Challenge of Coaching

Martin Hill, British School of Coaching

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you” Fred DeVito

“Challenge” is one of the key skills that a coach needs to possess, but from my experience as a coach and supervisor it is interesting to reflect upon the many and varied meanings that people apply to the same word. For some challenge equates to confrontation, for others it means causing the coachee to pause, reflect and explain.

Just Googling “challenge” generates the following definition (The Free Dictionary):

• “A call to engage in a contest, fight, or competition.
• An act or statement of defiance; a call to confrontation.
• A demand for explanation or justification; a calling into question
• A test of one's abilities or resources in a demanding but stimulating undertaking.”

As a coach, for me, the latter two bullet points perhaps best reflect what challenge means in a coaching context. It is the stretch demanded by the challenge that moves the coachee from the comfort zone to the learning zone. The coach needs to ensure that the stretch is not too far as this can lead the coachee into the stress zone and endanger rapport, trust and the coaching relationship itself.

How do you gauge tension in the coaching session? This links in to your skills of active listening and observational skills- change in tone, body posture, eye movement etc. Having seen it what do you do?

In their book “Challenging Coaching”.John Blakey and Ian Day suggest the following interventions to INCREASE tension:

• Use of silence
• Prolonged eye contact - especially if accompanying silence
• Probing questions
• Challenging the coachee to take a risk – they pose the suggested question “What is the riskiest thing you could do in this situation? Why aren’t you doing it?”
• Challenging statements
• Play devil’s advocate
• Take the role of opponent
• Use an approach opposite to the coachee’s usual style

They suggest the following interventions to DECREASE tension:

• Increase the level of support by more active listening (summarising, paraphrasing etc.) and less probing.
• Acknowledge the feelings the coach is observing.
• Provide affirmation and praise.
• Set lower and more achievable goals so the coachee experiences the positive feelings of success.
• Take a break, move the coaching into a different environment, take the coaching outside the normal workplace, such as walking in the open air and coaching at the same time.

From my own coaching and supervisory practice, I would strongly recommend the practice of specifically contracting with the coachee about challenge – what is their preference? (Then test and explore that, rather than simply accepting that); what do they understand by challenge? Explain what challenge may look like in the session.

The other recommendation I would make is to have a post session review with the coachee and review challenge. Consider asking the coachee whether they had encountered challenge in the session, and what was the nature and level of challenge. It is often interesting to note what they perceived as challenge, and this may be different from what your views (or perhaps intentions) were. I have found that humour (appropriate and considered) can be an effective tool to introduce challenge in a session, whilst at the same time maintaining rapport and trust.

Reflect on what your challenge style is. Is it authentic to the real “you” and is it effective? Above all else keep it under review. That is where supervision may prove useful.

And finally ….. “Challenge is the pathway to engagement and progress in our lives. But not all challenges are created equal. Some challenges make us feel alive, engaged, connected, and fulfilled. Others simply overwhelm us. Knowing the difference as you set bigger and bolder challenges for yourself is critical to your sanity, success, and satisfaction.” Brendon Burkhard

Coaching within your Competence

Judith Barton, Director of Coaching and Mentoring

 

Coaching is a set of knowledge, understanding and skills which can be applied generically to any business setting – i.e. it can be applicable to any business or work setting in the private, public or voluntary sectors. Business coaching is focused on facilitating the development of management and leadership skills: coachees may be operating at any level, ranging from newly appointed team leaders to seasoned CEOs. I have coached senior executives in the public and private sectors: Colleagues in have coached junior, middle and senior managers, again in both private and public sectors. Alumni of the British School of Coaching work in middle management and senior executive levels in the charitable, public and private sectors, working in fields as diverse as animal welfare, health care, education, food production, water and electricity supply, hospitality and stadia management, manufacturing, aviation. So, a business coach can practice anywhere!

However, I firmly believe that there are circumstances when coaches should not coach. For example, a coachee may demonstrate signs of psychological or mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, or may reveal non-work circumstances which are impacting on their mental health, such as a recent bereavement. These and similar circumstances are likely to impact on work performance (e.g. ability to concentrate and maintain focus, decisiveness, ability to empathise with colleagues or team members). A Coach may be able to support a coachee to focus on work issues in these circumstances but should not and must not try to become a ‘counsellor’ or ‘therapist’ unless additionally qualified in these fields. Trying to maintain a pretence of supporting people with mental health issues is potentially dangerous for the Coachee: it will also create anxiety in the Coach who feels ‘out of her (or his) depth’ and is unsure of whether the interventions are appropriate or relevant.

A Coach may not wish to acknowledge that issues are beyond their competence but ethically should be both open to acknowledge this as well as having the basic knowledge that will indicate when a Coachee is moving away from purely work-related/performance issues to more deep-seated psychological issues. To help identify when Coachees are displaying, you may find it helpful to look up signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety, on websites such as http://www.nhs.uk – the ‘Health A-Z’ tab, or http://www.webmd.boots.com – the ‘Health topics A-Z’ tab. These sites also provide information about treatments for specific conditions. You can also rely on your own intuition and insights into human behaviour gleaned from your coaching training, continuing professional development and supervision.

If you are a practicing Coach and are not yet benefitting from supervision then do so! I know when I say this I am being 100% directive however supervision is essential, it will not only help you discharge your thinking, but take your practice forward to a higher level. Supervision is available on a one to one basis or via a group. I personally access and value both. They support me in different ways, one to one always me to review in detail my performance whilst the group supervision helps me explore process and tools in the main. How much supervision and when is the subject of another of my blogs.   If you would like to access supervision check out in the first instance any networks that may offer this service pay them a visit and see how comfortable you feel. An example of this is the British School of Coaching Network which runs quarterly, click on the link to discover more and come along to the next meeting. UK Network: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-coaching-network-tickets-15350833757 Middle East Network: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/middle-east-coaching-network-tickets-15944993906

Once you have determined that your Coachee needs support which is outside your professional competence, you need to have some suggestions and advice for your Coachee to access appropriate help and support. The websites noted above can signpost you in the right direction. In general, services are be provided through the NHS (in the UK); through private providers; or through charities.

In the UK, the starting point for access to NHS help is your GP who may be able to provide support themselves (around half surgeries offer in-house counselling) or refer the client on to appropriate specialist input, ranging from counselling through psychological therapies. Clients who wish to access counselling or therapy from the NHS will probably have to join a waiting list, although access to ‘talking treatments’ should become easier as policy to improve access is implemented. In some areas, psychological therapies can be accessed by self-referral, but most require a referral from a GP.
You may have colleagues within your own coaching practice who have relevant competencies such as Counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy recognised qualifications. You may wish to develop your own list of independent providers – but you must should ensure that any individuals are appropriately trained and members of the relevant professional body. If you are going to suggest an alternative source of support, you need to be aware of the different therapies that are available and the types of issues that they are able to address. If you would like to learn more why not develop your Wellness coaching expertise and become an ILM Endorsed Wellness Coach: http://www.britishschoolofcoaching.com/cdp-courses/wellness-coaching/

In addition to the above sites, more information can be found from UK websites such as:
British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP); British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP); British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC): UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). There are charities which offer services for specific issues, such as Cruse for bereavement care; Mind for mental health problems; and Relate for relationship counselling.
It may also be appropriate to advise your Coachee to approach their Occupational Health Department, professional association or HR Department if work-related matters are contributing to personal difficulties.

A practical toolkit for your coaching practice

Judith Barton, Director of Coaching & Mentoring

In this blog, I want to share my thoughts on personal preparation and practicalities to support your coaching practice as professional and effective.

Practicalities:

•    Timekeeping: if you have to travel to a venue, ensure that you arrive there in plenty of time so that you can prepare the room and yourself for your coaching practice.  This includes making allowance for travel delays, checking road conditions and/or real-time train departures and arrivals when deciding when to leave your own starting point (home or office).
-    If the client is coming to your offices/home go to the room where you will be coaching in plenty of time to prepare the room and yourself.

•    Materials/resources – ensure that you have ready access to all the materials and resources you may need during your coaching practice, for example flipchart, paper and pens (for scaling, noting down ideas, action points), glasses of water.

•    Make sure that chairs are comfortable and positioned so that you and your coachee can see each other clearly without being so close that you risk invading each other’s space.

•    It is good practice to keep the business administration (how much, how and when to send invoices/make payments), of your coaching practice separate from the actual coaching sessions.
-    If you have the benefit of employing a secretary or administrator, it is best to refer all business administration to them and maintain your distance from these matters unless negotiations beyond their competence or role are required.
-    If you have to manage this yourself, try to ensure that these matters are fully agreed in advance of the coaching sessions.
-    All components of Terms and Conditions should be dealt with beforehand, before the coaching proper commences.
-    It makes sense to use PayPal, a debit or credit card rather than cash for payment.

Preparing yourself to coach

•    To ensure that you are wholly present for the client, try the following:
-    Centre yourself, focus on deep breathing and removing all distractions from your thoughts – this will lead to you asking better questions and being more able to pick up all the nuances of what your coachee is saying.
-    Remove any assumptions about your coachee, their progress since the last session, their personality, their issues.
-    Review and reflect upon any previous coaching sessions, your knowledge and understanding of the coachee.
-    If the client is new to you and, where relevant, find out something about their organisation
-   Put into the client into the front of your mind and be ready to go into the session, without having to refer to notes from previous sessions.
-    If you are meeting a number of coachees, e.g. for a corporate client, know who you will seeing, and the order in which you expect them to attend.
-    Consider what information you may wish to exchange with client, in order to develop trust, and personal safety.

During the coaching session

•    Ensure that you remain open-minded and suspend judgement so that you are able to really hear what your coachee is saying – verbally and non-verbally.
•    Sit with your feet flat on the floor (not cross legged) with an upright posture (not slouching) so that you are physically demonstrating your focus on and interest in your coachee.
•    At the beginning of each session review contract, revisit confidentiality, your code of conduct, and reconfirm the coach’s objectives from the session.
•    Agree with client how any notes you make are to be disposed of or retained – you could offer to give them your notes at the end of the coaching programme.

After the coaching session

•    Review and reflect on the session – what went well, what really worked, where you could have improved your coaching practice.
•    Maintain proper records with the minimum necessary information to enable you to issue accurate invoices and continue with the next session where you finished the last.
•    Identify and keep a note of any issues you will want to raise with your coaching supervisor.

What's in your Coaching Kitbag?

Martin Hill, Senior Tutor, BSC

 Sir John Whitmore in his preface to “Challenging Coaching” by John Blakey and Ian Day states:

“A coach’s task and responsibility are to benefit not only the coachee, but also the client company and all of society too... Anything that is appropriate in the moment to help a person move from A to B is coaching.”

That started me thinking- what tools should I take to a coaching session to ensure that I can ensure that “anything that is appropriate” is delivered?

It goes without saying that context is king and the coach must take into account their own personality and preferences, as well of those of the coachee. Similarly the environment in which the coaching is taking place may also impact on the tools that can be used- but may well also be used to provide some of the tools.

Here are my thoughts for the coaching kitbag:-

• Bag - well, the kit has to fit into something hasn’t it? The likelihood is that whilst the Bag for Life from the local supermarket may be doing your bit to help with the environment. It isn’t likely to cut it with your clients. Remember first impressions are made in seconds but last for much longer! Whilst it doesn’t have to be a designer label, make sure that the bag is professional and practical for the purposes for which you need it… and big enough for all your needs.

• Coaching Agreement and Code of Ethics - always useful to take along a copy of the coaching agreement that is being used for the particular coachee. Can serve as a useful reminder for coach and coachee as to what the parameters are and also what each can expect from the other. Similarly with the Code of Ethics.

• Coaching Profile and/or Business Cards - always to hand in case an opportunity to promote your coaching services arises.

• Technology – in this fast moving hi-tech age – as well as making sure you have your smartphone and/or tablet/laptop, do not forget your plugs to charge them up, or invest in a mobile power pack to provide a handy backup. As another “just in case” do you need a portable hard drive to back up the work you do in a session to avoid losing the material?

• 1970s Laptop (also known as a notebook) - always useful to have as it can serve many purposes – capturing “gems” in the session and also serving as a memory jogger to write up your own reflective journal after the session.

• Pens - make sure to take a pen and also have a spare. Like the bag. Do not ruin your professional image with a cheap and cheerful pen. Get a decent pen – “because you’re worth it!!”

• Plain Paper - plain paper is great if you are going to be using the “scaling” tool. It may also be useful to use if the opportunity arises to use other VAK styles- such as drawing a visual representation of the issue and/or capturing metaphors pictorially. Also useful for passing to the coachee to record the agreed actions on. 

• Coloured Pens/Pencils - great to use a variety of colours when using scaling etc. as mentioned above. Different colours can be useful in reinforcing with the coachee the different stages covered and variety of actions agreed.

• Diary - if you are not using technology as an alternative, remember to take the diary to capture next appointments and keep track of all your commitments.

• “Thought Provokers” - there is an absolute myriad of accessories/ merchandise that can be used for coaching interventions – for example coaching cards providing sample questions; tools/techniques . Also bear in mind that there are free resources that can be accumulated by you – for example, collecting pebbles or other indicators to use as a tactile scaling model. If you are an accredited user of tools or models, for example MBTI, FIRO B etc., there may be support materials that you need to take to draw upon as well.

• Stickers/Post It Notes - again a different method to highlight issues and/or actions.

• Dictaphone/Recorder - what are your supervision arrangements? What is your own reflective practice regime? May be useful to take a Dictaphone /recorder to record the session and reflect back thereon. Bear in mind the need to contract specifically about this with the coachee and also explain clearly what will happen to the recording, how it will be stored, length of retention etc. Also keep in mind Data Protection Act obligations. A dictaphone is also a great alternative to the notebook in capturing after the session your thoughts and key points.

• Coach - remember that you are the key “tool” that the coachee will be relying upon in the session. Make sure you are focused, energised and “in the zone” for the coachee.

• Timepiece - how are you going to keep track of the session length- watch, travel clock etc.You will need to ensure it is something big enough to be seen, but not too big to create an interference or distraction. 

• Tissues - emotional reactions are not uncommon in coaching conversations. A pack of travel tissues can be useful in acknowledging the emotion in a quiet, understated and empathetic manner.

• Refreshments – doing a long session, or sessions, bear in mind the need for you to keep your energy levels up. A healthy snack or a piece of fruit and some water may be useful in ensuring that you retain your focus and energy.

Those are my starters for ten ……..what are your thoughts?