Considering becoming a coach?

Martin Hill

What is coaching?
Coaching is an increasingly popular tool for supporting an individual’s or group’s personal development. It is used within a business environment to enhance performance and encourage achievement and attainment.

The coaching relationship is a partnership – an equal relationship allowing the coachee to:
– Clarify and set the goals that they really want to achieve
– To encourage them to do more than they would have probably done on their own
– To help them to focus better so that they are able to produce results more quickly
– To provide them with the tools, support and structure to enable them to accomplish more

Coaching is not about:
– Telling them what they should or should not do
– Counselling
– Therapy for clinical issues (e.g. depression or high levels of stress/anxiety)

Coaching Definitions
Here are some definitions as to what coaching means:
“Coaching is the art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of another.” (Downey, 2003)
“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than by teaching them (Whitmore, 2003)
“[Coaching is] developing a person’s skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully so that organizational objectives are achieved.” (CIPD, 2008)

Why Do You Want To Be A Coach?
In “Coaching- Learning Made Simple” (2007) Butterworth-Heineman; David Pardey suggests that “it may be:
•    Something you have wanted to do for some time to pass on your knowledge and skills and see other people develop and improve.
•    A way of building or developing your career.
•    Part of your job that you need to be able to do.”

Pardey also suggests that the following key questions to ask yourself “to understand your own attitude and motivation:
– Is it your choice or somebody else’s that you should become a coach?
– Have you been coached yourself, or seen other people coaching?
– Have you already done any coaching?
– How do you feel about coaching?

….One of the most important parts of the coach’s role is to encourage people to become reflective. Reflective means that they consciously think about and analyse what they have done or are doing. But you cannot expect to encourage other people to be reflective if you aren’t reflective yourself…You can start by using these questions to reflect on (to consciously think about and analyse) your motivations, experiences and attitudes to coaching.”

Qualities of a Coach
In “Coaching & Mentoring at Work” (2nd edition) (2012) Open University Press- Mary Connor and Julia Pokora suggest the following qualities of a coach:
•    Supportive – a non-judgemental listener
•    Challenging – not afraid to disagree or question
•    Assertive – able to state wants and needs
•    Open – receptive to new ideas and ways of thinking , to ‘half-baked’ ideas
•    Transparent – communicates their values and ‘walks the talk’
•    Creative – able to think laterally and ‘outside of the box’
•    Interpersonally skilled – at influencing others
•    Strategic – able to take the long-term view
•    Kind – sensitive to others and shows care for them
•    Fair – treats people equally, not prejudiced or partial
•    Resilient – in the face of difficulties
•    Considered – rather than reactive, in making judgements

Connor & Pokora also give the following examples of possible roles of the coach:
•    Supporter – a confidential respectful listener who does not judge or evaluate
•    Challenger – helps the client to challenge themselves, and offers empathic challenge
•    Sounding Board – helps the client to explore ‘half baked’ ideas and thoughts
•    Networker – helps the client to identify key connections and develop relationships
•    Coach – helps the client to develop skills and confidence
•    Role model – has qualities or attributes to which the client aspires
•    Critical friend – offers constructive feedback
•    Strategist – helps the client to look at the broad picture and think long term
•    Catalyst – helps the client to develop new perspectives and harness their creativity

Next steps?

For more information, why not give us a call here at British School of Coaching (01744605046) – we will be delighted to provide guidance and support.


Martin Hill LL.B (Hons), FCMI, FInstLM, FISQC, MAC, EMCC Member, Coach and Coach Supervisor
Director for ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching and Mentoring Programme


www.britishschoolofcoaching.com

Working Alone

Judith Barton, Director of Coaching and Mentoring

Last week I wrote about supporting colleagues to ensure they have a safe and productive experience whilst working on international assignments. Many assignments particularly coaching involve working alone. Working solo is something I enjoy and have probably been a little naïve in appreciating the risks, so based on the approach you often look after others better than yourself.


Here are some of my tips:
•    Nearly all risks can be managed, recognising them and mitigating them will leave you free to coach.

•    Believing we understand the person or situation because the environment is familiar; may mean we fail to recognise risks – just as when we are coaching remove assumptions.

•    Appointments – recognise we all need to maximise our days – there are times a client may request such as very early morning or evening being the most convenient to them. Consider having a ‘sense check’ approach before you automatically say yes.

•    What is a ‘sense check’, for me this is when I stop what I am doing and consider.
1.    Is this sensible?
Umm – not sure?
2.    What does it mean if I say yes?
2 hour session appointment at 7.30pm means 9.30pm finish, home by 11pm. Will I have the energy after a full day, will the client have the best coaching experience? Other considerations are likely to be the location, transport, safety, etc.
3.    Where are the pressure points?
Family, early appointment the next day.
4.    Who else is affected?
Family and possibly colleagues.
5.    What are the alternatives? Would they work for the client?
Offer options on timings.

•    Whilst maintain the excellent relationship with the client.

Some more basics to follow:
You should maintaining awareness at all times of their environment and the behaviour of people around you, especially when leaving places on your own and after dark.

You must ensure that someone knows where you are planning to go and when you expect to leave and return back to your office, home or hotel. Inform that person when you have left the venue and when you return to your base.  Text or email to say when you arrive and when you leave a location.

You should visit or meet clients in public places (e.g. training venues, coffee shops, etc), unless you know them well.  We also advise that you should avoid working alone with a client in a building, again unless you know them well.

Don’t forget the basics - If you are walking alone you should keep to the middle of pavements, walk facing oncoming traffic, and should try to avoid isolated places, especially after dark.

Worth doing - carry a small first-aid kit suitable for treating minor injuries and carry your mobile phone at all times (and other personal safety equipment if this is assessed as necessary).

It is impossible to remove all risks when people are working alone – but by following these approaches risks can be mitigated and minimised, so that coaches, trainers and staff can be confident, effective and productive.

Safe Coaching!

Judith M Barton,
MSc, BA, Chartered FCIPD, MCMI, MInstLM, MIoD, EMCC Member, Coach & Coach Supervisor
Director of Coaching & Mentoring