look like a goodlistener’ is distracting them fromeffective listening.

Starting to feel that the listener isinterested in what is being said – butthis feeling will quickly disappear ifthere is no evidence that the listenerhas really heard and understood whatwas said.

4

Listening ‘actively’

Using eye contact, positive bodylanguage and accurately reflecting backwhat the other person is saying.

Feels listened to and understood –feeling that the listener is genuinelyinterested in what is being said.

5

Listening to ‘understand’

Using eye contact, positive bodylanguage and accurately reflecting backwhat the other person is saying.Mirroring and matching their bodylanguage, matching their metaphors andrepresentational systems.

Feels understood, feels that the listeneris interested in what is being said and‘gets them’ and what it’s like to be intheir position.

6

Listening to ‘help the speaker tounderstand themselves’

Using eye contact, positive bodylanguage and accurately reflecting backwhat the other person is saying.Mirroring and matching their bodylanguage, matching their metaphors andrepresentational systems – plus usingyour own self-awareness and intuition toconnect more fully with what the personhas said and to accurately reflectthoughts, feelings and observations.

The enhanced quality and clarity ofthinking that is generated createssignificant insights and ‘light-bulb’moments.

Feelings of being listened to andunderstood at a very deep level.


The OSCAR Coaching Model

The OSCAR model helps us to structure our coaching conversation. Itensures we: stay on track to define a clear objective / outcome; identifythe choices we have in achieving that outcome; acknowledge the potentialconsequences of our choices and create clear plans with actions for us toimplement and review.

OUTCOME

Your destination

In this stage you help the individual clarifytheir desired outcomes, for this session and forthe longer term, around the issue you arediscussing.

SITUATION

Your starting point

In this stage you help the individual to getclarity around where they are right now.

CHOICES andCONSEQUENCES

Your options

In this stage you help the individual generateas many alternative choices as possible andconsider the potential consequences of eachpossible choice.

ACTIONS

Your detailed plan

In this stage you help the individual to identifyand clarify their next steps and to takeresponsibility for their own action plan.

REVIEW

Making sure you areon track

In this stage you help the individual plan howyou and they will regularly review theirprogress to ensure they are on track toachieve the desired outcome.

© Worth Consulting 2002


Effective Coaching Questionsusing the OSCAR Model

The questions asked by the manager / coach should generateAWARENESS and RESPONSIBILITY within the individual. To adopt aneffective coaching style you must be able to ask effective questions.

In the table below there are examples of generic questions for eachsegment of the OSCAR Model. Consider the questions and identify whichones you are likely to feel most comfortable with using and which aremost likely to be useful to introduce to your everyday role.

It is though important to note that the best questions are the ones whichare prompted by the answers to your previous question – simply readingquestions from a pre-prepared list will not demonstrate active listening, anunderstanding of the real issue for the person and so will not help you tobuild rapport and trust.

OSCAR

OutcomeShort term (for this session):

What would you like to walk away with from today’s session?

Long Term: What is your long-term outcome around this issue? Which outcome or outcomes do you want to focus on? What would success look like/feel like to you? How will you know you’ve achieved your outcome, what will be happening? How important is it to you to achieve this outcome? What will it cost you if you don’t achieve this outcome? What impact will achieving this outcome have on ………? What impact will not achieving this outcome have on ………? Over what period of time do you want to achieve this outcome?

Situation What is the current situation? What is happening right now? What do you consider to be the main issues right now? What impact is that having on you? What impact is that having on others? (Your team, your colleagues, your

performance etc)? Who is contributing to the problem? What are you doing that could be contributing to this problem/issue? What do you do now and how does that impact on the issue?


What do you do now, in this situation, or a similar one, that works well? What made you aware that you need to do something different?

Choices & Consequences

What choices do you have? What could you do to start to resolve the situation? What do you need to do/say to start to resolve the situation? What are the upsides of that option? What are the downsides? What’s stopping you from doing that now? How far towards your outcome would that option take you? What advice would you give to somebody else in your position? What else could you do? Who else could help you? What’s stopping you from asking them? What would you like to do differently? What’s stopping you? What would you do if you knew what to do, or weren’t afraid to take action? What would be the consequences? Upsides and downsides? What would you do if there were no downsides or repercussions? What’s the worst that could happen? What’s the best that could happen? Which choice(s) will best move you towards your desired outcome? How far would that take you towards achieving your desired outcome?

Actions What actions are you going to take? What will you do to move yourself forward? What specific actions are you willing to take? When will you take them? What support will you need? Where will you find that support? How will you maintain your motivation? What actions will you take in the next 24 hours to move yourself forward? How committed are you to take this action? What’s stopping it from being fully committed? What will you do next? What more do you need from me as your manager / coach?

Review What interim support do you need? What will you do to check whether your actions are moving you towards your

desired outcome? How will you review your progress? When will you and I get together to review your progress? What would you like to be able to tell me next time you see me? How will you maintain your momentum? How will you measure your success? How will you celebrate your success?


Motivating Ourselves and Others

Expectancy Theory was developed by Victor Vroom and popularised byAnthony Robbins in his best-selling book Unlimited Power. The theorypredicts that all of our actions and behaviours will be driven by our desireto achieve pleasure or avoid pain. Furthermore, there is evidence that wewill do far more to avoid pain than we will to gain pleasure!

For example: You know a task needs to be done - but you know it will bedifficult / unpleasant / boring (painful) to do it. So the task stays on a "todo list" for a long time – almost as if in the silent hope that it will go awayover time! Then, all of a sudden, the pain of not doing the task becomesgreater than the pain of doing it - and suddenly the task gets done! Andthere may even have been some pleasure in the accomplishment after all!

Because pain is generally the greater motivator of behaviour in the shortterm, if you want to make sure you take the actions needed to move youtowards your goal then you must change what you link pain and pleasureto.

All of us, knowingly or unknowingly, weigh-up how much pleasure isinvolved against how much pain is involved before we make a decision onhow to act. The brain literally says to itself:

• How much pleasure will I get from taking this action?

• How much pain will I get by taking this action?

Because the fear of pain usually outweighs the possibility of pleasure weend up not taking the action that our logic says we should!

Everyone wants to avoid pain, and our subconscious tries to help us avoidpain. However, this often works against our best interests, so we have toraise our awareness to avoid being controlled by a subconscious fear ofpain. We need to put ourselves back in control on a conscious level.

For example: You know you have to revise for the exam in two months.You want the pleasure of passing the exam and the increased chances offinding a good job. But revising is painful – so you don’t do it until 2 daysbefore the exam!

Why? Because at that point in time the pain of failure suddenly becomesgreater than the pain of the revision!


To increase motivation we need to consciously help our brain by:

• Listing all the pleasure we will get from taking that action(e.g. Better job, more prospects, more choice and more money).

• Listing all the pain we will get from NOT taking that action(e.g. No job, less prospects, less choice and less money).

We are driven to immediate action when all the pain we will avoid bytaking that action plus all the pleasure we will get from taking that actionis greater than all the pain we will get by taking that action.

Ask yourself “what will I gain by taking that action, what will it cost me if Idon't take that action, what will it cost me now, in three months’ time andin five years’ time?”

By taking control of how your brain processes pleasure and pain you canpropel yourself into taking action on a consistent basis, because yourbrain will focus on all the pleasure you will get and all the pain you willavoid by taking that action.

Using a coaching style you can help your staff to become aware of thepain that certain beliefs might be causing them, now and in the future.When people become aware of this they are then often propelled to takeresponsibility to do something about it.

The Consequences step of OSCAR is an excellent place to discuss pleasureand pain e.g. what would be the upsides (pleasure) of that choice? Whatwould be the downsides (pain) of that choice?

It is quite common for an individual to say they will take action – and thennot take any action at all. In using a coaching style it is therefore usefulto explicitly raise awareness of the ‘pain’ that this might cause by askingthe following question:

What will / could be the consequences of not taking action to resolve thisissue?

This often leads to a realisation of the pain that this would cause – thusmotivating the individual to take action!

The Review step of OSCAR creates commitment to action by explicitlysetting a date when actions will be reviewed and evaluated. Thisminimises the likelihood of actions being agreed but not followed through.


DAY 2

Circles of Control, Influence and Concern

Stephen Covey describes the habit of being proactive with what he callsthe Circle of Concern and the Circle of Influence.

Your life doesn’t just “happen.” Whether you know it or not, it is carefullydesigned by you – the choices you make are your choices. You chooseyour emotions; you choose your attitude; you choose your behaviour -you choose success and you choose failure. Every situation provides anopportunity for a new choice – an opportunity to do things differently andto create different results.

Proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can controlinstead of reacting to or worrying about conditions over which they havelittle or no control.

Control

Concern

Influence


The Circle of Concern represents the amount of focus we put on trying todeal with concerns over which we have no control. The more time andenergy people spend focusing on things over which they have no control,or complaining about barriers that they perceive they cannot overcome,then the more stressed and reactive they are likely to become.

The Circle of Influence represents the degree of focus we place on doingthings to influence the concerns we have which we can actually reasonablydo something about. The more people focus on the things they can dosomething about and work on them, the more proactive and less stressedthey are likely to become. As they do this, they increase their circle ofinfluence.

Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. They workon the things they can do something about. Reactive people focus theirefforts in the Circle of Concern–things over which they have little or nocontrol.

Gaining an awareness of the areas in which we tend to focus our energiesis a big step towards becoming proactive.


Suspension, Perception and Being Non-Judgemental


The Ladder of Inference

Case Study: Bill’s

“I am standing before the Executive Team, making apresentation. They all seem engaged and alert, except forBill, at the end of the table, who seems bored out of hismind. He turns his dark, morose eyes away from me andputs his hand to his mouth. He doesn't ask any questionsuntil I'm almost done, when he breaks in with: "I think weshould ask for a full report."

In this culture, that typically means, "Let's move on."

Everyone starts to shuffle their papers and put their notesaway.

Bill obviously thinks that I'm incompetent -- which is ashame, because these ideas are exactly what his Departmentneeds.

Now that I think of it, he's never liked my ideas. Clearly, Billis a power-hungry idiot.”

By the time I've returned to my seat, I've made a decision: I'm not goingto include anything in my report that he can use. He wouldn't read it, orworse still, he'd just use it against me. I have an enemy who is prominentin the organisation!

In those few seconds before I take my seat, I have climbed up what ChrisArgyris calls a "ladder of inference," -- a common mental pathway ofincreasing abstraction, often leading to misguided beliefs:

• I started with the observable data:o Bill's comment "Let's move on.". . .

• I selected some details about his behaviour:o his glance away from me and apparent yawn. (I didn't notice

him listening intently one moment before) . . .

• I added some meanings of my own...o based on the culture around me (that Bill wanted me to finish

up)

• I moved rapidly up to assumptions about Bill’s current stateo he's bored . . .


• I concluded that Bill, in general, thinks I'm incompetent.

• In fact, I now believe that Bill (and probably everyone whom Iassociate with Bill) is dangerously opposed to me . . .

• . . . thus, as I reach the top of the ladder, I'm plotting againsthim!

It all seems so reasonable, and it happens so quickly, that I'm not evenaware I've done it.

Importantly - all the rungs of the ladder take place in my head. The onlyparts visible to anyone else are the directly observable data at the bottom,and my own decision to take action at the top.

The rest of the trip up the ladder is unseen, unquestioned, not consideredfit for discussion, and enormously abstract - I’ve probably leaped up thatladder of inference many times. The more I believe that Bill is the enemy,the more I reinforce / notice this behaviour in the future.

This is known as the "reflexive loop": our beliefs influence what data weselect next time.

And there is a counterpart in Bill’s mind: as he reacts to my strangebehaviour, he's probably jumping up some rungs on his own ladder.

Bill might indeed have been bored by my presentation; might have beeneager to read the report on paper; might think I'm incompetent; he mightbe shy; or he might be afraid to embarrass me. More likely than not, hehas inferred that I think he's incompetent. We can't know, until we find away to check our conclusions.

Unfortunately, assumptions and conclusions are particularly difficult totest.

If I wanted to find out if Bill really thought I was incompetent. I would askhim, "Bill, do you think I'm an idiot?"

Even if I could find a way to phrase the question, how could I believe theanswer? Would he answer honestly?

Now imagine me, Bill, and three others in a senior management team,with our untested assumptions and beliefs. When we meet to deal with aconcrete problem, the air is filled with misunderstandings, communicationbreakdowns, and feeble compromises.


The ladder of inference explains why most people don't usually rememberwhere their deepest attitudes came from. The data is long since lost tomemory, after years of moving up the ladder rungs.


Triggers and Emotional High-jacking

Self Awareness

We need to remain self-aware to monitor own reactions, of emotion orjudgement, to any of the individual’s responses to our questions andrecognise where these might interfere with our objectivity anddetachment.

Emotional high-jacking can occur when we experience a situation we findstressful, frightening or unpleasant. It can also occur when we hearparticular words, phrases or noises; or when we see particularexpressions, mannerisms or movements which irritate us or remind us ofa situation where our emotions were heightened.

During emotional hijacking we lose access to our logical rational brain andwe act from a position of ‘fight or flight’ – we may say things we don’tmean or which are inappropriate, and we realise this when we reflect lateron the situation; and very often we stop listening without judgement andmove to listen to argue instead. We are likely to lose rapport and haveles empathy with the person who has ‘triggered’ us.

It can happen to all of us – sometimes it takes us unawares; sometimeswe can predict that it might be likely to happen in particular circumstancesor with certain people.

In order to listen well, suspend our beliefs and be non-judgemental weneed to know what our own triggers are and learn to not react to them inways which impact negatively on our listening and relationships.

By understanding the impact of triggers we can help others to identifytheir triggers and to reflect on how best to become desensitised to them.


Personal Iceberg

Using a coaching style involves delving underneath the water line to helpthe individual discover and understand the underlying issues and barriersthat drive their behaviour, therefore giving them the power to changethemselves.

ICEBERG MODEL

Values

Limiting

orEm

pwering

Beliefs

Beliefs

Thoughts

EmotionsNeeds

Habits

Justification

Circumstances

Behaviour

Language

AppearancePhysical Environment

Above the Water – seen

Below the Water – not seen

© Copyright Showeet.com

SURFACE MEANING

DEEPER MEANING

COGNITIVE FACTORS


Belief Cycles

Controlling what things mean to us is the ultimate powerthat we possess.There are things that you cannot control but you can influence. You canoften influence the opinions of those you care about, those you dobusiness with and you can influence some events.

At the same time, however, you must be aware that you cannot controlother people's behaviour - no matter how hard you try, nor can youcontrol the past.

“I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday”

Using a coaching style raises people’s awareness that they have a lotmore control and influence than they realise. With this raised awareness,they are able to make better choices about how to respond to anysituation – and proactively move back into their circles of control andinfluence.

A coaching style can help people to break out of negative belief cycles andhelp them establish positive belief cycles and make better choices.


SMART Objectives - Well Formed Outcomes

Thinking in terms of ‘outcomes’ i.e. what people are trying to achieve, is nota natural starting point for most individuals. More likely, as people get sowrapped up in the problems they face in their current situation they losesight of what they were trying to achieve in the first place.

Imagine a football field with no goal posts. The teams would run around for90 minutes, get very tired and never score a goal! Sometimes the workplacecan feel a bit like this – a lot of work being done, but not a lot beingachieved. In an environment where there is increasing demand to ‘do morewith less’ it is now more vital than ever that goals are clarified and focussedon at all levels within an organisation.

Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. Itorganises your time and effort so that you can make the very most of theresources available to you.

By setting sharp, clearly defined outcomes, you can measure and take pridein the achievement of those outcomes, and you'll see forward progress inwhat might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raiseconfidence, as people recognise their own ability and competence inachieving outcomes.

Research shows that performance is linked with outcomes that are set. Youroutcomes are your targets or what you intend to achieve, and those peoplewith well-formed outcomes achieve much more than those without clearoutcomes.

Of course, having such goals does not guarantee a successful outcome.However, it does lead to significantly better results by clear goal setters thansimilar people with vague goals, and a significant number of people actuallyachieving ambitious goals. Many well-known entrepreneurs, includingRichard Branson and Duncan Bannatyne, talk about the importance of writingdown goals, regularly reviewing progress and having the flexibility to adjustgoals in the light of new threats and opportunities.

Writing down goals takes a thought from the mind and creates it on paper.The goal can now be ‘seen’ i.e. visualised.

Goals should be SMART:

• Specific• Measurable• Achievable• Realistic• Time-bound


SMART Objectives – Exercise

1. Review the following statements (a – e) and decide whether or notyou think they are SMART Objectives?

2. For any which are not SMART, what changes would you suggest sothat they are?

**********************

a) I want to be more confident.

b) I plan to improve my communication skills with my direct reports.

c) I will chair three meetings effectively, ensuring that a useful Note ofeach meeting is produced and circulated within one week.

d) I will discuss several areas of my performance with my manager,aiming to improve my competency rating in 'management ability' and'leadership' to at least 'competent' by October.

e) I will be more organised and use my electronic diary.

f) I will improve my working relationship with X so that customerexperience is not affected by our differences in opinions.


Coaching Case Study: KATIE

Katie is a Training Officer. She is appropriately qualified for her role and,on many occasions, has clearly demonstrated her competence atdelivering training materials in a clear and authoritative manner. She isthe youngest member of the team of Training Officers.

One only has to look at the end-of-course questionnaires completed byparticipants on her courses to see what they think of her performance.Almost without exception, participants state that their learning objectiveshave been achieved and her overall performance is consistently describedas ‘excellent’. When the scores are averaged out, Katie comes top of thesix trainers within the Department.

However, if you read the detailed comments on the questionnaires aslightly different picture becomes evident. This is particularly true on someof the skills courses with which Katie has recently become involved. Here,comments were made regarding the feedback she gave after role-playingand other skills development exercises had been completed. The gist ofthe criticisms are that the feedback is somewhat generalised with anemphasis on the negatives rather than the positives. Indeed, a few peoplewere quite upset by the directness of Katie’s feedback.

When challenged about the feedback in a telephone call from oneparticipants’ manager, Katie maintained that she would not be doingparticipants any favours by ‘wrapping them up in cotton wool’ orsidestepping obvious limitations in their performance. The managerconcerned remarked to a colleague that he had felt somewhat intimidatedduring his conversation with Katie.

All of this leaves you somewhat confused as you attempt to get straight inyour mind a summary of Katie’s performance and development needs.

You were recently appointed as the organisation’s Training Manager,having spent several years in similar roles in a range of organisations.Although only a few months into your role you have decided to undertakea performance review and development needs analysis of your team. Youare keen to develop a coaching culture within the Department and havedecided to follow a coaching approach when meeting with each of theTraining Officers.

You cannot argue with the statistical evidence relating to Katie’sperformance, but the detailed qualitative comments, although few innumber, do worry you. Giving constructive feedback is, you believe, avital part of a Trainer’s role. No matter how good their presentation skills,no Trainer can be seen as fully effective unless they can handle feedbacksessions.


You realise that you need to explore the difference between the scoresand the qualitative comments at Katie’s performance review meeting. Youare worried that based on her position at the top of the Trainers’ leaguetable, Katie is expecting to receive a very positive review and may takeyour coaching questions and feedback the wrong way.

Part One:

1. What is the outcome you want from Katie’s review session?

2. How would you approach the session?

3. How would you set the scene?

4. What questions could you ask to help her to realise the issueherself?

5. What could be the reasons behind Katie’s reported failure to deliverconstructive feedback despite her obvious high level ofpresentational ability?

a. How could you find out?

b. What difference would this make to your on-going coachingsessions?

Part Two:

1. Outline a realistic plan to coach Katie to be able to give feedback ina constructive manner which is helpful to course participants.

a. What sort of activities would you recommend?

b. Who would you involve?

c. What would you need to take into account?

2. What hurdles will both you and Katie have to get over if thecoaching programme is to be successful?


Improving Linguistics and Body Language

The skill of building rapport is essential if you are to develop a coachingstyle of leadership or management. We build rapport by creating ordiscovering things in common. This is often referred to as mirroring ormatching. There are many ways to create commonality with anotherperson and thus a state of rapport.

You can match or mirror interests; association (ie have similar friends);beliefs; and experiences.

For most of us, the most common way we exchange information isthrough the use of words. The VAK model describes three communicationpreferences – an individual will often have a greater preference for one ofthose three, and this will be noticeable in their choice of words. The threestyles described are:

(V) Visual – pictures(A) Auditory – sounds(K) Kinaesthetic – feelings and emotions

However, studies suggest that communication involves much more thanthe actual words used.

So, if we are trying to create rapport merely by the content of ourconversation, we are missing out on the largest ways we could becommunicating commonality to the brain of the other person. One of thebest ways to achieve rapport is through mirroring or creating a commonphysiology with that person.

Once trust and credibility has been established, the fastest and mostelegant way to build rapport is by mirroring the non-verbal behaviour ofthe other party. Mirroring creates a commonality of physiology thatunderscores our shared humanity and enables you to get the benefits ofthe other person’s feelings, experiences and thoughts.

Be aware of getting caught up in the myths around body language andwhat certain actions / positions ‘mean’!

It is important to know what is ‘normal’ or ‘natural’ for the individual –when that changes it could be meaningful, however it doesn’t necessarilytell you anything specific.


Communication Style Preferences Exercise

VAK Communication Style Preferences Self-AssessmentQuestionnaireCircle or tick the answer that most represents how you generally behave.

1. When I operate new equipment I generally:a) read the instructions firstb) listen to an explanation from someone who has used it beforec) go ahead and have a go, I can figure it out as I use it

2. When I need directions for travelling I usually:a) look at a mapb) ask for spoken directionsc) follow my nose and maybe use a compass

3. When I cook a new dish, I like to:a) follow a written recipeb) call a friend for an explanationc) follow my instincts, testing as I cook

4. If I am teaching someone something new, I tend to:a) write instructions down for themb) give them a verbal explanationc) demonstrate first and then let them have a go

5. I tend to say:a) watch how I do itb) listen to me explainc) you have a go

6. During my free time I most enjoy:a) going to museums and galleriesb) listening to music and talking to my friendsc) playing sport or doing DIY

7. When I go shopping for clothes, I tend to:a) imagine what they would look like onb) discuss them with the shop staffc) try them on and test them out

8. When I am choosing a holiday I usually:a) read lots of brochuresb) listen to recommendations from friendsc) imagine what it would be like to be there

9. If I was buying a new car, I would:a) read reviews in newspapers and magazinesb) discuss what I need with my friends


c) test-drive lots of different types

10. When I am learning a new skill, I am most comfortable:a) watching what the teacher is doingb) talking through with the teacher exactly what I’m supposed to doc) giving it a try myself and work it out as I go

11. If I am choosing food off a menu, I tend to:a) imagine what the food will look likeb) talk through the options in my head or with my partnerc) imagine what the food will taste like

12. When I listen to a band, I can’t help:a) watching the band members and other people in the audienceb) listening to the lyrics and the beatsc) moving in time with the music

13. When I concentrate, I most often:a) focus on the words or the pictures in front of meb) discuss the problem and the possible solutions in my headc) move around a lot, fiddle with pens and pencils and touch things

14. I choose household furnishings because I like:a) their colours and how they lookb) the descriptions the sales-people give mec) their textures and what it feels like to touch them

15. My first memory is of:a) looking at somethingb) being spoken toc) doing something

16. When I am anxious, I:a) visualise the worst-case scenariosb) talk over in my head what worries me mostc) can’t sit still, fiddle and move around constantly

17. I feel especially connected to other people because of:a) how they lookb) what they say to mec) how they make me feel

18. When I have to revise for an exam, I generally:a) write lots of revision notes and diagramsb) talk over my notes, alone or with other peoplec) imagine making the movement or creating the formula


19. If I am explaining to someone I tend to:a) show them what I meanb) explain to them in different ways until they understandc) encourage them to try and talk them through my idea as they do it

20. I really love:a) watching films, photography, looking at art or people watchingb) listening to music, the radio or talking to friendsc) taking part in sporting activities, eating fine foods and wines or dancing

21. Most of my free time is spent:a) watching televisionb) talking to friendsc) doing physical activity or making things

22. When I first contact a new person, I usually:a) arrange a face to face meetingb) talk to them on the telephonec) try to get together whilst doing something else, such as an activity or ameal

23. I first notice how people:a) look and dressb) sound and speakc) stand and move

24. If I am angry, I tend to:a) keep replaying in my mind what it is that has upset meb) raise my voice and tell people how I feelc) stamp about, slam doors and physically demonstrate my anger

25. I find it easiest to remember:a) facesb) namesc) things I have done

26. I think that you can tell if someone is lying if:a) they avoid looking at youb) their voices changesc) they give me funny vibes

27. When I meet an old friend:a) I say “it’s great to see you!”b) I say “it’s great to hear from you!”c) I give them a hug or a handshake


28. I remember things best by:a) writing notes or keeping printed detailsb) saying them aloud or repeating words and key points in my headc) doing and practising the activity or imagining it being done

29. If I have to complain about faulty goods, I am most comfortable:a) writing a letterb) complaining over the phonec) taking the item back to the store or posting it to head office

30. I tend to say:a) I see what you meanb) I hear what you are sayingc) I know how you feel

Now add up how many A’s, B’s and C’s you selected.

A’s =

B’s =

C’s =

If you chose mostly A’s you have a VISUAL preference.

If you chose mostly B’s you have an AUDITORY preference.

If you chose mostly C’s you have a KINAESTHETIC preference.

Some people find that their communication preference may be a blend oftwo or three preferences.

When you have identified your preference(s), read the explanations andconsider how understanding your preference might help you to flex yourcommunication style to match the preferences of others.


VAK Communication Preferences Explanation

The VAK communication preferences model suggests that most people canbe divided into one of three preferred communication styles – there is no‘better’ or ‘right’ style. These three styles are as follows:

• Someone with a Visual preference has a preference for seen orobserved things, including pictures, diagrams, demonstrations,displays, hand-outs, films, flip-chart, etc.These people will use phrases such as ‘show me’, ‘let’s have a lookat that’ and will be best able to perform a new task after reading theinstructions or watching someone else do it first.These are the people who will work from lists and written directionsand instructions.

• Someone with an Auditory preference has a preference for thetransfer of information through listening: to the spoken word, of selfor others, of sounds and noises.These people will use phrases such as ‘tell me’, ‘let’s talk it over’and will be best able to perform a new task after listening toinstructions from an expert.These are the people who are happy being given spoken instructionsover the telephone, and can remember all the words to songs thatthey hear!

• Someone with a Kinaesthetic preference has a preference forphysical experience - touching, feeling, holding, doing, practicalhands-on experiences.These people will use phrases such as ‘let me try’, ‘how do you feel?’and will be best able to perform a new task by going ahead andtrying it out, learning as they go.These are the people who like to experiment, hands-on, and seldomlook at the instructions first!

People commonly have a main communication style preference, but thiswill be part of a blend of all three. Some people have a very strongpreference; other people have a more even mixture of two or lesscommonly, three styles.

When you know your preferred communication style(s) you can begin toidentify and understand the preferences of others and consider how youmight flex your style to match theirs in order to improve communication.

Creating a Coaching Culture

Why create a coaching culture?A coaching culture:• Promotes open communication• Builds trust and respect• Improves working relationships by showing how everyone can bring

something to the party.

By firmly embedding coaching in the culture of an organisation you canbegin to use it as a development tool where everyone can recognise thatpart of their role involves facilitating the development of others. This, inturn, can bring significant operational improvements.

What is a Coaching Culture?A coaching culture within an organisation is a culture where not onlyformal coaching occurs but also where most people use coachingbehaviours as a means to:

• Manage operational performance• Influence one another• Communicate with clarity.

A coaching culture is one where coaching is the predominant style ofmanaging and working together, where asking rather than telling is thenorm and where commitment to improving the organisation is embeddedin a parallel commitment to improving the people.

You know you’ve achieved a coaching culture when:• A coaching style (questioning, enquiring, supportive, creative, and

insight creating) is used not just for individual performanceimprovement but also in a whole range of circumstances – for example,improving the quality of strategic planning, or in regular teamdiscussions.

• Constructive challenge ensures that causes of individual ororganisational problems are recognised and addressed.

• Taking time to help others learn and develop is expected and natural,no matter how important or busy you may be.

Things to consider:• Where, apart from informal and formal performance sessions, could a

coaching approach benefit the organisation?• How can you make it easier for people to coach and be coached?• How can you sustain the continuous improvement of people’s coaching

capability?


• How can management become role models for the coaching culture?• How will you measure progress towards developing a coaching culture?


How to Create a Coaching Culture

Understand the business caseOne of the first places to start is to understand what benefits developing acoaching culture will bring to your organisation. For example, the businesscase could be reduced absenteeism or staff turnover due to listening toand valuing all staff.

Start at the top and sell the business benefitsThe first people to receive coaching should be the senior managementteam and directors simply because once they have discovered its usesthey will be keen to see it cascade throughout the rest of the organisation.Focus on the business benefits.

Develop a clear coaching methodologyIf it is to become an accepted part of the organisational fabric, coachingmust demonstrate clear outcomes.

Communicate clearlyIntroducing a coaching culture is a major change for any organisation andthere is always the likelihood of resistance to any change. This resistancecan be dealt with by communicating to all employees exactly what ishappening, why, and what the intended outcomes are.

Embed the processThe next stage is to ensure coaching is linked to business drivers,strategies and processes. These will differ from organisation toorganisation, but are always central to an organisation’s mission.Coaching then becomes the way of doing things. Basic coaching skillsshould be part of every manager’s basic training - in this way coaching willcascade through the organisation.

Support and encourage coaches and coacheesTraining for coaches must be in-depth, with practical applications. It needsto be supported and followed up. Ensure that using a coaching isencouraged and supported.

Recognise and rewardCoaching needs to be rewarded and recognised - for example, inperformance reviews, competencies and key performance indicators.Measuring the quality and frequency of coaching is a good starting point.

Manage the move to coachingThe move to a coaching style should be planned, managed and resourced- only then can you integrate coaching and culture change and use it tosupport delegation and empowerment.

Source: Making Coaching Work, Creating a Coaching Culture (2005)


Additional Resources

Recommend Reading

• The Coaching Manual by Julie Starr

• Coaching for Performance by Sir John Whitmore

• The OSCAR Coaching Model: Simplifying Workplace Coaching byAndrew Gilbert and Karen Whittleworth

• NLP at Work by Sue Knight

• Effective Coaching: Lessons from the Coach’s Coach by Myles Downey

• The Manager as Coach: The New Way to Get Results by Jenny Rogers,Andrew Gilbert and Karen Whittleworth

• Excellence in Coaching: The Industry Guide 2nd Edition. Edited byJonathan Passmore

• Developing a Coaching Culture by Peter Hawkins

Links and Exercises

• Ladder of Inference

o https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_91.htm

o http://ed.ted.com/lessons/rethinking-thinking-trevor-maber

• Goleman’s Leadership and Management Styles Questionnaire

• Circle of Control, Influence and Concern - Exercise


Circles of Control, Influence and Concern -Exercise

Write down a specific aspect of work that is causing you pressure youwould like to manage more effectively

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………

Questions to fill in the Circle of Influence:

• What aspects of this pressure are you already influencing? Whathave you done in similar situations in the past? What strategieshave other people used that you’ve noticed worked? What elsecould you do?

Questions to fill in the Circle of Concern

• What aspects of this pressure are you concerned about but cannotinfluence? Write them in the outer circle.

• Every time you write something in the outer circle ask yourself: ‘isthere anything (even something small) I can influence about thisconcern?’


To extend my Circle of Influence in this area of pressure, I will:

a)

b)

c)

d)


Whose support do I need to do this?

What does this support look like?

How am I going to ask them?


Leadership and Management StylesQuestionnaire

Daniel GolemanThe following statements each describe aspects of leadership /management behaviour.

Respond to each statement according to how you would most often actwhen in a leadership / management position.

For each statement, score yourself between 6 – very like my style, and1 – very unlike my style.

It’s important to score yourself as you most often are, rather than howyou would like to be or try to be.No Score1 I’m good at getting alongside people

2 I often talk to others about what we can achieve ifwe all pull together

3 I enjoy identifying the latent talent in others

4 People often need to be cajoled into highperformance

5 I prefer to reach decisions by consensus

6 I have high expectations of others

7 I find the best way to get results is to reallyunderstand people

8 I like to lead from the front

9 I enjoy giving others the benefit of my experience

10 I like to stress to others the consequences of theiractions

11 I prefer to be seen more as part of a team than afigurehead

12 I believe that competition is a healthy way toimprove our performance

13 Listening is one of my greatest strengths

14 I give people greater self-belief


15 I think it’s important to delegate for developmentpurposes as much as to get the job done

16 I believe I have a duty to get people to understandthe reality of a situation, even if it is unpleasant

17 I like to get buy in to ideas before implementingthem

18 I often need to take the lead in order to get thingsdone

19 Group harmony is one of my main priorities

20 I am often seen as the group spokesperson

21 I believe that people’s potential is unlimited, theyoften just need a helping hand

22 I’m generally the one who confronts difficult people

23 I actively seek input from others

24 I like to instil a sense of urgency

25 I am often the peace-maker

26 I promote a ‘can do’ culture

27 I like to play to people’s strengths

28 I sometimes bully people to get things done

29 I look for opportunities to collaborate with others

30 I’m often the person who makes things happen


SCORE SHEET

Place the score you allocated to each of the numbered statements in thesix boxes below, and then add up your total score in each of the boxes.

Affiliative Visionary Coaching1 2 37 8 913 14 1519 20 2125 26 27Total Total Total

Directive Participative Pacesetting4 5 610 11 1216 17 1822 23 2428 29 30Total Total Total

The total scores in each of the boxes indicate to what degree you prefer touse each of the leadership / management styles.

Coaching Skills in the Workplace 2-Day Workshopnelcscotlandorg....Coaching Skills in the Workplace...

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