October 1 is International Coffee Day! If you’re one of 64% of Americans that can’t start their morning without their java, take this quiz to see what your coffee order has to say about your coaching style. Plus, read on for 4 coaching tips to go along with your cup of joe. Get that workday started off right!
Use the GROW Model® to establish a plan. The purpose of coaching is to develop others and help them in achieving their goals. According to Venture Team Building, “you are there to support the individual, once you have discussed and identified their ‘why’ then you should guide them towards ‘the how.’” There is no better way to establish the ‘why’ and ‘how’—AKA the ‘Way Forward’—than using InsideOut Development’s GROW Model. Using and applying GROW will set the expectations for both coach and coachee.
Listen more than you talk. A coach’s job is to help a coachee identify and create solutions, not prescribe them. Practice active listening techniques so employees know you’re paying attention, not just biting your tongue. Even if you feel you’ve heard all that you need to, never forget to ask “what else?” When brainstorming with a coachee, refrain from judgement and ask “what else?” to encourage more options. Apply an InsideOut mindset and see what ideas your employee can uncover. Encourage the coachee to come up with as many as 20 possible solutions to a problem before they decide which they want to do. Often, the “best” options are pretty far down the list.
Show that you are invested in their success. One of the easiest ways to show your interest is by asking questions. BizLibrary teaches coaches to “ask questions about where they see their career going, or how they see their role evolving in the company. Even if they don’t have a plan laid out yet, these questions will make them think about their career and what they want to accomplish within the organization.”
Spot the everyday opportunities. Coaching is an ongoing conversation that helps people get from where they are to where they want to go. These conversations boost the speed and accuracy of decisions, which leads to actions that generate the desired results. Some decisions (like devising a three-year strategy) are large enough to be easily recognized as coaching opportunities. But, others (like how to frame a conversation with a coworker or how to respond to an email) are small and subtle enough that we don’t necessarily see them as coaching opportunities. Each decision represents a chance to have an informal coaching dialogue. By recognizing coaching moments, managers and leaders can consistently tap into the power of coaching and use their coaching skills. Every change in results starts a decision.
For more tips to coach like a pro, check out this post.