Coaching different individuals in different areas

Anne Cannings

Background and situation

Working within the aerospace industry, Anne Cannings had a number of opportunities to use her coaching skills. In this case study she describes three situations where she adopted different approaches and faced different challenges.

• Example 1. Coaching managers to use coaching skills.

• Example 2. Coaching a colleague in training delivery skills.

• Example 3. Coaching an individual through a career change.

Anne learnt her coaching skills by working with and being coached by others who are skilled at coaching. She also read around the subject, shared ideas and experiences with others. In the very early days of providing coaching, Anne participated in formal counselling training which established the key listening and questioning skills that she would use in coaching situations.

The process

• Example 1. In this situation, Anne implemented a coaching plan which was a combination of:

  • “ Skills exercises to show the effect of quality listening, questioning and feedback skills.

  • “ Feedback from others on the managers performance before and after skills development.

  • “ The GROW model (goal, reality, options, will to succeed).

  By using this range of activities, Anne was able to model some of the coaching skills and techniques that she was supporting the managers to develop.

• Example 2. In coaching her colleague, Anne used a process of self-review and feedback from the coach immediately following a situation. This was followed up with action planning one or two points to work on (both positive and negative) in the immediate timescale . She supported her colleague to implement these points by providing opportunities to try the ideas generated as soon as possible.

• Example 3. Anne felt that, in coaching an individual through a career change, her coaching role was significantly different as it involved an expert, advisor role as well as the requirement for using coaching skills. In this situation, Anne adopted a change-based approach based on three areas:

  • “ Dissatisfaction “ looking at what areas in the individual s career he or she was dissatisfied with.

  • “ Vision “ considering what the individual would look for in any future career “ not necessarily the job title, but the features of the job, working environment etc.

  • “ Steps “ action planning the steps that the individual would take in order to achieve the vision.

This process was led by the coachee, who decided the pace, frequency and content of the meetings, with Anne providing ideas on how to take an area forward once the coachee indicated a willingness to proceed.

Positive aspects of these approaches

• Example 1. Managers were able to learn and accept that they do not need to have the ˜answers in order to help others to improve their performance “ the answers can, and do, come from the individual. Additionally the managers learnt that the skill of coaching can be learnt by those for whom it was not their natural style or approach.

• Example 2. The approach used:

  • “ allowed the coachee and coach to discuss specific issues and areas of performance to be addressed directly, shortly after the event, meaning that the incidents were still fresh in both people s minds;

  • “ provided the coachee with the opportunity to quickly try again and implement suggestions;

  • “ used very specific feedback where the coach and coachee worked on positives (repeating what works) and areas for improvement.

• Example 3. The coachee owned and drove this process. She took responsibility for the outcomes and this supported her in gaining confidence in the areas that she resolved.

Challenges faced

• Example 1. Anne found that the main challenges she faced in coaching managers to coach were around the perceptions of what coaching is and how it is done.

  • “ Some managers felt that developing others was not their role.

  • “ Some managers believed that by coaching others, they would undermine their own position, resulting in staff outperforming them, leaving etc.

  • “ Some managers considered that simply recommending a course of action, based upon their own experience/preference was coaching.

• Example 2. As a training professional, Anne found it challenging to work with how her coachee wanted to do things, resisting the urge to share what she would do.

• Example 3. Anne needed to be patient with the pace of the coachee. When she got ˜stuck at various points during the process, she needed to resist the urge here to tell the coachee what to do, thereby taking away the ownership that had been generated.

Learning

• Example 1.

  • “ Coaching skills can be learnt.

  • “ The coach should establish the coaching ˜experience that the coachee is expecting and use this to create ground rules, guidelines and the coaching ˜contract .

• Example 2. The coach should learn to ask, not tell. Anne believes that people s ideas, creativity and abilities will astound you and says ˜what works for them may be different from what worked for you .

• Example 3. Patience is one of the key qualities for a coach “ the coach needs to be patient and allow the coachee to come to his or her insights when he or she is ready, even if the answer is obvious to the coach.

Top tips

• Seek feedback from those you coach and other experienced coaches to improve your skills.

• Don t be in a hurry to move the coachee on.

• Work with the coachee s goals not your own.

• Never accept that you have finished learning about coaching.

• Experience coaching as a coachee regularly to remember how it feels (good and bad).

• Remember to ask people what it is they find difficult/don t understand/ want to improve etc “ ie let them drive the process or prioritize what is to be learnt.

• Never pull away from challenging performance levels.

Advice for the coachee

• Accept that the coach has ideas about how things can be different, but can t give you ˜THE ANSWER .

• Don t enter into coaching unless you are prepared to invest (time, energy, ideas).

• Tell your coach if and how the coaching relationship works/doesn t work for you “ what does the coach do that helps or hinders?

• Say what is important to you.

• Remember that the coach should have your best interests at heart.

Final words

˜Coaching isn t something you do by appointment, it s a way of working with people every day.

Authors comments

These three situations demonstrate that coaching can be adapted and used to meet a variety of different needs. They show how well the process can be adapted for individuals working in different situations.

Anne s comments reflect the relationship aspect of coaching and also the need for the coach to be willing to stretch the coachee so that he or she steps outside his or her ˜ comfort zone “ coaching is all about achieving potential, which can never happen until individuals are willing to accept that they can be more than they are at present.

Anne views coaching as a way of working every day. This reflects our comments that managers can adopt a coaching style within their work. This does not detract from the fact that there is also a process to coaching which managers can use and adapt to suit the situation.