Coaching fo Success: A Practical Guide

By Sorin Dumitrascu

Today's managers work in a highly competitive business environment. If organizations are to survive, and outperform their rivals, they must be able to react to change--quickly and effectively.

This need to implement change has been the catalyst which has encouraged modern businesses to embrace coaching.

Any chief executive knows that a company's most important asset is its people. People bring about change, people innovate and adapt, and people form the interface between the business and its customers.

Coaching enables organizations to nurture and encourage their staff, and ensures that all employees reach their full potentials. If everyone operates at a personal optimum, it's good news for the business, the coaches, and the staff.

How can coaching bring about such wide-ranging benefits? This is a good question--and one that this course seeks to address. Coaching is not a complete solution for all problems, and this course will help you to determine:

- which situations can be resolved through coaching,

- whether an organization has a "coaching culture”, and

- what benefits it can give to the coach, the coachee, and the organization.

The course will also help you to explore sports coaching--the foundation of modern business coaching. You will learn which sports lessons can be carried into business--and which ones cannot!

The skills you acquire from this course will enable you to be objective about the use of coaching in your organization, and help you to get the most out of your people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Nov 10, 2021

Book preview

Overview

Business Coaching

Today's managers work in a highly competitive business environment. If organizations are to survive, and outperform their rivals, they must be able to react to change--quickly and effectively.

This need to implement change has been the catalyst which has encouraged modern businesses to embrace coaching.

Any chief executive knows that a company's most important asset is its people. People bring about change, people innovate and adapt, and people form the interface between the business and its customers.

Coaching enables organizations to nurture and encourage their staff, and ensures that all employees reach their full potentials. If everyone operates at a personal optimum, it's good news for the business, the coaches, and the staff.

How can coaching bring about such wide-ranging benefits? This is a good question--and one that this course seeks to address. Coaching is not a complete solution for all problems, and this course will help you to determine:

which situations can be resolved through coaching,

whether an organization has a coaching culture,

what benefits it can give to the coach, the coachee, and the organization.

The course will also help you to explore sports coaching--the foundation of modern business coaching. You will learn which sports lessons can be carried into business--and which ones cannot!

The skills you acquire from this course will enable you to be objective about the use of coaching in your organization, and help you to get the most out of your people.

Successfully Coaching Relationships

Every successful organization relies on an effective work force. As a coach, you are in a perfect position to influence your staff members and their performance. You have the key to their success in your hands.

By coaching every staff member to fulfill his or her individual potential, you can ensure that all staff make valuable contributions toward the company's objectives. And that's why your role as a coach is so vital.

Coaching will provide you with many challenges and rewards. You will develop a unique coaching relationship every time you work with a coachee, the person you are coaching, and it is your responsibility to make it a successful one.

You will find that developing successful coaching relationships is one of the most satisfying aspects of your work. In this course, you will learn how to develop these successful relationships.

There are complexities involved in building a successful coaching relationship. But you will discover how you can get it right by:

making and maintaining the right connection with your coachee,

creating a positive coaching environment,

using the right coaching role with your coachee.

The benefits of successful coaching relationships are fantastic. You will achieve your business objectives, your coachees will develop their skills, and you and your coachees will experience job satisfaction--what great results!

The Key Stages of Coaching

Coaching has many uses in organizations, but the sequence of coaching activities is similar in all of them. To achieve successful coaching outcomes, you must plan and prepare your coaching session.

You will achieve the best results by using a structured approach to your coaching opportunities. And your work doesn't stop when the coaching session is over--you must give your coachees the ongoing support that they need.

By considering the key stages in the coaching process and learning how to implement them, you will be able to:

prepare yourself for coaching,

structure your coaching sessions effectively,

follow up on the coaching session appropriately.

Any experienced coach will tell you that to be an effective coach, you need to prepare, structure, and follow up. At the end of this course, you'll be in a position to do this, and support your coachees as they realize their goals.

The Coaching Skillset

Each coaching session is a conversation between you and your coachee.

You don't have to be born a good coach--you can learn skills that will help you to engage in productive and positive conversations with your coachees. You must have rapport with your coachees and structure your coaching sessions effectively--but there are other skills that are vital to your success.

This course will help you to develop the skills you need to effectively manage your discussions with your coachees. There are three skills involved in doing this.

controlling the coaching conversation,

fine-tuning your coaching skills,

moving the coaching session forward.

If you can pace coaching conversations effectively and balance the need to focus on the past, present, and future, you'll be a step closer to helping your coachees to meet their coaching goals.

Coaching is a partnership, and like all partnerships it is based on honesty, trust, and openness. By honing your coaching skills, you'll be able to promote partnership and help your coachee to get the results she deserves.

Emotions, Mindsets and Coaching

Have you ever considered how the mindsets and emotions of your coachees, the individuals you have agreed to coach, affect the success of your coaching?

And what about you? Your emotions, mood, and personality can also have a big impact on how receptive you are to coachees and how effective you are in a coaching session.

Coachees may also come to a session with a combination of superior or inferior emotions. How they feel can affect the outcome of the coaching session. Here are two examples for how they may feel.

nervous, stressed, uncertain about your intervention, or guilty about poor performance,

satisfied, confident, and relaxed.

It's also important to be aware of any inferior emotions that you might feel: a lack of confidence, feeling unqualified, or feeling challenged by the content of the session.

Understanding your coachees and getting to know their personalities and what motivates them can be crucial to a successful coaching session.

Now is the time to get off the bench and join your coachees in a positive mental workout to ensure that the coaching session delivers results and benefits for your organization.

Trends in Coaching

Have you ever wondered why an organization should invest in coaching? What is the business case for coaching?

Is coaching just another popular management fad, or are there sound business reasons for introducing coaching in your organization?

Coaching has many different strands, or aspects, and all can be equally important for today's successful organization.

Whether you are developing employees or working through times of organizational change or personal turbulence, coaching can be an important and useful technique.

Coaching enables an organization to reach new heights, helping and supporting those who are at the cutting edge--the innovators--to work successfully in your company.

Coaching is also invaluable for working with teams. But what things should you consider when you are coaching teams?

Assuming that your organization does decide to invest in coaching, you'll need to display an ongoing commitment to coaching, proving to employees that it really is a benefit to the company, it's something that you care about, and that it's here to stay.

You can do this by ensuring that confidentiality is maintained, by showing an equal commitment to upwards and peer-to-peer coaching, and by using coaching to achieve a satisfactory work-life balance for all employees.

Indeed, once your organization introduces coaching, you'll wonder how you ever survived without it!

CHAPTER ONE

Business Coaching

Why Coach?

In order to grow and compete in the increasingly globalized economic environment, organizations must be able to embrace change--and react quickly to changing circumstances.

So, how can coaching help companies to meet the challenges of the fast-moving knowledge economy?

In recent decades, the business environment has changed dramatically. The modern workplace has been transformed from that of 20 or 30 years ago.

Modern businesses face the challenge of meeting the changing expectations of employees, while trying to balance the pressures of global competition.

What do you think of when you hear the word leader? For many people, leader conjures up visions of hierarchical management structures and command and control cultures.

So why do people refer to leadership in the context of coaching? Consider the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, when he illustrated the art of leadership. He began by taking a piece of string and putting it on a table.

Can coaching solve the problems of the manager in the modern business environment? The answer is yes...and no!

Companies face many challenges in today's competitive market. These may include difficulties with processes or infrastructure, technology issues, or increased competition. These types of issues cannot be readily addressed by coaching.

Developing a coaching culture within an organization

In order to grow and compete in the increasingly globalized economic environment, organizations must be able to embrace change--and react quickly to changing circumstances.

So, how can coaching help companies to meet the challenges of the fast-moving knowledge economy?

Coaching is not a universal remedy for all the ills of modern business. But research and opinion support the view that coaching can transform and sustain organizations.

See each perspective on coaching to find out more.

Business evaluation

Tanya Clemons, of IBM, gives a business evaluation of coaching, saying: We've done lots of research and we've found that those leaders who have the best coaching skills have better business results.

Professional opinion

An editorial in the Training and Development Journal gives a professional opinion about coaching: Coaching is the only cost-effective way to reinforce new behaviors and skills.

Academic view

Professor David A. Thomas gives an academic view of coaching, saying that: ...the quality of the relationship between boss and subordinate is a major predictor of intentions to remain. Coaching...affects that relationship positively.

The business, professional, and academic views of coaching all agree that it can have a positive impact on business. But to enable coaching to thrive, a company must develop a coaching culture.

A coaching culture can help organizations to make the leap from managing performance at an individual level, to performance management at the organizational level. Making this leap will help companies to develop several areas:

create a learning environment that leads to continuous improvement,

increase innovation, productivity, creativity, and communication,

foster initiative and commitment,

increase staff loyalty by demonstrating management commitment.

Question

James feels that by developing a coaching culture, his company will be better placed to compete with its main rivals. He wants to convince his colleagues that there are benefits to developing a coaching culture. What should he say?

Options:

1. Coaching will help us to create a learning environment, so that we can continually improve.

2. If we embrace coaching, we'll be able to solve our current staffing problems.

3. A coaching culture will help to foster innovation throughout the organization.

4. It will help us to reduce the workloads of managers.

5. Staff loyalty should increase as a result of coaching.

6. Developing a coaching culture will enable us to increase our profits.

Answer:

Actually, a coaching culture will enable James' company to create a learning environment, foster innovation, and increase staff loyalty. Coaching won't solve the company's staff problems, reduce workloads, or increase profits.

Option 1: Correct. Coaching fosters a learning environment that results in continuous improvement.

Option 2: Incorrect. Coaching is not a cure for all company challenges, such as staffing problems.

Option 3: This choice is correct. A coaching culture nurtures innovation because it reinforces new behaviors and skills.

Option 4: This choice is incorrect. Coaching does not reduce managers' workloads.

Option 5: This is a correct choice. Coaching has been shown to positively influence coach-employee relationships.

Option 6: This is an incorrect choice. It has not been shown that coaching has a direct effect on a company's profits.

By developing a coaching culture, your organization will be able to make the most of its people--and stay ahead of the competition.

The drivers for the development of a coaching culture

In recent decades, the business environment has changed dramatically. The modern workplace has been transformed from that of 20 or 30 years ago.

Modern businesses face the challenge of meeting the changing expectations of employees, while trying to balance the pressures of global competition.

The world in which many of today's more senior managers grew up is very different from that of their junior managers.

Now, staff expect their skills to be developed, to have choice within the workplace, to be given responsibility, and to be trusted to carry out that responsibility without close supervision.

Modern workers expect to build supportive relationships with their managers. If this doesn't happen, staff will move to a more flexible and exciting working environment.

More than ever before, organizations have to work to retain their staff.

The demands are considerable: businesses must be able to match their opponents in terms of production, service, pricing, and delivery--as well as provide an atmosphere in which staff can learn, and perform at their best.

Has your workplace changed over the years? Take some time to think about the changes that you have observed, and why those changes might have happened. Consider how your experience of the workplace changed in relation to several aspects:

competition and industrial rivalry,

your expectations of your employer,

the value placed on the individual by employers.

High performance working involves a shift from reliance on management control, to flatter, non- hierarchical structures. In these flatter structures, teamwork and autonomous working based on high

levels of trust, communication, and involvement are encouraged. Workers are treated as skilled individuals, with the intellectual resources to enable them to continually master new skills.

Question

Jack is retiring from Grants Financial Services after 40 years. Jack's first day as a junior account clerk was very different to his last day as a member of the senior management team. What type of changes is Jack likely to have experienced?

Options:

1. The financial services industry has become more competitive.

2. Staff don't expect to build supportive relationships with their managers.

3. New staff have high expectations of how they will be treated.

4. Staff now have a choice about the type of environment they work in.

5. Staff are expected to work harder, for less pay.

6. Staff don't expect to be valued or supported.

Answer:

Actually, Jack is likely to have witnessed increasing competition in the financial services market, and the changing expectations of staff. Staff now expect to be valued and supported at work. If they aren't, they will go elsewhere.

Option 1: Correct. Competition in the financial services industry has increased.

Option 2: Incorrect. Employees do expect to build supportive relationships with their managers.

Option 3: This option is correct. Employees now expect their companies to offer them more choice, responsibility, and trust.

Option 4: This is a correct option. A good work environment is now essential to retaining staff.

Option 5: This option is incorrect. Employees expect to be fairly compensated for their work efforts.

Option 6: This is an incorrect option. Employees do expect to be valued and supported by their employers.

So, how are organizations responding to this change? Many organizations are moving away from traditional hierarchical management structures, focusing instead on high performance working.

As a result of the move to high performance working, the role of managers--and anyone with direct reports--has changed significantly. Managers now:

delegate more,

offer leadership,

facilitate the development of their co-workers.

Coaching requires collaboration, which involves open and honest two-way communication. Organizations that benefit most from coaching have a culture that supports collaboration. This type of culture tends to be decentralized--staff are empowered to make decisions, and take personal responsibility for their work.

Coaching in itself cannot give an organization the ability to overcome the challenges it faces--the drivers for coaching must also be in place. These drivers are unlikely to be present in a traditional, hierarchical management structure.

Dave, Alan and Sandra work for Aqua Marketing and Martin, Andy and Kathy work for Sensor Systems.

See each employee to find out more about the companies they work for, and consider whether the drivers for coaching exist in their organizations.

Dave

We've got a really open atmosphere. Everyone is really committed to Aqua. I guess you could say that the culture is collaborative. Two-way communication is really important here.

Martin

The focus here is really on top-down management. We tend to do as we're told, and don't really communicate openly with the managers. Things don't change, and there's no point trying to work against management decisions.

Alan

Everyone here is encouraged to learn. Because of this, the teams are innovative--and we feel empowered to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions.

Andy

We get feedback during our annual appraisals, and if we're not performing, then we're sent on a training course. We're not really encouraged to be innovative or to learn as we work--they just like us to get the job done.

Sandra

We usually work in teams, but we can be autonomous when required. The managers trust us to do our jobs without close supervision, and their confidence in us means that we're happy working here.

Kathy

Sensor Systems is highly structured. There are distinct departments, with lots of layers of management. The Board controls everything, and so it can take a long time to react to changes in the industry.

Aqua Marketing and Sensor Systems are very different. Sensor is hierarchical, and has a management ethos of command and control. Aqua is focused on high performance working, with flatter structures and decentralized management.

See each organization to find out about the drivers for coaching in it.

Aqua Marketing

All of the main drivers for coaching exist. The staff are empowered, and communication is good. This enables collaboration: the key to a coaching culture.

Sensor Systems

None of the key drivers for coaching exist. Changes in organizational structure and culture are needed before a coaching culture can be developed.

Although the drivers for coaching don't exist within Sensor Systems, this doesn't mean that it is impossible to introduce. However, structure and culture may prevent coaching from being accepted and effective.

Question

Stacey is a manager for Papyrus Paper. She has just attended a seminar called Coaching for Success. Stacey is excited about how coaching could help her at Papyrus, and is discussing the possibilities with other delegates. Which statements from the delegates have the drivers for coaching in their organizations?

Options:

1. Our organizational structure has just changed--we're now working in small, autonomous teams.

2. The company trusts its staff, and individuals are expected to take responsibility for their own work.

3. I was told to come here by my boss. We're not really encouraged to be responsible for ourselves.

4. We have an open and honest atmosphere--I can have a two-way discussion with my boss.

5. My responsibilities are well defined. Our department is highly structured.

Answer:

Actually, the main drivers for coaching are flatter organizational structures, an atmosphere where open and honest communication can thrive, management trust that inspires staff loyalty, and a focus on collaboration.

Option 1: Correct. Small, autonomous work teams are representative of a flat corporate structure, which encourages coaching.

Option 2: This choice is correct. A work environment that offers trust and encourages responsibility is an excellent atmosphere for coaching.

Option 3: Incorrect. A hierarchical corporate structure, reflected by strict obedience to one's boss, does not complement coaching.

Option 4: This is a correct choice. A work environment that is open and honest fosters management- employee relationships and creates a perfect atmosphere for coaching.

Option 5: This choice is incorrect. A highly structured work environment in which employees are expected to do as they're told does not lend itself to coaching.

Leadership qualities that a coach must demonstrate

What do you think of when you hear the word leader? For many people, leader conjures up visions of hierarchical management structures and command and control cultures.

So why do people refer to leadership in the context of coaching? Consider the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, when he illustrated the art of leadership. He began by taking a piece of string and putting it on a table.

He said: Pull it and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it and it will go nowhere at all. It's just that way when it comes to leading people. They need to follow a person who is leading by example.

Eisenhower's words go some way to describing today's modern manager and coach--someone who pulls people towards their full potentials, rather than pushing them towards prescribed outcomes.

So, to be effective coaches, managers must be able to demonstrate some of the qualities of a leader. They must:

create and communicate a vision,

be a source of positive energy,

support individuals to realize their true potentials.

Question

Geri has considerable experience in coaching, and is surprised when she is asked to attend a seminar called Coaching through Leading. She tells you that she can see no similarities between coaching and leadership, and that she thinks the seminar will be a waste of time. How should you respond?

Options:

1. Coaches, like leaders, must create and communicate a vision.

2. Coaches and leaders both support individuals to realize their true potentials.

3. Coaches and leaders must push individuals towards prescribed outcomes.

4. Coaches and leaders should be a source of positive energy and inspiration.

5. Coaches and leaders both have a responsibility to punish performance that is below par.

Answer:

Actually, although coaches aren't required to be leaders the whole time, they must be able to communicate a vision, be a source of positive energy, and support individuals in meeting their potentials. These are key leadership qualities.

Option 1: Correct. By creating and communicating a vision, coaches and leaders encourage--rather than push--their employees to take action.

Option 2: This option is correct. Good coaches and leaders know that employees must be supported in their efforts, rather than bullied into action.

Option 3: Incorrect. Pushing employees toward a prescribed outcome is an ineffective coaching and leadership tool.

Option 4: This is a correct option. Coaches and leaders both lead by example, which requires positive energy and inspiration.

Option 5: This option is incorrect. Punishment is a poor motivational tool and is not used by a good coach or leader.

The words used to describe leadership qualities may seem detached from the reality of coaching in your organization. So, how do these qualities manifest themselves in the day-to-day lives of managers?

You may find yourself in a position where you have to help someone to create a vision of the goals that he or she can achieve, and how to reach them.

As a coach, your ability to lift an individual by believing in the person, and offering constant encouragement, is also vital. You need to become a source of energy.

Helping someone to achieve his or her true potential can involve tough decisions. The person may want to give up, or to take an easy option. As a coach, you may need to take a hard line, setting objectives and monitoring progress.

These managers have demonstrated leadership qualities in coaching sessions. They communicated a vision, provided a source of energy, and encouraged and supported people to reach their true potentials.

See each manager to find out how they have demonstrated leadership qualities.

Nick

I find that I have to help my staff to imagine the goals that they can achieve. I have to be a visionary--communicating to them the ultimate value of setting and achieving goals. They look to me for inspiration.

Tina

Sometimes, people find it difficult to believe that they can achieve their goals. I have to act as a positive source of energy--showing that I believe in their abilities to improve, and encouraging them to keep going.

Monica

Sometimes, helping people to achieve their potentials can mean being tough. Some people don't like to set goals, even though they help them to succeed. So sometimes you just have to do it for them--set the goals and help them to achieve.

Paola

Various issues can stop someone from reaching his or her potential. These may be related to resources, skills, or even the working environment. As a coach and manager, I have to help the person to resolve these issues before development can continue.

Question

Kofi works for Anda at Misfit Publishing. Anda has been acting as Kofi's coach, and Kofi is talking to a colleague about the experience. Which of Kofi's statements suggest that Anda has shown leadership qualities in coaching?

Options:

1. She really helped me to see what I could achieve.

2. She has let me get on with things pretty much on my own.

3. I'm not really sure that she believes in me.

4. She set some really tough goals for me--but now I can see that she was helping me to realize my potential.

5. She really believed that I could meet my goals. She inspired me.

6. She realized that a lack of resources was standing in my way--and she sorted it out.

Answer:

Actually, Anda showed leadership by helping Kofi to see what he could achieve--and believing in him. She helped him to achieve his true potential by setting goals, and removing resource issues that were blocking him.

Option 1: Correct. A coach helps an employee create a vision of her goals.

Option 2: Incorrect. A coach helps an individual set and reach her goals by offering encouragement and advice.

Option 3: This choice is incorrect. A coach should be a source of energy, inspiring the individual to reach her potential.

Option 4: This choice is correct. Helping someone achieve his potential may require tough decisions. A coach sometimes has to take a hard line.

Option 5: This is a correct choice. A coach serves as a source of energy. She lifts an individual by believing in that person and offering constant encouragement.

Option 6: Correct. A coach not only helps an individual establish goals, but she also helps that individual to reach them.

To be an effective coach, you must act as a leader. Showing vision, providing energy, and helping your staff to achieve their true potentials are all essential leadership--and coaching--qualities.

Being a coach isn't always easy--you'll have to make some tough calls. But by demonstrating leadership, you are on your way to coaching effectively--and helping your staff to grow.

Determining coaching needs

Can coaching solve the problems of the manager in the modern business environment? The answer is yes...and no!

Companies face many challenges in today's competitive market. These may include difficulties with processes or infrastructure, technology issues, or increased competition. These types of issues cannot be readily addressed by coaching.

Coaching can only be used to solve human issues. In other words, coaching can help people to solve people problems.

Consider Hal, who works on the production line at Pisces Cars. He fits the audio equipment as the cars come off the line. During the last week, Hal's boss has noticed that production is falling behind. There is a problem with the painting process, and so cars are taking longer to reach Hal.

Could coaching help Hal to increase his output?

The answer is no. The problems at Pisces cars are not human issues--they are about failure of equipment. No amount of coaching will solve the problem with the paint-spraying process.

Question

Sunee is responsible for managing the call center at Nuncio Communications. Recently, a number of urgent issues have arisen. Which issues identified by Sunee cannot be solved by coaching?

Options:

1. the incorrect installation of new telephone lines

2. the lack of staff commitment

3. the failure of the call logging system

4. the breakdown of the air conditioning system

5. the time-keeping of the staff

6. the introduction of new competition to the market

Answer:

In fact, Sunee can only address human issues through coaching--such as staff timekeeping and commitment. Although the other issues may impact on the people at Nuncio, they must be resolved separately.

Option 1: Correct. The incorrect installation of new telephone lines is not a people problem that Sunee can resolve.

Option 2: Incorrect. The lack of staff commitment is a people problem that Sunee could remedy.

Option 3: This option is correct. The failure of the call logging system is not a people problem.

Option 4: This is a correct option. The breakdown of the air conditioning system is not a people problem that Sunee could resolve.

Option 5: This option is incorrect. The staff's time-keeping efforts are a people problem that Sunee could fix.

Option 6: Correct. Sunee lacks the power to prevent new competition from entering the market. This issue is not a people problem.

To coach your staff effectively, you must be aware of the issues that you are facing. You must begin by determining whether the problem is one that can be addressed by coaching, or not.

To do this, you must be confident that you can eliminate all non-human factors from the problem.

Once you have established that you are dealing with a human issue, you need to decide what type of issue it is.

See each of the three categories of human issues to find out more.

Career development

Staff may become bored or lose motivation if they feel that they are in a dead-end job. Employees who have been in the same role for a long time may feel like this--as well as people who are so confident in their abilities that they are no longer challenged.

Performance improvement

Performance problems often occur when someone knows what is expected but fails to perform anyway. Examples of performance issues include poor timekeeping, failure to meet targets, incorrect use of systems, or attitude problems.

Knowledge or skills transfer

Many employees want to do the best job they can, but they lack the necessary skills or knowledge. This type of issue often occurs with new members of staff, or when systems or processes have been changed or updated.

Question

Quang is responsible for coaching various employees. He spends some time looking into the roles of each staff member, and realizes that he needs to deal with several issues. Match the three categories to one or more of the issues that Quang is facing.

Options:

A. performance improvement

B. career development

C. knowledge or skills transfer

Targets:

1. Suzi is very experienced and works well, but now she seems to be bored.

2. Garth is just lazy--he knows what to do, but he just isn't doing it.

3. Antony is really committed--he just can't master the system.

4. Clio does her job really well and meets all her targets, but she's lost motivation.

5. Zane gets to the office late every day, and he isn't meeting his targets.

Answer

In fact, Quang needs to deal with performance improvement issues for both Garth and Zane, whereas Antony is lacking in skills. It is likely that Clio and Suzi's problems are related to career development issues.

Quang is facing a career-development issue. Suzi is likely bored because she no longer feels challenged in her job.

Quang is facing a performance-improvement issue. Garth doesn't want to perform a job that he knows how to do.

Antony lacks the skills or knowledge to perform his job. In this case, Quang is facing an issue related to skills transfer.

Quang is facing a career-development issue. Clio has lost her motivation--possibly as a result of feeling that she's in a dead-end position.

Zane is failing to meet the expectations of his job. In this case, Quang is facing a performance- improvement issue.

Every person that you work with is an individual. Being an individual means having your own perspective on what is happening around you.

To coach effectively, you must take time to get to the heart of the problem. You must understand the individual, and the issues being faced.

The majority of organizations see performance improvement as the most critical part of coaching. But to improve performance, you must determine whether there is a performance issue to be addressed, or whether other problems are present. Understanding the types of issues that you are dealing with will help you to coach your staff more effectively.

Keep this in mind as you consider the scenario.

You manage a small sales team at Zarifa Products. Last week, Clare--one of the sales clerks--had an accident on her skiing trip, and is not expected back at work for ten weeks. This means that the team now comprises just four members: Tash, Yanni, and Adele, who are sales representatives, and Fred, a sales clerk. You are aware that the team is under considerable pressure, and you decide to have a brief discussion with team members to find out how they feel about the current situation.

See each staff member to reveal what they have to say.

Tash

I'm making the sales, but the orders aren't being processed quickly enough. But then I guess it doesn't matter too much--I'm always ahead of target anyway, so why should I worry?

Yanni

I'm still struggling to reach my sales targets. I'm working really hard, but I can't seem to make it work. Maybe I just need to be more familiar with the Zarifa product range. I've also lost a couple of customers because of problems with order processing.

Adele

There's nothing wrong here. The only reason I'm not meeting targets is because the orders haven't been processed. Fred's been complaining that the paperwork isn't good enough. But that's not my problem--I'm a sales rep, not a clerk.

Fred

Since Clare was injured, it's been really difficult to keep up. The reps are all chasing me, and I'm getting behind. It also doesn't help when all of Adele's paperwork is incomplete. When I get the orders through, the details are correct--I just can't do it all quickly enough.

Coaching can help you to resolve issues in your team, but you must correctly identify the issues in the first place. Now try to identify the problems in the following scenario.

By paying close attention to Page's description of her team, and not jumping to conclusions, you should have been able to determine the issues that she faces, and how--or if--they can be resolved by coaching.

The key to making the most of coaching is to use it when it is appropriate to do so. There's no point hollering at the driver to go faster, if the car is out of gas.

Coaching can help you to deal with human work problems. By taking the time to understand the issues faced by your staff, you will be able to make the right call--and coach much more effectively.

Coaching--the Basics

You may not be surprised to learn