Coaching for Optimal Performance

Contents
1. Characteristics of Good Coach 2. Elements of Good Coaching Session 3. Communication Skills for Effective Coaching 4. Five Steps of Coaching for Optimal Performance 5. Coaching Strategies for Different Behavioral Style

Characteristics of Good Coach

Benefits of Good Coaching

Help develop employees competence Help correct unsatisfactory performance Help diagnose performance problems Foster productive working relationship Improve employee performance

Characteristics of Good Coach

Positive

Supportive

Goal Oriented

Focused

Observant

Characteristics of Good Coach

Your job is not correcting mistakes, finding fault, and assessing blame Instead, your function is achieving productivity goals by coaching your staff to peak performance

Positive

Characteristics of Good Coach

Your job as coach is to get workers what they need to do their job well, including tools, time, instruction, answers to questions, and protection from outside interference

Supportive

Characteristics of Good Coach

Goal Oriented
Base your assignments on clear, definable goals Tie specific tasks to those goals Communicate those goals to the people who actually have to do the work

Characteristics of Good Coach

Effective communication is specific and focused You are far more likely to get action if that employee leaves your office focused on resolving the issue at hand

Focused

Characteristics of Good Coach

Being observant means more than just keeping your eyes and ears open You need to be aware of what isnt said as well as what is. If you are paying attention, you wont have to wait for somebody to tell you about a problem

Observant

10

Boss vs. Coach

Boss
Talks a lot Tells Presume Seeks control Orders Works on Assign blame Keeps distant

Coach
Listens a lot Asks Explores Seeks commitment Challenges Work with Takes responsibility Makes contact
11

Elements of Good Coaching Session

12

Elements of Good Coaching Session

Establish a purpose Establish ground rules Keep focused

Develop dialogue

Speak clearly

Discuss one specific issue

13

Elements of Good Coaching Session

Establish a purpose Having a clear purpose at the beginning of coaching session will enable you to conduct focused and productive discussion

14

Elements of Good Coaching Session

Establish ground rules As with any meeting, you and the employee need to have a common understanding of certain factors The most important are time and roles

15

Elements of Good Coaching Session

Keep focused A few guidelines to keep focused : Avoid making noise anything that distracts from the atmosphere Dont look at your desktop or PDA Dont touch your papers Dont answer the telephone

16

Elements of Good Coaching Session

Develop dialogue A Dont launch into a monolog If youre coaching effectively, your employee should probably do most of the talking

17

Elements of Good Coaching Session

Speak clearly These tips will help you communicate more effectively: Use the simplest, most common terms Avoid the jargon Be specific Use the known to explain the unknown
18

Elements of Good Coaching Session

Discuss one specific issue Define the issue and limit the discussion to something manageable Youll get other chances to discuss other concerns but only if you resolve this specific concern right now

19

Communication Skills for Effective Coaching

20

Seven Communication Principles for Coaching

1. Soften the yous or change the into I to avoid sounding pushy Instead of : Youll have to., say Could you. Or Would you be able to.

1. Focus on the solution, not the problem solution Instead of Were out of mild., say We will pop down the shop for some milk.

21

Seven Communication Principles for Coaching

3. Turn cants into cans Instead of We cant do that until next week, say Well be able to do that next week.

4. Take responsibility dont lay blame Instead if Its not my fault, say Heres what I can do to fox that.

22

Seven Communication Principles for Coaching

5. Say what do you want, not what you dont want want Instead of Dont drive too fast, say Drive carefully

5. Focus on the future, not the past future Instead of Ive told you before not to, say From now on.

5. Share information rather than argue or accuse Instead of No, youre wrong, say I see it like this.
23

Gather Good Information with your EARs E explore by asking questions A affirm to show youre listening R reflect your understanding S silence, listen some more

24

To listen more effectively..

Attend physically the right body language helps us to focus on the speaker and encourages the speaker to give us more information. Attend mentally follow the speakers flow of thought, listen to understand, not evaluate; listen first, then assess Check it verbally paraphrase, clarify, probe further, summarize your understanding

25

Good Habits of Effective Listeners

Looking at the speaker in order to observe body language and pick up subtle nuances of speech Asking questions Giving speakers time to articulate their thoughts Letting people finish what they are saying before giving their opinion Remaining poised, calm, and emotionally controlled Looking alert and interested Responding with nods and uh-uhms
26

Asking Questions in Coaching Session

An effective question is brief

An effective question is focused

An effective question is relevant

An effective question is constructive

27

Asking Questions in Coaching Session

An effective question is BRIEF The longer the question, the more likely you are to louse it up Short sentences arent just easier to understand, they are also easier to say. To keep you question brief, think about two things : 1) what do you want to learn from then answer? 2) what words will best elicit this information?
28

Asking Questions in Coaching Session

An effective question is FOCUSED Target a single and a particular aspect of that subject per question If you dont, you may render any answer meaningless

29

Asking Questions in Coaching Session

An effective question is RELEVANT Keep you questions on subject and on target If an answer strays off the point, tactfully refocus

30

Asking Questions in Coaching Session

An effective question is CONSTRUCTIVE

You need to accentuate the positive in you approach to questioning, not because it make you seem nicer, but because your questions will be more effective

31

Exploring Questions
Open Questions
Open questions yield lots of information because they allow a person to explain what is most important or interesting and encourage elaboration.

Probing Questions

Probing questions are those that relate to the topic we want to explore further. They encourage the speaker to flesh out the details.

32

Closed vs. Open Questions

When did that happen? Was your trip successful? What led up to that? What did you manage to accomplish on your trip? Did you like the candidate? In what ways do you think that candidate meets our need? Did you have a good meeting? What happened at the meeting?

33

Some Probing Questions

Can you be more specifics? Can you give me an example of that? What happened then? For instance? How does this affect you? What might cause that, do you think? Can you fill me in on the details?

34

Five Steps for Effective Coaching

35

Five Steps of Coaching

Describe performance issue a professional manner Discuss the causes of the problem Identify and write down possible solutions

Develop specific action plan

Conduct follow up session

36

Describe Performance Issue

Describe performance issue a professional manner As you describe the problem, be specific. Point out the acceptable levels (quantity or quality) of performance and show the employee exactly where his/her output doesn't meet those levels Refer to any available data that will help you indicate to the employee that there is a problem It's important to open this discussion in a positive, non-threatening way

37

Discuss the Causes of the Problem

Discuss the causes of the problem Remain relaxed and friendly Gather all the information you can about the problem by asking openended questions (general questions beginning with words like "How," "What," "Who," and "When") These questions will bring you closer to the source of the problem

38

Discuss the Causes of the Problem

Discuss the causes of the problem You may find it appropriate to ask some specific questions designed to clarify and pinpoint causes This is a good time to listen and respond with empathy, since the employee may express concern or frustration over factors which he/she feels cannot be controlled

39

Diagnosing Performance Problem

Role Expectations Most performance problems are due to one (or more) of five factors : Ability (skills and knowledge) Job Design Work Environment Personal/Motivational Problem
40

Diagnosing Performance Problem

Role Expectations
Does the employee know what is expected? Does s/he even know there is a problem?

Ability (skills and knowledge)

Does the employee have the requisite skills, abilities and aptitudes to perform the job? Has s/he received training to do the job?

41

Diagnosing Performance Problem

Job Design
Does the employee have the necessary tools and resources to perform the job? Does the system support good performance?

Work Environment

Is good performance rewarded ... or punished? Is poor performance rewarded? Is the employee being treated fairly? Do working conditions support good performance?
42

Diagnosing Performance Problem

Personal/ Motivational Problem
Does an issue or a problem exist in the employee's personal life that may contribute to poor performance? Is the employee's attitude or morale preventing the employee from successfully applying his/her skills and abilities?

43

Identify Possible Solutions

Identify possible solutions After you have identified the likely causes of the performance problem, you will want to decide how to correct it The employee is closest to the problem so ask for his/her ideas and write them down This not only enhances the employee's self-esteem, but it provides a written record of possible solutions The employee will be more committed to solving the problem if he/she has had a say in the solution

44

Conduct Follow Up Session

Conduct follow up session Setting a date to meet again sends a message to the employee that solving the performance problem is important to you It also tells the employee that you want to know how well he/she is handling the actions agreed upon A follow-up meeting enables you and the employee to get together to discuss any progress or problems and plan further action
45

Coaching Strategies for Different Behavioral Style

46

Four Styles of Behavior

Dominance

Steadiness

Influencing

Compliance

47

Dominance
They like to control their environment by overcoming opposition to accomplish their desired results They are direct, forceful, impatient, and can be extremely demanding They enjoy being in charge and getting things done When they are negatively motivated, they can be defiant They dont like being told what to do They are reluctant with tasks that involve dealing with lots of detail They would quickly become bored with a routine task

48

Influencing
They like to shape the environment by influencing or persuading others to see things their way They dislike for handling complex details or working as lone rangers They prefer to deal with people rather than things They enjoy making a favorable impression, a good motivational environment, and viewing people and environment optimistically They will chat with you about anything on their minds They motivate their people and love to generate enthusiasm When negatively motivated, they can be indiscriminately impulsive
49

Steadiness
They like to cooperate with others to carry out a task They are team player and prefer dealing with things, one thing at a time They are patient, reliable, loyal and resistant to sudden changes in their environment They appreciate an orderly step-by-step approach They tend to perform in a consistent, predictable manner and prefer a stable, harmonious work environment When they get demotivated they can become stubborn or stern, moods usually expressed in the form of passive resistance
50

Compliance
They are cautious and demands quality and accuracy They appreciate opportunities for thorough, careful planning They are critical thinkers who are sticklers for detail They prefer to spend time analyzing a situation and like the steadiness, are slow to accept sudden changes They like following procedures and standards preferably their own They respond favorably to logical, well-thought-out, planned options When they are negatively motivated, they become cynical or overly critical
51

Coaching Strategies for Dominance

Dominance

Be clear, direct, and to the point when you interact and communicate with them Avoid being too personal or talking too much about non work items Let them know what you expect from them. If you must direct them, provide choices that give them the opportunity to make decisions Accept their need for variety and change. When possible, provide new challenges, as well as opportunities to direct the efforts of others

52

Coaching Strategies for Influencing

Influencing

Ask about things going on in their lives outside of work Let them share with you their goals at work and elsewhere Tie your objectives to their dreams and goals Create democratic atmosphere and interaction with them

53

Coaching Strategies for Steadiness

Steadiness

Provide specific direction and offer assurances when necessary When implementing change, be sure to lay out a systematic, step-by-step procedure and draw out their concerns and worries about the situation. They need to feel secure Assure them that youve thought things through before initiating changes. Give them a plan to deal with problem when they occur
54

Coaching Strategies for Compliance

Compliance

Opportunities to demonstrate their expertise Plenty of details Enough time to prepare for meetings properly especially if they have an item on the agenda to present Situations where their systematic approach will contribute to long term success

55

Recommended Further Readings

1. Marshal J. Cook, Effective Coaching, McGraw Hill Coaching 2. Jack Cullen and Len DInnocenzo, Coaching to Maximize Performance, Velocity Business Publishing Performance

56

End of Material

57