Coaching for Results
Gemini Skills Workshop
April 1998
Contents
1.
Creating the Environment
2.
Intervention Styles
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1. Creating the Environment
Approach each coaching intervention systematically
PLAN
Before the Session
• Prepare and analyze
• Set the climate
• Set expectations
DO
During the Session
• Give and get feedback
• Develop an action plan
• Reinforce behaviors
REVIEW
After the Session
• Assess and follow-up
But remember, sometimes a timely coaching intervention can appear
unexpectedly and you will not have the opportunity to plan it.
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Plan: Preparing for Coaching
• What is the behavior you think needs changing or strengthening?
• Is this my problem or the client’s?
• What is the behavior (goal) you want?
• Is the problem one of knowledge or willingness or both?
• What resistance/reaction is likely?
• What is my Action Plan — How will I make it ours?
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Plan: Issues to Consider before Coaching
• Is the behavior in question a “high impact” behavior? To the entire
team, or just me?
• Is my focus on the behavior exhibited, or an assumption I have about
the cause?
• What do I expect to accomplish from the session?
• How do I feel about the person? Are my perceptions overly critical or
too soft?
• What information should I use in preparation? Do I have examples?
• What are the benefits for the individual, from their point of view, for
altering the behavior?
• What specific actions have I developed for the action plan?
• What approach is likely to get the most cooperation from the person?
• Have I made plans to involve them, get their ideas, for how to resolve
the problem?
• Have I allocated enough time? Is the location appropriate?
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Do: Conducting the Coaching Session
• Set the climate
• Set expectations
• Get/give feedback
• Develop the action plan
• Reinforce
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Do: Set the Climate
• Open the coaching session with casual conversation
• Get the person to relax and talk freely
• Transition to coaching through focus on what has been done so far
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Do: Set Expectations
Explain:
• How long session will last
• Why you are holding the session
• What the desired outcome is:
– What do you wish to achieve?
– What does the other person expect from the session?
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Do: Get and Give Feedback
Strengths
Opportunities
• Invite the person to summarize
his/her strengths
•
Invite the person to summarize skills
not currently performed well.
Objective is to gain acknowledgment
of areas where coaching is needed.
• Clearly support the self-assessment
of those you consider real strengths
•
Clearly support the self-assessment
of those you consider real
• Get further clarification on those
behaviors you do not consider real
strengths
•
Get further clarification on those
behaviors you do not consider real
opportunities.
• Identify other strengths that the
person has overlooked. Cite
specific examples
•
Identify additional needs the person
may have overlooked or avoided.
Cite specific examples.
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Do: Develop the Action Plan
• Identify the strengths noted
• List activities to maintain strengths, milestones and goals
• Identify the needs noted
• List activities to develop needs, milestones and goals
• Outline the resources needed
• Agree on the plan as a joint commitment
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Do: Reinforce
• Summarize the Action Plan
• Check for mutual understanding on key elements
• Build mutual confidence that we can make it happen
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Review: Assess the Session and Follow-Up
• Ask yourself:
– Did the session achieve the objectives?
– What went well?
– If I had to do it again, what changes would I make in my approach?
• What follow-up coaching is required?
• What is my role in the Action Plan?
• When do I need to follow-up?
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2. Intervention Styles
There are four key intervention styles that we can
deploy
•
Acceptant
•
Catalytic
•
Confrontational
•
Prescriptive
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We can use the acceptant style when . . .
A client’s feelings about a situation, a
problem, other people or themselves are
blocking their ability to move forward
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It is underpinned by two assumptions
• The client is prevented from coming to terms with the problem or
cannot find a way forward because of their feelings
• The client has sufficient resources to find their own way forward once
the feelings have been acknowledged and resolved
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Using the acceptant style
• Adopt an open, non-threatening body posture and use direct nonchallenging eye contact
• Smile and nod acceptance of client’s descriptions of their situation;
use positive verbal signals (“uh-huh” etc)
• Paraphrase/summarise what the client is saying to you
• Encourage clients to say more
• Encourage clients to express their thoughts and their feelings about
the situation. Give clients ‘permission’ to explore their feelings
• Use silence to allow clients time to think and articulate how they are
feeling
• Do not discuss or apply any value judgements to the ‘content’ of the
client’s problem
• Accept that the client’s initial definition of the problem is not
necessarily the real problem. Start from where the client is and allow
them to explore and redefine their problem. All diagnoses are made
by the client.
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Above all listen at three levels
1.
What is the client saying?
2.
What is the client not saying?
3.
What is it that the client cannot bring himself/herself to say?
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We can use the catalytic style when . . .
Clients do not have enough relevant data
to make a decision about change or they
have so much data they are overwhelmed
and can’t distinguish the essentials
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The catalytic style relies on some key assumptions
• That the clients want to solve the problem and are capable of
exploring various aspects of it with help
• That either additional data, or more structured data, will have a
significant impact on client perception of the situation. And, as a
result of this change of perception, clients will be able to decide on an
appropriate course of action
• There is sufficient data within the client system to make a decision
although it may currently be difficult to access or interpret
• There will be greater client commitment to a decision if it is owned by
them. It is essential that the clients make their own decisions based
on the data
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How do I use the catalytic style?
• Use open questions to encourage clients to describe their situation but also accept the client’s perspective as the legitimate start point
• Use ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘how’ questions to help clients
explore the situation for themselves
• Only use ‘why’ questions sparingly otherwise it will create an
interrogatory atmosphere
• Sometimes suggest data-gathering methodologies in order to collect
more information about the situation - however, such suggestions
should be made tentatively: the client should be allowed to develop
their data-gathering approach wherever possible
• Encourage clients to make their own decisions - do not allow yourself
to be drawn into making the decision for them. Equally, do not offer
your opinion on which decision is best
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Above all . . .
Do not hide a prescriptive suggestion behind
a supposedly catalytic question
e.g., “Have you tried...?” or “Would it be
useful if...?”
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We can use the confrontational style . . .
• In situations where the clients are part of the problem and there are
discrepancies between what they say they do (or think) and what they
actually do (or think) in practice.
• To highlight the implications of a client continuing with a current
behaviour pattern
• To point out the impact a client is having on you
Confrontation does not involve blame or judgement. It objectively
highlights the gap between what clients said they were going to do
and what they actually did. The choice of what to do about the
discrepancy remains with the client.
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The assumptions underlying the use of the
confrontational style are . . .
• The client’s values, beliefs and behaviour are part of the problem that
you are trying to resolve
• The clients do not have insight into (or choose to ignore)
discrepancies between their proclaimed values and their actual
behaviour and its impact
• If the discrepancies in behaviour are addressed the clients will have
sufficient resources of their own to find a solution or satisfactory way
forward
• The clients have sufficient emotional resilience to undertake an
examination of their behaviour and values and will be able to deal with
the feelings likely to arise
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How do I use a confrontational style
• Point out discrepancies between what they think they do and what
they actually do
• Point out the implications of continuing with current behaviour
• Confront clients with your own feelings about their behaviour
• Use direct questions that help the client towards awareness and
honesty
• Present facts, counter-arguments and logic to help clients test their
objectivity
• Help clients examine any implications which could arise as a result of
their behaviour
• Present alternative frames of reference for clients to consider
• Towards the end of the confrontation, summarise any decision(s) that
have been taken
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But above all . . .
• Be ready for an adverse reaction from the client (denial, counteraccusations, anger, justification, displacement, blame etc)
• Choose the right time to confront
• Follow up to address any client feelings of hurt, loss of self image
• Be prepared for the client to make an inappropriate decision about
how to resolve the problem you have highlighted
Apply the principles of giving and receiving good feed-back.
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We can use the prescriptive style when . . .
• The client genuinely does not know what to do or does not possess
the relevant skills to find a satisfactory solution to the problem
• The situation is critical and requires rapid action
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There are four assumptions underlying the style
• The consultant is an expert in a specialism appropriate to the client’s
problem and is able to give sound advice
• The consultant will be able to provide a satisfactory solution to the
problem
• The client will comply with and carry out the prescription
• The client simply wants the problem alleviated and is happy to hand
over all control and responsibility to the consultant
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How do I use the prescriptive style
• Use a professional approach probably devoid of social/personal
niceties
• Conduct a probing diagnostic investigation to determine what you
need to know about the situation
• Listen to the clients but with a view to diagnosing the problem and
offering a solution
• Take control of the intervention by telling clients directly how you
perceive the problem or situation
• Give expert advice- prescribe the ‘best’ solution or set of actions for
the client to follow
• Describe your solutions with confidence and authority and, if
necessary, offer to supervise implementation
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Above all . . .
• Ensure that the client will really be receptive to this approach
• Ensure that the problem lies fully within your field of expert
competence - remember that you will be held fully accountable for any
solutions you prescribe
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In summary, coaching has a number of key dimensions
• Coaching, or client-centred consulting, is an ongoing process not a
sequence of isolated events
• As individual consultants we must build trust with our clients using all the
steps in the process from initial contact to disengagement
• We must think through, carefully plan and review our coaching
interventions
• We must be prepared to use the full range of intervention styles and know
when to switch between them
• We must, at all times, have the highest standards of personal ethics in our
individual relationships with our client — always have their best interests
at heart
• We must be open to coaching ourselves
Above all never forget that an intimate relationship with a client is a
privilege and that clients (and consultants) are human beings who
have the right to be treated with respect.
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