Coaching Report

2014 May Coaching Report

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2014 May Coaching Report

Everyone talks about the VUCA world – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous. How do you lead in the 21st century with its rapid, unpredictable changes. The age of command and control has shifted to the age of collaboration and cultivation. But how do we help leaders successfully operate in this new era? One way corporations are addressing this challenge is by having leaders learning coaching skills. By asking powerful questions and using simple coach models their repertoire of leadership styles can expand. The combination of being active but non-directive is an alternate pathway to leadership interactions that is underutilized. In our section below, “Research you should know”, we have one evidence-based approach that distills the top seven tips for leaders as coach and seven tips for coaches working with leaders.

A core concept in coaching is to help people find what matters to them and link their actions with what they truly want. There is a strong body of research showing that doing so increases performance as well as engagement at work, and satisfaction in life. Our section “Books important for coaches” and this month’s Webinar and MasterClass introduces you to Self-Determination theory. This approach explores how Autonomy, Relationships and Competence are shown in hundreds of studies to be the three basic human needs. As coaches we can help our clients build these three areas in their work and life and to become self, rather than other, determined (driven). The articles in The Handbook of Self-Determination Research can more deeply inform us how to use our coaching skills for the best advantage to our clients.

Self Determination is key to how we can be at our best as well. What determines what we do? Are successes causing us to veer off our main path? Are we too busy to step back and reflect? How often do we take stock of, who do we really want as our clients, or our specialty? Are we getting together with the people who matter to us? While this is pretty obvious, it’s all too easy to overlook ourselves and to sure we are living the lives and having the careers we truly want.


 

Carol

Executive Director

 

From Science to Practice

Developing the leader as coach: Insights, strategies, and tips for embedding coaching skills in the workplace by Anthony Grant and Margie Hartley Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 2013, Vol 6, No 2, 102 - 115

Special thanks to Brodie Gregory, PhD for translating this article from research to practical applications.

More and more, organizations are seeing value in building coaching skills among HR managers and leadership, and taking action to cultivate coaching skills and build a culture for coaching. In their October 2013 article, Anthony Grant and Margie Hartley review an evidence-based approach to designing a coaching skills training program that aligns with the organization’s goals and values, and maximizes transfer of training.

Their solution-focused cognitive-behavioral (SF-CB) approach is evidence based, with a strong foundation in theory, but is ultimately practical and application driven. In addition to discussing nuances in program content that should be considered, the authors outline several other critical factors that enable the success of a leader-as-coach skill building program, including:

  • Internally branding the program so that it aligns to the organization’s values and specific needs
  • Using respected leaders to champion the program within the organization
  • Relying on attraction – not coercion – to enroll leaders in the program
  • Incorporating monitoring and evaluation into the program in order to provide feedback and self-insight to participants
  • Providing participants with tools and guidance for personalizing the course experience
  • Reinforcing learning with follow up “coach-the-coach” opportunities
  • Enrolling the support of a competent HR team to champion the program

The authors also outline seven tips for being a more effective coach, which leaders or program participants can use for self-reflection and to “check in” on their effectiveness as a coach. These tips include:

  1. Role modeling leadership coaching skills
  2. Paying attention to the way you listen
  3. Recognizing the personal strengths of others at work
  4. Enhancing social capital in the organization through coaching
  5. Taking time to pause
  6. Using goals effectively and flexibly
  7. Using self-coaching at work

The authors draw on their unique combination of thought leadership (e.g., academic work, a strong record of publishing) and practical experience implementing this work to provide a thoughtful and high-value framework for establishing effective coaching skill building programs. How can you apply the work of Grant and Hartley to enhance your coaching programs or those of your clients?

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