THE LEADER AS A COACH Presented by Cassandra Blackwell & Claudette Johnson

LEADERSHIP COACHING OBJECTIVES At the end of this workshop you will be able to: Define Leadership Coaching Identify the Contexts (Types) of Coaching Recite the Leadership Coaching Goals

Leadership Coaching Coaching is helping the person being coached work on issues or problems to build their own competence in recognizing and solving problems. Coaching is about developing others. It requires the unique ability to recognize potential skill and ability in others that is worthy of development. A leadership coach possesses an innate ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve stretch goals and to adapt their style according to the individual and circumstances at hand earning respect and trust and help to bring the best out in others.

Aspects of Coaching Partnering: Partnering is a collaborative relationship between two people. In this context the partnership exists for a stated purpose. You will partner and collaborate with the person you coach to work toward specific, agreed upon goals. Creative Process: Coaching is not a process that can be broken down and systematized. It is a process that happens as a result of the coach’s skills, and the willingness, openness, and engagement on the part of the person being coached. The creative part is what happens as a result of those elements and the unique chemistry of the individuals in the coaching partnership. Maximize Potential: Coaching is not just talk. It’s also not about fixing someone. It’s about bringing out the best in people and helping them to see and bring out their unique set of talents and strengths.

Contexts of Coaching Expert Coach - Coaching to Transfer Knowledge or Expertise Mentor Coach - Coaching as a Mentor Performance Coach - Coaching to Improve Performance Career Coach - Coaching for Career Advancement There are several contexts where coaching can be valuable, some of which overlap. Each context for coaching requires specific skill, knowledge and experience. The key is to recognize the context most helpful to the person being coached at a particular time. Expert Coach - Coaching to Transfer Knowledge or Expertise Provides technical information or specific subject matter expertise, fast and effectively Knows how learning best occurs for individuals and the level of the learner’s current knowledge and expertise Mentor Coach - Coaching as a Mentor Understands the politics and culture of the organization and can help the person being coached by providing access and visibility in the organization. Spends time to understand and clarify the goals Offers information to help the person being coached meet his or her goals Does not assume that the person being coached will want to follow in the mentor’s footsteps Performance Coach - Coaching to Improve Performance Gives feedback on how well the person is doing and what specifically can be done to improve Focuses on the current job, not on helping the person prepare for a different job or future career goals Career Coach - Coaching for Career Advancement Provides support, feedback and standards to help the person reach his or her goal, in the current job or beyond Helps the person achieve the long-term goal of diagnosing and solving his or her own problems and generate his or her own performance improvements

Coaching Engagement Process Focuses on what the person being coached want and how to achieve it Encourages and supports what is important to the person being coached Assist the person being coached to be active in their learning Assist the person being coached see new possibilities for action

Leadership Coaching Goals Provide personalized attention in a one on one setting Assist the person you coach to set and achieve the career goals important to them Guide the person you coach to develop strategies for leveraging their strengths Discuss changes with the person you coach to accomplish, acquire and achieve the things they most want

Leadership Coaching Goals Assist the person you coach in charting a decisive career path Focus on future opportunities and ways to improve Assist the person you coach in identifying solutions, options and obstacles that might limit their success. Assist the person you coach in creating a realistic, workable Action and Developmental Plan.

Coaching Action Plan Schedule your coaching sessions Assist in defining goals at the beginning of each session Assist in identifying accomplishments after each session Co-design actions for the person you coach between sessions Discuss insights recorded by the person you coach

Coaching Finale Develop questions for your final coaching conversation Provide the person you coach feedback Encourage the person you coach to share his/her experiences Encourage the person you coach to share what they accomplished

Situations Beyond the Scope of Coaching Giving advice - When coaches give advice, they take away the person’s initiative to find their own answers and can lessen the person’s confidence. Sympathizing - When a person makes an excuse and the coach sympathizes, the coach is encouraging the person to be helpless rather than resourceful. Coaches do not buy into a person’s story of helplessness. Counseling a poor performer - If the person is failing in his or her job, the person you coach must be clear that changes to be made are not optional but required for the person to keep the job. Coaching is not counseling Therapy - If a person has private issues, the coach may want to consider referring him or her to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Coaches are not skilled therapists. Rather, their role is to help the person develop skills and grow in the IRS.

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER Confidentiality is key. Confidentiality is the cornerstone of coaching. The person you coach must be free to discuss whatever personal or organizational issues they see as barriers to their success. Coaches will never be required to reveal the results of individual coaching sessions; however, we do encourage coaching participants to share their coaching progress with others if they believe that will be helpful.

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER Change comes from within. The primary focus of coaching will be to assist the person you coach to see for themselves where they need to improve and to develop their own personal, workable development plan. Although you as the coach will assist them to create an action and development plan, and will from time to time make suggestions for improvement, it is only when they internalize change that it will “stick.”

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER Real learning comes from real practice. Skills are practiced and tested in a protected leadership coaching environment. To experience success or learn from failure the person you coach must seriously exercise thoughts, action, and deeds. You will ensure the person you coach, Action and Development Plan emphasizes actually doing something different as they try to stretch themselves.

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER Successful coaching is a partnership. You will be working with the person you coach, and your role in the relationship is as important as his or hers. You are not there to “tell them what to do,” rather, your role is to assist them to think through, and work through how to further their career, improve their performance, transfer knowledge, understand organizational politics and culture, provide access and visibility in the organization. Your role in the partnership includes accomplishment of coaching goals. Realize that meeting your coaching goals demonstrates your personal dedication to performing as a leader.

Quotes to Ponder “Coaching happens in the experience of being accepted, respected, and heard. Actual words matter less.” Julio Olalla "One must learn by doing the thing. For though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try." From: Sophocles (BC 495-406) "A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could." From: Unknown

Quotes to Ponder "I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable.“ From: John Russell, Managing Director, Harley Davidson Europe "A coach is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself." From: Oprah Winfrey

THE LEADER AS A COACH Presented by Cassandra Blackwell & Claudette Johnson QUESTIONS?