BECOMING A BETTER COACH

“To get the best out of people, we have to believe the best is in there – but how do we know it is, how much is there, and how do we get it out?” ― Sir John Whitmore

It can sometimes be a struggle working out what a coaching conversation actually is and what sort of topics you can use in these conversations. My answer is that anytime there is an opportunity to tell an employee how to do something, you could turn that into a coaching conversation.

So, with that in mind, do I need a technique to coach?

The G.R.O.W model, developed by Sir John Whitmore, is an excellent, well known technique that you can use as a starting framework:

Goal – What are you trying to achieve here?

Reality – What is happening now? Where are you in relation to your goal?

Options – What could you do? Great, what else could you do?

Will / Way forward – What will you commit do?

So now you have the technique to follow, if you can listen well and ask questions, you can help uncover what it is a person needs to help improve their performance or change an expected outcome.

Tips:

• Listen 80% of the time and ask questions for the remaining 20%. As the coach, you don’t have to fill the space. Let the person talk through their problem or situation and ask questions following the G.R.O.W. model as you go. It’s best to be natural and ask the questions that make sense at the time. Don't prepare questions in advance as it can feel a little ‘programmed’.

• Note down on a piece of paper; a) how many questions you ask, and b) how many suggestions you give. As you improve your coaching you are looking to give fewer and fewer suggestions.

• If you are looking to practice coaching, absolutely any topic will do! It doesn't need to be a really big issue to be coached on. It just needs to be something you are thinking about and could do with processing with a coach.

 A few ideas are:

• Juggling priorities in the week ahead. What could you focus on and what could you leave till another time?

• Dealing with a tricky conversation you need to have. How do you approach it and what can you say to the person?

• Giving instructions to people more experienced than you in a work environment. How do you do this and remain firm and polite?

• Dealing with your own confidence levels in tackling a key work problem using your own instinct and ability.

Essentially anything that is something you spend time thinking about is a potential coaching topic.

Lastly, you only get better at coaching and being coached by letting go of the situation and being prepared to learn as you go. When we all learnt to first ride a bike, I’m sure we had a few tumbles. Give it a go and don't expect to be a competent coach after a few attempts. So relax, talk things out with a coach and let your mind create some new alternatives to ones you already have.

Here’s a link here to a new tool I’ve developed for using coaching as part of a 1-on-1.

Drop me a comment as I’d love to hear how you use it and any feedback you have.