FOCUS ON · CEO Challenge 2014 survey, human capital— how best to develop, engage, manage, and...

CoachingFOCUS ON

• The Building Blocks of Great Coaching• Coaching and the Power of Self-Assessment• Leaders as Coaches• 10 Must-Haves for a Coaching Program• Coaching Explodes Training Value• When Training Sales Managers to Coach

Is Not Enough

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THE BUILDING BLOCKSOF GREATAA COACHINGA high-impactA coaching programg contributes to an

organizational culture of personalf and professional

development and continuous learning.

By Damiany Goldvarg, Ph.D., MCC, International Coach Federation (ICF),Master Certifiedr Coach and 2014 ICF Global Board Chair

rganizations of all sizesand across all sectorsface a common challenge:the task of crafting astrategy to leverage talentand nurture presentand emerging leaders inservice of a brighter future

for the organization and its stakeholders. Indeed,according to findings from The Conference Board’sCEO Challenge 2014 survey, human capital—how best to develop, engage, manage, and retaintalent—is the leading challenge facing today’sglobal leaders. A growing number of organizationsare responding to this challenge by incorporatingprofessional coaching into their existing training anddevelopment plans. Defined by the InternationalCoach Federation (ICF) as “partnering with clientsin a thought-provoking and creative process thatinspires them to maximize their personal andprofessional potential,” coaching is used to helpindividuals dramatically improve their outlook onwork and life, while also honing their leadershipskills and unlocking their potential.

By definition, coaching is distinct from training.Whereas training programs are designed around aset group of objectives determined by the traineror instructor, the coaching process is client drivenand, more often than not, nonlinear. However, theseare the differences that make professional coachingsuch a valuable addition to existing training andleadership development programs. As a highlyindividualized, adaptable, just-in-time intervention,coaching can be tailored to the needs of eachrecipient to maximize the benefits of training by

reinforcing new learning and providing personalizedopportunities for application. Indeed, an ExecutiveCoaching study by Gerald Olivero, K. DeniseBane, and Richard E. Kopelman showed that aprogram combining training and coaching increasedparticipants’ productivity by 88 percent, versus the22.4 percent increase shown by managers enrolledin a training-only program.

If you’re considering adding a coachingcomponent to your organization’s existing portfolioof training and development offerings, heed thesefour tips to set the coaching program up forsuccess:

1. Be selective. The most successfulorganizational coaching programs set highstandards from the outset when it comes topractices and personnel. Depending on theirprogrammatic goals and the resources at theirdisposal, organizations may choose to utilize a poolof external coaches, a cadre of internal coaches, ora combination of external and internal practitioners.Regardless of which approach your organizationdecides to take, being selective is key to ensuringcoaching’s success.

Leaders of award-winning internal coachingprograms, such as the one developed by DefenseAcquisition University (DAU) for the UnitedStates’ defense acquisition workforce, stressthe importance of a rigorous coach selectionand training process. Of DAU’s 600-plus facultymembers, only eight to 10 individuals per year arenominated for coach training. This select groupthen participates in an intensive program thatincludes classroom training, hands-on coaching

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practice, and collaboration with an experiencedmentor coach. Once qualified, DAU’s coaches must fulfill continuing education requirements and maintain a roster of at least one active clientper year.

Organizations using external coaches are advisedto be equally stringent in their requirements. Manycoaching decision-makers have found that coaches who hold an ICF Credential are well-positioned to help individuals, teams, and organizations meet their goals. To earn an ICF Credential, applicants must demonstrate coaching that shows an understanding and mastery of the ICF definitionof coaching and the 11 ICF Core Competenciesappropriate to their desired credential level; they also must log a set number of hours in professionalcoaching practice. ICF industry research has shown that organizations that work with an ICF-credentialed coach are more likely to recommend coaching to others than clients that do not.

2. Make coaching work for you. The best coaching programs are designed to align with anorganization’s key values, goals, and priorities. Identify coaching objectives that have a clear link to strategic objectives, such as improved customerservice, heightened productivity, and greaterinnovation. Furthermore, seize the opportunity to apply coaching as an enhancement to existing training and development programming in order to maximize the return on all of your organization’s human capital investments.

3. Create a ripple effect. According to the 2013 ICF Organizational Coaching Study, coaching takeshold in many organizations thanks to a trickle-down effect, with senior leaders trying coaching for themselves, experiencing its benefits, and becoming advocates for a wider-scale rollout of coachingacross the organization. Get the buy-in of top-tierleaders early in your coaching program’s life, andit’s more likely your program will stick.

Once you have gotten the buy-in of senior leaders and turned them from coaching recipientsto coaching champions, make full use of their enthusiasm to spread coaching throughout the organization. Even if time or budget limitations prevent you from making one-on-one or teamcoaching available to every individual in theorganization, it is still possible to build the

foundation for a coaching culture via initiatives such as coaching skills training for managers and leadership development courses oriented around coaching competencies.

4. Make time for evaluation. Tracking the impactof coaching within your organization is a must. In addition to enabling you to justify the investment oftime, dollars, and energy in the program, frequent assessment and evaluation will empower you tocourse-correct as necessary to ensure the program continues meeting all strategic objectives.

Many successful coaching programs have adapted models for measuring the impact of training, such as Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation, to assess the ROE and ROI of coaching. Other organizationsdepend on coaching-specific techniques forcalculating ROI, such as the step-by-step approach put forth by Patricia Pulliam Phillips, Jack J. Phillips, and Lisa Ann Edwards in their2012 volume, “Measuring the Success of Coaching.”

Don’t discount other, supplementary methodsfor evaluating the impact of coaching on yourorganization. Canada’s JOEY Restaurant Group,which launched its award-winning coachingprogram in 2008, uses external surveys completedby employees as part of the Best Workplacesin Canada program to track engagement and satisfaction. JOEY’s chief operating officer, AlJessa, says he believes the organization’s annual appearance on the Best Workplaces list from 2010 to the present is proof of coaching’s impact.Many organizations track climbing demand forcoaching as an additional indicator of a program’ssuccess.

Finally, be sure to collect testimonials fromcoaching recipients satisfied by the experience. In addition to providing powerful anecdotal evidenceof coaching’s effectiveness, these firsthand stories can be repurposed into materials for promoting theprogram within your organization.

It’s possible to build a high-impact coachingprogram that enhances existing training anddevelopment offerings and contributes to an organizational culture of personal and professionaldevelopment and continuous learning. All it takes is a strong foundation.

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COACHING AND THE POWEROF SELF-F ASSESSMENTAsking questionsg to guide the coaching conversationg is more

effective than telling. When employees come up with their

own developmental plan, they’re more likely toy buy intoy and

implement it. By Terencey R. Traut, President, Entelechy, Inc.

oaching seemsg to have comeeof agef ine businesses today.Seen as a simple, effectiveway toy build talent (criticaltas organizations emerge fromea crippling economy)g andengage employeese (key toy

retaining topg talent), coaching isg the “newe bigw thing”g inmanagement andt leadership development circles.t Theproblem is that fort many,r coaching isn’tg working.t

COACHING DEFINEDFor some,r the probleme is the definitione of coaching—fcoaching mayg bey seene as a “kinder, gentler” wayof tellingf someoneg toe shape upe or else.r Certainlyas manager, you need to address unacceptableperformance ande help raise ite tot at leasttacceptable, but that’st a corrective actione(or performancer improvemente ort problem-rsolving) conversation, not coaching…att leasttnot howt wew definee it.e Coaching isg used totake acceptable—evene good—performanceto great. It’s tapping intog the talente thatt manytof yourf betterr performersr wish to release—and who want yourt helpr in doing so.g

As managers, we tende to focus our attentionron performance problems.e But thatt leavestthose whoe don’t needt immediate attention—eour bread-and-butterr performers—starvingrfor growthr and developmental opportunities.Coaching isg for thoser employees,e who haveboth the willingnesse and the potentiale to grow andwdevelop.

Developing thisg untapped and eager talentr poolt willbe thee beste thingt you’veg evere doner ase a manager andrleader—if youf do it right.t

A SIMPLE COACHING MODELAsk anyk manager ifr coachingf is important, and99 times out of 100,f you’ll get a resounding,“Absolutely!” Ask anyk manager whyr they don’t coachmore (or atr all), and the answer isr usually, “I don’thave time!”

Coaching mustg bet simplee ande efficient ort managersrwon’t dot it. That’s why iny Entelechy’s coaching model,gthe manager/coache guides the conversatione by askingythree coree questions:e

1. “I know you’vew beene working ong your [job-relatedrskill] since wee laste gott togethert twor weeks ago; how haswthat beent going?”

2. “Regarding [theg job-relatede skill], what wentt well?”t3. “Is there anythinge youg might havet donee differentlye

to have beene even more effective?”e

COACHING ISN’T TELLINGThere are many reasonsy that askingt questionsg to guidethe conversation is more effective than telling. Mostemployees know what theyt didy well and what theytcould do differently; telling themg what theyt alreadyy


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know doesn’t reallyt helpy them improve. When we asadults come up with our ownr developmental plan,we’re more likely toy buy intoy and implement thet plan.

Questions help develop one ofe thef moste powerfultmuscles we ase adults have—self-assessment. Only byyasking questionsg will the manager/coache know ifw thefemployee knowse what het ore sher dide well and what het oreshe mighte dot to make thingse even better.

For example,r let’s say employeey Marye isy strivingto improve here meetingr managementg skills,t and hermanager/coach sat int on a meeting Maryg conductedyyesterday. The coachinge conversationg might got like this:e

Coach (opening performanceg probe): Mary, I knowyou’ve beene working ong your meetingr managementg skillstsince wee mete twot weeks ago, and you’ve hade a chanceto plan and conduct severalt meetings, including theg oneeI sat int on yesterday. How’s it beent going?

Mary: Overall, I think it’sk been going prettyg well!yCoach (first “whatt wentt well”t question): Great!

What’s been going well?gMary: Well, I’ve founde that providingt ang agenda ahead

of timef helpse attendees focus their attention.rCoach (supporting andg building ang accurate self-

assessment): You’re right,e and having ang agenda helpspeople determinee ife theyf needy to be ate thet meeting.e

Coach (second “what wentt well”t question): What elsethave youe done thate hast helped your meetings?r

Mary: I’ve becomee ae little moree focusede in facilitatingdiscussions. In the past,e I tended to let thingst ramble tooemuch and we woulde get offt track.f

Coach (supporting andg building ang accurate self-

assessment): I bet thatt alsot helps with making sureg youeend the meetingse on time.

Coach (first “dot differently” question): Thinking overgthe laste couplet ofe meetings,f what mightt yout have doneedifferently toy make thee meetingse even more effective?e

Mary: I think Ik need to do a better jobr of assigningfaction items; seems like theree wase confusion about whotwas supposed to do what aftert lastr week’st meeting.


assessment): Yes, I agree. I think yourk assigningr actiongitems in yesterday’s meeting workedg well; we’ll see inenext week’st meeting ifg thef taskse were completed.e

Coach (second “do differently” question): In additionto assigning tasks,g what elset mighte yout have doneedifferently toy make thee meetingse even more effective?e

Mary: Hmmm… Well, we dide start at bit latet yesterdayeafter waitingr forg twor team members. I know thew otherse

were gettinge ag little frustrated.e I think Ik should just starttthe meeting,e regardless of who’sf running late.g


assessment): I agree. I’ve founde that ift youf let meetingststart tot slide, soon others stop showing upg on time.

Coach (summarizing andg supporting): Mary, you’redoing ag great jobt of buildingf yourg meetingr managementgskills! Keep providing theg agendae ahead of timef andecontinue youre tighterr controlr over conversations.r Over thernext couplet ofe weeks,f focus on assigning actiong itemsand starting ong time. If you’df like toe touch base beforeeour nextr coachingt session,g I’m here. I love thee progresseyou’re making!e

METHOD TO THE MADNESSNote thate wet aske thek questionse in a specific order.c Byasking “whatg wentt well”t questions first, we createe aepositive coachinge environment.g And by askingy forg whatrwent well,t we ensuree thate wet identifye they behaviors/eskills we wante repeated.t By askingy “whatg wouldt you dodifferently” questions last, we leavee thee coacheee withe thedevelopmental priorities fresh in his or herr mind.r Notealso that byt askingy eachg question twice, we forcee theecoachee toe dig deeperg inr his or herr self-assessment.r

By askingy questions,g we’re ablee toe determine whate ourtemployees need from us. If Maryf didn’ty knowt howw towfacilitate discussions,e we coulde share somee insightse oreven send her tor training. If shef didn’te pickt upk on the factethat teamt members were gettinge frustratedg by they lateemeeting start,g we coulde have offerede her tipsr to help hergauge thee moode of thef team.e The onlye wayy toy discoverwhat thet coacheee knowse or doesn’tr knowt isw by askingyquestions and listening.

OF COURSE, THERE’S MORE TO ITThe greate thingt aboutg thet coachinge questionsg is that theytare easye toy use outsidee ofe formalf coaching sessions.g Forexample, when you’re debriefinge ag recently completedyproject witht the team,e you may ask,y “So, how dow we feelethe projecte went?t What wentt well?t What mightt wet haveedone toe make thee projecte event more successful?”e

Most importantly,t by developingy theg self-assessmentemuscle throughe the usee ofe thef coachinge questions,g you’llfind your employeesr asking theg questionse of themselvesfwithout yourt prodding.r And isn’t thatt whatt we’retall looking for—engagedg employees improving theirgperformance ande contributing ing increasingly meaningfulyways to the successe of thef teame and the organization?e

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LEADERS AS COACHES:EXPERIENCE IS NOTTHE BEST TEACHERYour mostr experienced leaders may bey your worstr

coaches. They mayy needy additional training ong

delivering messagesg in small, timely chunks;y active

listening; and showing appreciation.g

By Jimy Concelman, Vice President, Leadership Development,Development Dimensions International (DDI)

he airplane was bucking andkicking like a mad bull as webegan our final approach. Thecaptain came on the intercomand using his calm, confident,The Right Stuff voice,f assuredus of a safe landing. “Folks,”he said, “your copilot and I

have 27 years and thousands of hours of experiencebetween us. And we have families waiting forus, too.”

With that, the flight crew wrestled the plane to arelatively smooth landing (and applause from thepassengers). The pilots’ experience was reassuring,but equally important in this situation was theongoing training, practice in flight simulators, andrecertifications these pilots underwent to ensure theirskills supported their experience.

For many professions—doctors, accountants, firstresponders, etc.—ongoing training is required toensure top performance. One profession that doesnot require ongoing training is leadership, wherethe vaunted 70-20-10 formula for developmentpromotes experience as the pathway to proficiency(after some initial training). However, research showsthat for one of the most important leadership skills—coaching—experience is a poor teacher.

In a recent study, Driving Workplace PerformanceThrough High-Quality Conversations, DevelopmentDimensions International’s (DDI) analysis ofthousands of assessments confirmed thatexperienced leaders lack critical coaching skills.

This research, which looked specifically at datafrom assessments of executives—typically the mostexperienced leaders in an organization—revealedsignificant coaching skill deficiencies:

• Ninety percent of executives are not effectivein checking their understanding of a situationbefore moving on to addressing an issue.

• More than half are not effective at encouraginginvolvement from others.

• Eighty-nine percent are not effective indemonstrating interpersonal diplomacy.

• Also, 89 percent are not effective in conveyingperformance expectations and facilitating clearagreement.

• Ninety-five percent are not effective in openlydisclosing and sharing their thoughts andfeelings with others.

So how do these experienced executives comparewith newer front-line leaders? About the same. Asimilar analysis of more than 1,000 front-line leaderassessments found there is little difference in levelsof coaching skills.

Clearly, experience alone does not develop orimprove coaching skills. Perhaps this should notbe a surprise. The fundamental skills and conceptsof coaching remain constant, even as leadersgain experience and change roles; however, theenvironment has changed. Even a leader with astrong foundation of coaching skills must adapt andfurther hone his or her approach as the workforceand workplace evolve.


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So what does it take to be an effective coach intoday’s turbulent environment?

1. GOOD COACHES USE TIME. Coaching nowtakes place via informal methods. Communicationis immediate and 24/7. We interact with each otherin short bursts, with direct reports who are in othercities or countries. The days of leading sit-downconversations across the conference table for a30-minute coaching discussion are gone. That’s aluxury no one seems to have time for anymore.

Today’s most effective leaders know how to coach“on the fly.” They lead formal discussions with non-traditional or asynchronous means. These leaderscoach by phone, by e-mail, and even by social mediawhen appropriate.

The coaching messages may be delivered nowin smaller bites, but they still have purpose andimportance. The leader connects the discussions andguides the employee through the coaching processover a series of conversations. This is not easy to do.Most leaders do not develop this skill on their own.

What approach do ineffective leaders use? Theapproach we hear most often is “spray and pray.”That is, these leaders do a quick “tell,” disgorgingall of their accumulated experience and hope it’senough to prevent the person from failing or gettingin trouble. We also see a lack of proactive coaching(i.e., coaching before a person takes on a difficulttask or assignment) and an increase in reactivecoaching (providing advice after the fact).

2. GOOD COACHES ASK INSIGHTFUL

QUESTIONS. A key part of coaching involves askinghigh-gain, insightful questions. While effectivecoaches will balance “seeking and telling,” greatcoaches make the most of the seeking opportunity.They remember to ask clarifying questions—thosethat will help employees discover insight intothemselves, the situation, and the other peopleinvolved.

These strategic questions lead to better solutions.They also foster higher levels of commitment totaking action in a coaching situation, whether it’sproactive coaching or reactive coaching. It worksboth ways.

Some leaders discover this method through trialand error. They find that, over time, when they askthese types of questions, the results are much better.However, savvy organizations do not leave this to

chance as many smart businesspeople will not learnthis through experience. In fact, our assessment datashow that most leaders skip or do very poorly atclarifying. Active listening is a hallmark of thebest leaders, but most need help to develop thiscritical skill.

3. GOOD COACHES SHOW APPRECIATION.

Effective leaders find ways to genuinely and regularlyshow appreciation for their employees.

At DDI, we long have advocated the use of the“STAR” approach to provide relevant behavioralfeedback. Using this model, a leader describes theSituation/Task (ST) the individual or group handled,such as a problem, opportunity, special challenge, orroutine task. The leader also notes the Action (A) theperson or group took, including what they said or did,as well as validating the positive Result (R).

The STAR acronym also can be used as a shorthandreference to an especially effective model for showingappreciation:

• The Situation over Time (ST): The leader hasnoticed the individual having an impact.

• The relevant Attribute (A): What is it about theindividual the leader knows he or she can counton?

• The Result (R) or impact of the person’sattributes.

STAR appreciation goes beyond behavior andrecognizes who the person is, as much as what he orshe does. But it can require a careful touch, whichis why we view it as an advanced coaching skill—one leaders can develop only after mastering basicinteraction skills.

THE DEVELOPMENT GAPYour most experienced leaders may be your worstcoaches. The importance and impact of coachingrises as leaders move up the leadership pipeline.So does the complexity and difficulty of workplacechallenges. Yet many managers and executivesrely on skills learned in their first years as anew leader.

Just as we want experienced and well-trainedpilots and doctors to handle our most challengingsituations, we need capable leaders at all levelsto navigate through today’s volatile and uncertainbusiness environment. These leaders need more thanjust experience to be successful.

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10 MUST-HAVE INGREDIENTSFOR A COAA CHING PROGRAMResearch shows that organizations with excellent

cultural support for coachingr haveg a 75 percent higher

rating forg talentr management results than those with

no or weakr supportk for coaching.r

By Ajay Duncan, Principal, Limitless Leadership Training & Coaching,and Steve O’Brian, VP, Client Services, Chronus Corporation

any organizations arediscovering that the secretsauce to successful talentdevelopment is creatingan effective coachingprogram—one that notonly engages key talentbut also drives strong

organizational outcomes. A study from Bersin byDeloitte recently found that organizations with“excellent cultural support for coachingr had a 75percent higher ratingr for talentr management resultsthan those with no or weakr supportk for coaching.rFurther, they had 13 percent stronger businessr resultsand 39 percent stronger employeer results. The morecultural support for coaching,r the stronger ther results”(“High-Impact Performance Management: MaximizingPerformance Coaching,” Stacia Garr, http://www.bersin.com/Practice/Detail.aspx?id=15021).

As coaching becomesg a vital strategy fory engagingrand retaining employeesg over ther next decade,companies are looking tog create more effective, moreefficient programs. Starting ag program can seemoverwhelming, so studying bestg practices for programrdesign can help. Here are 10 best practices to keepin mind as you develop your ownr organization’s recipefor successfulr coaching programs:g1. Define clear goalsr and objectives. Without at cleargoal, it ist impossible to know where you are headingor whetherr orr notr yout ever arrive.r Having specificgprogram goals (overarching priorities)g and definedobjectives (specific targets) is like having ag precisedestination and good directions.

The best goals are ones that are created in

partnership with key program stakeholders.Whose buy-in do you need for ther program to besuccessful? Involve representatives from these keygroups in the early stages of programf planning.These representatives, in turn, will become yourprogram champions because they have a stake in theprogram’s success.

2. Target coachingt populationsg at mid-levelt

to increase impact. Coaching ofteng is used inorganizations like ae precious salt, sprinkled in smallamounts only aty thet top.e However, to have thee biggesteorganizational impact, coaching shouldg be usede moreliberally, specifically targetingy mid-levelg managers.These aree thee supervisorse who have thee greateste impactton employee engagemente andt productivity andy who,with development, will continue toe advance ine theorganization to ensure itse future success.e

When a leading nationalg university facedy increasingeconomic challengesc and the neede to make significanteoperational changes, it investedt its limited resourcesin leadership development andt coaching forg mid-levelrmanagers. In its evaluation of programf results, theuniversity foundy that thoset managerse who participatedin the programe had higher employeer engagementescores, higher productivity,r and improved departmentaloutcomes. In addition, more thane 30 percent oft thefcoached managers advanced to more seniore positionsrin the organization.e

3. Craft compellingt communicationg to promote

your program.r For coachingr programs to be effective,they must be high-profile development activities thatengage your bestr talent. Even in instances when thedevelopment is a top-down activity, it is importantthat the target audience understand the coaching


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program and why they should be a part of it. Craftingcompelling communication for dissemination in a variety of vehicles—staff meetings, success stories shared via e-mail, etc.—will ensure that talent isenthusiastic and committed to coaching.

4. Involve talent in the coach selection process.

Effective coaching hinges on a strong relationship bornof respect and trust between coach and employee. To create the most fertile ground for this kind ofrelationship, it is recommended that employees have some level of participation in the coach selection process. If possible, provide employees with a small, select pool of potential coaches, and let them makethe final decision. To create lasting learning, a positivecoaching relationship with great chemistry is key.

Online tools, such as coaching software, can providea valuable means of effective matching, allowing employees to search through available coachesby region, areas of expertise, and other relevant criteria. Coaching software also enables programmanagers to track coach availability and make coach recommendations based on potential compatibility.

5. Establish clear expectations of a particular

engagement. Coaching is about clarity, learning, and action. To set the stage for effective coaching engagements, it is important that the coach and employee refine the development focus. Whileleadership may identify a broader skill area suchas “influence,” it is up to the employee and coach to identify which elements of influence would bethe most effective focal areas. Such refinement is essential for development planning and establishing clear success measures.

6. Effectively manage, track, and measure progress.

Wide-scale coaching programs require regularadministrative oversight to ensure they are effectively managed. It is important to know if connectionshave been established, coaching engagements aretaking place, and progress is being made. This critical step will help you make program adjustments and broadcast program success later.

Embedded reporting functionality in coaching program management software can track coachingassignments and provide engagement metrics, andonline survey tools can ensure managers have real-time feedback from employees and coaches on results.

7. Continuously refine your program in response to

feedback. Don’t wait until the coaching engagements

have ended before finding out how things are going. By getting regular feedback from program stakeholders, participants, and their coaches, you canidentify any problems, misunderstandings, or subtle misalignments.

8. Communicate throughout the course of the

program. Be sure to communicate regularly with employees in coaching engagements, with coaches,with program stakeholders, and to the organization overall regarding your important investment in talent development. While such regular communication canseem daunting, if you manage your program online,you can easily provide valuable progress metrics andstreamline communication to keep the program visibleand on track.

9. Evaluate impact. By now, you know how many people have been coached, what percentage of the target population they represent, how many times they have been coached, and their evaluation of the coaching engagement. You even know how much theprogram cost. But what about program impact? What effect did coaching have on departmental outcomes and organizational objectives?

To truly understand impact, gather inputfrom additional sources outside of the programparticipants. What do their direct reports say? What do their managers say? The use of online survey tools can help you easily gather and analyze this information. Additionally, evaluate other departmental metrics—such as increased sales, reduced cost, increased productivity, etc.—to evaluate the impact of the coaching program.

10. Share your successes. Sharing success stories is one of the most effective ways of motivatingand inspiring others—whether you are seeking toexpand coaching program reach, ensure leadershipcommitment, or even strengthen the reputation of theHR or Learning and Development function. Effectivesuccess stories show benefit, provide a memorablefact/truth, deliver metrics, include an emotional hook,and create a sense of urgency. Coaching programparticipants are the best source of these storiesand also can serve as one of the best means ofgetting these stories out into the organization. Profileparticipants’ experience in a video on the companyblog, have them participate in noontime paneldiscussions, or post their stories on the walls of thecafeteria. Be creative and get these stories heard.

www.trainingmag.com66 | MAY/JUNE 2014 training

COACHING EXPLODESTRAINING VALUEQuality trainingy pairedg with managers ready toy

coach and reinforce the training isg a powerful

combination that can build the bottom line and

increase employee retention.

By Timy Hagen, Author, “Coaching: Corporate America’s #1 Weapon,”and Creator, Progress Coaching Training System

oaching quickly is becominga widely accepted strategyto develop employees,and those organizationsthat adopt coaching as adevelopment platform willgain an advantage in themarketplace. So why aren’t

more managers coaching their employees?r Here are afew reasons:

• Fear—they don’t know how• No time• Not my job• We have a training department• We hire good people• Ego—asking questions has an element of

exposing themselvesLogistically, employees leave training workshops or

online modules to go back tok their jobsr where theyhave a small window to apply what they learned. Toomany studies reveal that training is lost within 30days if it’sf not reinforced or applied.r Managers eithersupport the training and learning process or theyrdon’t. Managers rarely intentionally devalue training;rather withoutr coaching, they may indirectly notsupport training without even realizing it. At the endof thef day, only one person is doing the employee’send-of-the-year review.r It’s not the outside consultantor Trainingr department. It’s the manager. How canthe manager trulyr evaluate an employee if hef orshe is not engaged and/or coachingr that employee?What is the employee’s impression? Organizationsrisk losingk valuable employees if managersf are notengaged or coaching.r

HOW COACHING CAN HELPWe constantly talk about the importance ofcoaching and ways to do it better, but why shouldorganizations incorporate coaching into theirculture? Here are five top reasons coaching can helpincrease the bottom line of any organization andultimately provide training an incredible opportunityto be viewed more valuably:

• Engagement• Performance• Recruitment• Retaining Employees• Culture of Participationf

REASON #1: ENGAGEMENTAccording to Gallup, of thef approximately 100 millionpeople in America who hold full-time jobs:

• 29 percent are engaged• 21 percent are actively disengaged• 50 percent are not engagedThe following is a typical scenario that happens

every day: An employee enters his or herr boss’roffice to ask ak question. During the interaction, theboss peeks at his or herr phoner or PCr to see whate-mail came in. What is the employee feeling at thatmoment? Typically, he or sher emotionally shuts downor immediatelyr assumes the boss does not care.These moments can cause far greaterr damager thanmanagers even realize due to the pace they keep.

REASON #2: PERFORMANCEThe typical manager saysr the following….

• “We need to work together.”k• “We need to get our salesr up.”

C

CoachingFOCUS ON

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CoachingFOCUS ON

• “We have to have positive attitudes.”• “We cannot let angry customers bother us.”r• “Blah…blah…blah”Performance does not “arbitrarily” go up. One

of the most typical scenarios I see in corporateAmerica is the leaders’ “rhetorical management”practices. You know, when the sales leader getsin front of the team and shares, “C’mon everyonewe need to get our sales up.” Doesn’t the teamalready know that? What if two salespeople cannotnegotiate or what if two people cannot handle priceobjections, etc.? These are typical challenges thatrequire consistent training and coaching together.

REASON #3: RECRUITMENTRecruiting employees is costly. There are both directand indirect costs associated with recruitment.According to the Wall Street Journal,t the mediancost to recruit and retain an employee is between$2,000 and $3,700 each. One study estimatesit can cost anywhere from 15 to 25 percent of afperson’s annual salary. This provides Training leadersand their staffr incrediblef opportunities to developmetrics outside of thef typical “Did they enjoy theclass?” evaluation sheet.

In addition, employees who are engagede and coachedare fare morer likelye toy help their leadersr recruit newtemployees, thus, lowering typicalg recruitment costs.tIn addition, it’s now easierw thanr ever forr candidatesr tofind out whatt at boss is like toe work fork duer toe socialnetworks. This can either drawr orw repelr talent.

REASON #4:RETAINING EMPLOYEESAccording tog the latest Gallup poll, the No. 1 reasonemployees quit theirt jobsr is a bad boss or immediatersupervisor. “People leave managers, not companies…tin the end, turnover isr mostly ay manager issue,”rGallup wrote in its survey findings.y The effect oft poorfmanagement ist widely felt.y Gallup also determinedthat poorlyt managedy work groupsk are, on average, 50percent lesst productive and 44 percent lesst profitablethan well-managed groups.

Often, we talke aboutk trust—theret aree soe many waysymanagers can build, as well as destroy, trust. Forexample, a coaching managerg whor schedules weeklysessions that aret engaginge withg no distractions andfilled with positive reinforcemente willt result int a loyalemployee. On the othere hand,r a manager whor only

engages with employees during weeklyg staffy meetingsfin which he or sher does all the talking isg less likely toyretain employees.

REASON #5: CULTUREOF PARTICIPATION

that encouraget participation haveemployees who care about moret than just theirtindividual success. They genuinelyy wanty tot see otherssucceed. Coaching culturesg have employees who enjoyrole-playing (yes,g I said it) and working withg otherseven though it mayt noty directlyt benefity them.t Coachingcultures have employees who stay late,y volunteer torwork withk other employees,r and participate in learningactivities that drivet greater performance.r They neveryrest ont their laurels.r

HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS START?• First, implement a coaching training program. The

program should teach multiple ways to coach.• Have the Training staff becomef trained and

ultimately become coaching practitioners. Thisallows them to coach their managers’r employeeswhile educating the managers so they canparticipate, as well.

• Establish a support system such as best practiceswhere scheduled sessions help managers practicetheir coachingr skills.

• Hold discussion group sessions where managersshare their successes.r

• Develop a communication strategy in whichsuccesses and practices associated with coachingare shared. It’s vital to illustrate even smallsuccesses as resistance always will remain inpockets inside organizations.

DOES COACHING WORK?Yes, it does!t Quality trainingy pairedg with managersready toy coach and reinforce the training isg a powerfulcombination. Just askt Davek Stevens, director ofrCoaching atg Inprot Corporation. “Coaching hasg allowedus to create pathways to success for ourr employees.r Asa result, we have seen business growth in the doubledigits, high employee retention, and a culture thatdevelops employees to be the very besty theyt cany be, asemployees and as people,” he relates. “In addition, ourcoaching regimeng allows us to use coaching asg a majortool for successionr planning asg we typically promoteyand hire from within for futurer leadership positions.”

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www.trainingmag.com70 | MAY/JUNE 2014 training

he value of training salesmanagers to coach salespeopleis gaining recognition. In fact,research from CEB foundthat salespeople who receiveeffective coaching from salesmanagers outperform thosewho don’t receive coaching

by 19 percent (“The Dirty Secret of Effective SalesCoaching,” Harvard Business Review Blog Network,January 31, 2011, http://blogs.hbr.org/2011/01/the-dirty-secret-of-effective). As you might expect, salesmanager training programs in coaching are increasingin popularity as companies attempt to achieve similardouble-digit performance improvements. The onlyproblem? Many companies are finding that, despitetheir investment in training sales managers on how tocoach sales reps, this coaching isn’t happening to thedegree expected. In many cases, sales rep coachingisn’t happening at all despite sales managersreceiving hours of training on how to coach.

But is the training to blame? For manyorganizations, an underlying issue often hinders salesmanagers’ coaching efforts—it has little to do withthe training itself, but has everything to do with theenvironment in which sales managers operate.

INHOSPITABLE ENVIRONMENTFOR COACHINGSales managers operate in a demanding, hecticenvironment that is not always conducive to effectivesales rep coaching. Not only do sales managers have

to respond to the demands of the executive-levelsales leadership team above them, but they alsohave to serve the needs of the sales force they aremanaging. This often results in an ad-hoc schedulethat leaves little to no time for sales managers toprovide in-depth sales rep coaching.

Just as you can train someone on how to use allof the equipment in an exercise room, if a person’sdaily schedule is not built to allow for exercise,all of the knowledge of how to use the equipmentwill never be put to use. In the same way, salesmanagers receive training on coaching, but theirbusy schedules often get in the way of putting thecoaching into practice. In reality, sales managersdon’t need more training on coaching—instead, theyneed a way to structure their environment so theycan put their training into action.

SALES MANAGEMENT RHYTHMThat means sales managers need to have a salesmanagement rhythm to provide a framework for howsales rep coaching will be operationalized withintheir daily schedules upon their return from training.A sales management rhythm can be defined as theformal and informal interactions sales managersengage in to achieve sales goals.

A sales management rhythm is built aroundthe high-impact activities sellers must executewell. These high-impact seller activities form thefoundation of what sales managers need to focus onduring the course of a day, week, month, quarter,and year. A sales management rhythm helps sales

WHEN TRAINING SALESMANAGERS TO COACHIS NOT ENOUGHSales managers need to have a sales management

rhythm to provide a framework fork howr salesw rep

coaching willg be operationalized within their hecticr

daily schedulesy upon their returnr from training.

By Michelle Vazzana, Partner, Vantage Point Performance,and Coauthor, “Cracking the Sales Management Code”

T

CoachingFOCUS ON

training MAY/JUNE 2014 | 71

managers operationalize coaching into their dailyschedule by answering key questions such as:

• How often should coaching take place? Should itbe weekly, biweekly, monthly, or quarterly?

• Where should coaching take place? In the office,in the field, or via a Web meeting?

• What is the right duration of coachinginteractions and what is the best agenda toensure comprehensive coaching?

• What preparation is required by the manager andthe seller? What are the outputs and where arethey captured?

A sales management rhythm must be based on aholistic view of sales managers’ priorities, objectives,and daily responsibilities. With such a view, salesleaders, trainers, and sales managers can worktogether to develop a framework and managementrhythm that allots sufficient coaching attention to thetypes of coaching that will have the biggest impact

on seller productivity. An effective sales managementrhythm reduces unnecessary tasks, leaving roomfor coaching that is relevant, executable withinthe manager’s real world, and linked to desiredoutcomes.

Understanding how sales rep coaching willbe operationalized in a sales manager’s dailyenvironment must be determined prior to trainingso sales managers immediately can implement theskills learned during training. By adding structureand time frames to key activities and interactions,sales managers—with the support of executiveleadership—can reprioritize to focus their efforts tomake sales rep coaching a priority. When managersdevelop a relevant, workable rhythm, knowledgegained during training on coaching is put into action,sales productivity increases, salespeople are moresatisfied with their managers, and managers feelmore in control of their teams.

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