This issue discusses the benefits of coaching and what you can do to get the most out of it.
5 Things You Gain From Leadership Coaching
Do you want to be a more effective leader? Feel there are obstacles in the way of achieving your goals? Need more guidance and support?
If so, you might benefit from working with a coach. Increasingly, coaching is becoming an integral part of learning culture—a process that leaders and managers at all levels can benefit from.
Renée helps you decide whether you would benefit more from a mentor or a coach.
Vivo Team Coaches Corner
Petra Mayer
TRAINER, FACILITATOR, EXECUTIVE COACH
How long have you been coaching?
I have been coaching for 7 years.
Why do you coach/what do you like best about coaching?
I love bringing out the best in people and use my coaching as a tool in helping them achieve their goals.
Biggest challenge as a coach?
The Pause - something I keep working on at all times.
What is your favourite session/topic to coach on?
What gives me the biggest satisfaction is coaching people to believe in themselves!
Share a fun fact about yourself/something most don’t know about you?
I would rather dive in the deep waters with sharks than crawl into a closed, small space.
Ask Dr. Jim
On top of being our EVP of People Analytics & Talent Activation, Dr. Jim is also a Trainer, Facilitator, and Executive Coach. He has been coaching for over 40 years and enjoys seeing people experience the “aha” moments that lead them to do what they must to become the professional/person they were meant to be.
I'm Skeptical
Dr. Jim,
My company is implementing a coaching program for all managers. I'm skeptical. Will this be a waste of my time?
- Hayden*
Hi Hayden,
It could be. Some items to consider:
Have managers been trained how to coach people in addition to their many other responsibilities?
Are managers rewarded for coaching people?
And finally, and perhaps most importantly, is there a way to measure whether the coaching is successful or not?
At Vivo Team, we have a method that we use to identify the five requirements of a good coaching program:
Evidence – Behaviors. Is there evidence of the behaviors that are going on right now that you would like improved? This allows you to take a look at what the task-specific behaviors are that you’re hoping to see – behaviors that will indicate improvement.
Relevance – Deal/Goal. Is what’s being talked about in the coaching session relevant to that person and the goal that they are working on, in terms of their everyday roles and responsibilities, that lead to the results of the team and the strategy of the organization as a whole.
Consequence. Measurement comes into play here. For example: You were here. I see the progress here. Now it looks a lot better here. There should also be some kind of consequence in terms of whether there is an agreement about required improvement, i.e., what is the consequence if the person doesn't move forward? A consequence – not a punishment. For example, if an employee wants to move into a supervisory role, then you might say to them: “I notice you’re doing this thing and I think that might interfere with your effectiveness as a supervisor. Your probability of moving into a supervisory position will be greater if you do these things instead,” and you list the kind of things you’d like to see, your expectations of what you’re looking for.
Agreed on Action. At the end of every coaching session there should be an agreed on action with a timeline tied to it. This step requires the person who’s being coached to send their notes (that they’ve taken throughout the coaching session) to the manager, so the manager can get an idea of how well the content was understood, and the person who’s being coached gets a clearer idea because they’ve written it down.
Follow-Up. This is where you look back, you go over what’s working well, what needs improvement, etc. This is very important in terms of results.
Dr. Jim Sellner, PhD. DipC. answers questions leadership, motivation, accountability, manager connection, or working on a remote team. Send your questions to: askdrjim@vivoteam.com
