Using research

Purpose

At some points during the coaching process you will want coachees to gather information about a topic. The purpose of this is to help them review what they already know, find new ideas that they may wish to add, review the context of what they know and view things in a different way.

Resources

Research can take time, depending upon the depth that is required. Your coachee will need access to information. This can come from books, magazines, journals, the Internet, networking groups, managers, colleagues etc, depending on the topic.

Notes to coach

Some coachees will respond very well to being asked to find information for themselves , others will need you to be directive and either provide them with reading material or point them in the direction of a set of sources of information.

Instructions

With your coachee, decide what the topic and purpose of the research is. Discuss what the coachee can gain from carrying it out and how it will move the coachee towards his or her required outcomes .

Decide together the timescale for the research and arrange to meet to discuss what the coachee has found out. You may wish to ask your coachee to prepare a report or other written document about the research or to prepare a presentation for you. This will depend upon the purpose of the coaching, the time available and the learning preferences of the coachee.

At your meeting, discuss with the coachee what he or she learnt from researching and, more importantly, how he or she will implement this learning to help to achieve the coaching goals.

Encourage your coachee to note his or her learning and action plan and arrange how you will review whether or not the coachee has used the results of the research in a practical way.