1. Coaching Skills for Managers

2. Aim of the presentation
To gain an understanding of coaching and how it applies to leadership.

3. Why Coach?
Coaching is a personal development tool which can enhance individual and organisational effectiveness. It is the fastest growing facet of leadership development today.
My Trust has made a commitment to develop a coaching culture throughout the organisation by introducing a number of learning strands:
coaching practitioner training and accreditation;
coaching for leadership and peer coaching; and
coaching skills for managers.

4. Defining Coaching and Mentoring
Clear definitions of coaching and mentoring have been agreed to ensure a shared understanding for all participants in coaching / mentoring activity.
 Coaching
Coaching is a questioning and supportive process in which the Coach supports and facilitates improvements to another’s performance. This may be through discussion and planning for achievement of goals and actions towards increased competence, commitment and confidence. The coaching questioning process usually involves growth and change, whether that is in skills, knowledge, attitude or behaviour.
 Mentoring
A process in which the mentor serves as an experienced role model, or trusted advisor, to guide or support another in their development. They may pass on knowledge and experience; provide opportunities for development and growth or open doors to opportunities.

5. Features of Coaching Is learner centered Is self-discovery
Unlocks potential
Raises awareness
Encourages responsibility
Raises performance

6. Do you know the difference?
Activity
Do you know the difference?
Coaching
Training
Counselling
Mentoring
As managers, do they have to do all of these things?
What are the characteristics of each? Discuss in pairs, 5 mins, then feedback.
It’s important to recognise that coaching is not about being the expert or providing the answers; it’s about helping the coachee to achieve the goal themselves.

7. To summarise…
Counselling
Coaching
Mentoring
PAST
FUTURE

8. “Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximise their own performance”
Timothy Gallwey (1975)
The inner game of tennis

9. Fundamental Coaching Skills
Building rapport
or relationships
(Starr 2008)
Giving feedback
and support
Different levels
of listening
Coaching
Skills
Julie Starr model – Starr is a leading expert in the field of coaching
Some of these skills come naturally, others need to be learnt. It’s very important to practice!
We’ll look at these points in more detail later in the session, but general points;
Rapport Building – foundation for all coaching conversations, feeling of warmth and trust, “sameness”
Different levels of listening – looked at in more detail later, from cosmetic listening to deep listening
Using intuition – the ability to direct a conversation, spot what’s missing and what is not being said
Asking questions – great questions will be simple, have a purpose, be influencing without being controlling. Avoid – casual, complex or closed questions
Giving feedback and support – helps the client to experience a different view of themselves
Asking
Questions
Using
Intuition
(Starr 2008)

10. GROW model of coaching John Whitmore’s MAP of COACHING Key principles
      Raise awareness; take responsibility  (coachee)
Skills
      Effective questioning; active listening (coach)
Steps
G - GOAL What do you want? 
R - REALITY What is happening now? 
O - OPTIONS What could you do? 
W - WILL What will you do?
Sir John Whitmore introduced this model; he is one of the leading experts in the field of coaching.
This model is one of the easiest and most widely used models. It’s very effective; don’t be fooled by the simplicity!

11. GROW model of coaching Goal – What do you want?
Reality – what is happening now?
Options – what could you do to make a change?
Will – what will you do to make a change?
Visual interpretation of the GROW model

12. Topic (Entry) GOAL REALITY OPTIONS WILL Contracting, rapport building,
identifying topic or discussion areas.
This is the end point – where the client wants to be. It should be defined in such a way that it is clear when the goal has been achieved.
GOAL
How far away from the goal is the client? Looking at all the steps needed to achieve the goal; how many steps has the client taken already? How far along the line are they?
REALITY
OPTIONS
There will be obstacles to the client achieving their goal. What are the different things the client can do in order to overcome the obstacles and reach the goal?
The GROW model in more detail.
WILL
Turn the options into action points – this is a commitment to take action. Define a time frame. This is the way forward

13. GROW discussion
GOAL -Coach and coachee agree on a specific aim objective and topic for discussion
REALITY – Both coach and coachee invite self-assessment and offer specific examples to illustrate their points
OPTIONS – Coach gets suggestions from the coachee by asking effective questions and guides them towards making the right choices
WILL – Coach and coachee commit to action, define a time frame for objectives and identify how to overcome obstacles
The GROW model in practice

14. Goal setting
Goals are our targets or what we intend to achieve, and research indicates that those with clearly thought out goals achieve much more than those without goals.
Your clients will have a variety of goals, with a variety of reasons for wanting to achieve those goals.
It’s your job to help them clarify
exactly what their goal is, and
how they intend to achieve it!
Learners must understand that it’s essential that their clients have a goal, that it’s clearly set out and there is a time frame attached.
Q – Do you as managers think it’s your responsibility to set the goal as the coach? DISCUSS.
Conclude that the member of staff (client) must set their own goal – the coach should NEVER set the goal!
The coach will simply help the individual to articulate the goal and work out a realistic timescale.

15. What do you want to change?
A basic premise of coaching is that we want something to be different. Our role as coach is to help the performer to get a full understanding of this gap and to make sure that they have a compelling vision of the future that they want.
“Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here? asked Alice
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” said the cat
“I don’t much care where.” said Alice
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” replied the cat
Lewis Carroll – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
If Alice doesn’t know where she wants to go, how does she know the right way to get there?
Reinforces that goal setting is an essential part of the coaching process – if the goal isn’t clearly defined, how will the client know whether or not they are on track to achieve it?

16. Research
One of the most powerful pieces of research was completed on Yale University graduates in America. They were surveyed in 1950's and again 20 years later. The research showed that 3% were worth more than the other 97% put together. The 3% also had better health and enjoyed better relationships with others.
What explained this 3% 97% split was not parental wealth, degree subjects taken, career selected, ethnic or gender base etc. The difference was that the 3% had written goals in the 1950's while the huge majority did not.
Although this research didn’t actually happen, subsequent research has shown that it really helps to write down your goals. It gives focus.
Could also be a picture – Tom Daley, Olympics 2012.

17. 9 years later…
Tom Daley drew a picture of himself when he was a child, which showed him at the London 2012 Olympics winning a medal. Sure enough, 9 years later he won bronze!
Have the learners ever written down a goal that they want/ wanted to achieve? Did they achieve it?

18. Write it down!
There are lots of different tools that can be used to keep a written record of your clients goal;
SMART
Well formed outcomes
Establishing your life purpose
Multiple pathways
Given examples of goal setting tools and explain how they work

19. Choose one of the tools, and write down one of your own goals
Activity Goal setting
Choose one of the tools, and write down one of your own goals
Ask learners to choose one of the goal setting tools, then use it to write down one of their own goals. It won’t be shared with the rest of the group, so they can be as honest and personal as they wish.
They should follow the process through from start to finish.

20. Building Rapport / Using Intuition
What creates rapport?
Physical appearance / clothes
Body language / physical gestures
Quality of voice
Language / words used
Beliefs and values
What is intuition?
skills to shape and guide a coaching conversation
(Starr 2003)
Think about the STARR model – fundamental skills
Why do learners think it’s important to build rapport with their clients?
DISCUSS
What do they already do to build rapport?

21. Entry - Initiating and Building Relationships How do you build rapport?
Work in pairs – have a chat!
Complete a getting to know you exercise – for example ask about:
Employment history
Hobbies
Personal Achievements
Remember – the coach should:
Only ask questions (don’t share!)
Reflect back (and make links)
One learner should take the role of “coach”. Remind learners not to overshare – ask questions and give feedback. Then swop roles.
Feedback – how easy/ difficult was it not to share? Did the “client” feel comfortable sharing without getting much back?

22. Solving the problem for them Helping them solving the problem
Influencing Style
Push
Telling
Instructing
Giving advice
Offering guidance
Giving feedback
Making suggestions
Asking questions
Summarising
Paraphrasing
Reflecting
Listening
Solving the problem for them
Pull
Helping them solving the problem
Explain that the coach should be working at the “pull” end of the scale.

23. Understanding your client
If a coach wants to understand an individual, it’s important that they have an understanding of their drivers and motivation.
Think about one of your members of staff -
What issues do they face?
What are their drivers or motivators?
What is their role or function?
What is their ‘view of the world’?
Ask learners to think about these questions – think about a particular member of staff; maybe one who has been challenging in the past!
Spend a few minutes thinking about that person, and try to answer these questions. Make notes – does it help to get a clearer picture of the person?

24. Questioning Who? What? When? How much? How many? What else?
Avoid - Why? and How?
The who, what, when etc. questions are much more likely to encourage discussion and thought.
Why and How can sometimes be seen as aggressive and too challenging within the coaching environment.
Do the learners have examples of questions that they might use with their clients/ staff? Do they have a bank of questions they can dip into?
Give the handout – example questions.

25. Questioning – some examples
What else? (then silence)
If you knew the answer, what would it be?
What would the consequences of that be for you or for others?
What is the hardest/ most challenging part of this for you?
What advice would you give to a friend in your position?
Imagine talking to the wisest person you know – what would they say?
What would you gain/ lose by doing that?
John Whitmore, Coaching for Performance, 1992
Good example questions, but re-word if not comfortable with the language.

26. Conversational listening
Levels of Listening
Cosmetic listening
Conversational listening
Active listening
Deep listening
Referred to this earlier – more detail on the next slide
(Starr 2008)

27. Levels of Listening Cosmetic listening Conversational listening
If it looks like I’m listening, I’m not really – I’m somewhere else
Cosmetic listening
I’m engaged in the conversation; listening, talking, thinking etc.
Conversational listening
I’m very focussed on what you’re saying; recording facts, paying attention
Active listening
I’m more focussed on you than me; I’m getting a sense of who you are now
Deep listening
Cosmetic – also known as pretending to listen. You might be nodding and making listening noises, but in reality you are thinking about other things. You might miss something that’s been said. We tend to engage in cosmetic listening when we’re listening to children for example!
Conversational – We do this most of the time when in conversation with others – talk, listen, think, talk, listen, think etc. There is a balance between thinking about what the other person is saying, and thinking about what we want to say.
This is a natural activity that requires very little effort – for most people it comes naturally.
Active – This is essential for a coach, and it uses more effort. The listener stays focussed on what the other person is saying in order to fully understand. They will be mentally recording facts or actually taking notes for later use. Continual listening sounds/ gestures. They will repeat things back to the speaker and seek clarification.
Deep – This sort of listening has been described as almost telepathic!
But really it is about intuition and having clear insights into what the speaker is saying.
(Starr 2008)

28. Practical Coaching Exercise
Groups of 3: 1 coach, 1 coachee, 1 observer
10 minutes per coaching interview
5 minutes for feedback and observer review
(Total: 15 minutes per session)
Using the GROW Questions, conduct a 1:1 coaching session with another delegate.
Coachee should briefly outline a real or potential situation that they want to change
Coaches to conduct a coaching session using GROW to achieve a simple coaching action plan
Observers to feedback
Try and spend an hour on this.
Get feedback!
If people are struggling to come up with scenarios, try to think of some as a group.

29. Learning and Actions Key learning points
Actions / changes to personal practice