6 STEP COACHING PROCESS
Blog 6 STEP COACHING PROCESS 2 Sep 2023, By Dr. Anju Chawal ESTABlishing THE purpose and mapping with outcome The beginning of any coaching interaction
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2 Sep 2023, By Dr. Anju Chawal
The beginning of any coaching interaction needs to start with a clear purpose. The purpose tends to be one of three types of conversations: developmental (optimizing strengths), career (preparing for another role), or performance (overcoming obstacles or dealing with performance gaps).
To clarify this objective or purpose of the conversation, ask the coaching participant the following types of questions:
It is important to ask and confirm this objective so there is mutual understanding and agreement. Clearly mutual agreement can be challenging when there is a performance gap, however this is the first step in creating a successful coaching conversation and needs to be clarified as much as possible.
This is a key step in any coaching conversation and requires the coach to ask insightful questions, actively listen, be comfortable with silence, and see the situation through multiple perspectives. Leaders may assume they know the situation already or feel they have all of the facts. However, asking open-ended and probing follow up questions is critical in helping create a safe, accurate, and positive environment for the coaching participants to open up, self-discover, and effectively work with the coach.
To help do this assessment step, consider asking these kinds of questions (these will vary based on the objective of the conversation):
It is important to keep the assessment questions open-ended and devoid of trigger or leading words like “why” (causes defensiveness) or “right” (especially at the end of a sentence). Also, learn about past history, but spend more time in helping the coaching participant prepare for the future. Describing the past can take a lot of valuable time and it can’t be changed, but the future is the place that is unwritten and full of possibilities.
This step provides the opportunity for the coach to share observations with the coaching participant. While this can be a positive and insightful experience, it can also become detrimental if not handled well. In the role of a coach, it is important to allow the other person to identify their own focus areas whenever possible. However, hearing fact-based observations and suggestions from the coach is a powerful source for increasing self awareness and seeing new ideas. Connect the feedback to the purpose of the conversation, focus on the behavior and not your own interpretation of the behavior, and emphasize the impact of the behavior and how it helps or hinders the coaching participant from accomplishing the desired business and people results. Consider making these kinds of statements:
Goal setting is where the assessment and feedback turn into action to accomplish the purpose of the conversation. It is an important step in helping the coaching participant move forward and achieve a positive outcome. Guide the coaching participant to select a measurable goal that will stretch and challenge them, but will have at least a 50 percent chance of success. Choosing a goal with a low chance of success will likely create disengagement. Also, keep the number of goals and follow up actions small (one goal with 2-3 actions) to ensure focus. Be sure to discuss how these actions will support achieving the organization’s overall results. The following are examples of questions you can ask during this step:
This last step ensures accountability and provides encouragement to the coaching participant as they reach their goals. Unfortunately, this step is too often forgotten or not valued. Following up on the participant’s agreed upon goals is critical in making sure actions happen. To this end, a great coach exhibits two skills: 1) recognizing progress and wins, and 2) encouraging the participant to manage through obstacles and secure the needed guidance to be successful. These two skills are essential to implementing and supporting action plans. The following are questions you could ask during this step in the coaching process:
Aha moments come with meaningful coaching
Epiphany moments can happen all of the time, coaches ensure you catch them as they are born. Great coaches, and thus great leaders, seize those moments and have the courage to ask, listen, and turn insight into action. Much like breathing is to singing, strong coaching is at the root of strong leadership. Use these six steps to build your coaching skills, develop your people, and accomplish amazing business and people results.
Blog 6 STEP COACHING PROCESS 2 Sep 2023, By Dr. Anju Chawal ESTABlishing THE purpose and mapping with outcome The beginning of any coaching interaction
Mentoring women, particularly those who are on sabbatical, navigating relationship challenges, or entering their late 30s and beyond, can be a transformative experience. At this stage in life, many women are seeking clarity, personal growth, and a renewed sense of purpose. One valuable aspect of mentorship in such situations is the development of emotional intelligence (EI), which plays a pivotal role in guiding women towards a fulfilling path ahead …