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COACHING

What is coaching?  

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires"

 

William Arthur Ward - American scholar, author, pastor

 

Carl Rogers, an influential psychotherapist and leader of the humanistic psychology movement of the 1960's- 1980's was a pioneer in effective interpersonal communication.    

A scene from his childhood that set the scene for his theoretical model of counselling:   

In the darkened cellar of his childhood home, he saw a bag of potatoes.  A crack of light entered through a small window and the young Rogers noticed how the potatoes had sprouted and the roots were reaching towards this tiny crack of light.  

He later used this image to explain his theory - that all human beings, given the appropriate conditions for growth, move inexorably towards their potential.  

Coaching is a way of providing the appropriate conditions to enable the coachee to reach his potential.  Coaching, advising, counselling or mentoring - the same things by different names.  

What happens during a coaching session?

A coaching session consists of the coachee and myself meeting for an initial session to discuss the personal and/or professional issues needing attention. 

Together, we will construct an individual programme of goals and I will help the coachee develop a strategy or strategies for achieving those goals.  

We will then either meet or have regular telephone conversations to check on progress, revise the programme where necessary and work out solutions designed to keep you on track for achieving your goal or goals.  

The effectiveness of coaching depends to a large extent on the coach's belief in the potential of people to find the best way forward for themselves.  The coach's job is, amongst other things, to provide the appropriate conditions.    

The coach does not tell the coachee what to do, nor how to do it; the coach helps the coachee to learn, as opposed to passively being taught.      

During a coaching session, goals and strategies are agreed upon and assessed over an agreed period of time.  Progress is examined in a non-judgmental manner with the aim of bringing the coachee's awareness to his/her own ways of self-sabotaging, not completing or resisting.  

Feedback is given sensitively with a view to gaining insight into self-defeating habits that might be the root cause of the problem.    

What can coaching be used for?  

  • Motivating staff 

  • Delegating 

  • Problem solving 

  • Appraisals and assessments

  • Task performance 

  • Planning and reviewing 

  • Team working/team building 

What are the benefits of coaching?  

For managers - learning to coach subordinates has many benefits. Traditionally, management communication styles range from autocratic to laid-back.   The boss can:  

·        DICTATE

·        DEBATE 

·        ABDICATE

moving along the spectrum, he or she might

·        SELL or

·        PERSUADE

But in any of these scenarios, the dynamic might remain rather inauthentic. The subordinates might still feel the need to comply rather than challenge.    

And because  democracy can initially be time-consuming and indecisive, the tendency to resort to either autocracy or abdication of responsibility can be very tempting.   

Whilst ' dictating' can be fast and easy, leaving the 'dictator' with a (false) feeling of power, it can upset subordinates and can set up a passive-aggressive response, whereby they are overtly compliant but covertly getting even!   

At the abdication end of the scale, the manager is free for other duties.  He/she is, however, in danger of being kept in the dark about progress.   

The subordinate might feel obliged to take responsibility and although he/she has a degree of freedom, his/her performance might be affected by lack of awareness of the larger picture.   

Also, people do not learn very well when this method is used.  The table below shows the results of a piece of research by IBM (repeated by the UK Post Office more recently).                        

  Told Told & Shown Told, Shown & Experienced
Recall after 3 weeks 70% 72& 85%
Recall after 3 months 10% 32% 65%

Coaching, on the other hand, requires a certain time commitment from both parties, enables the boss to be sure about what is happening whilst the subordinate chooses to take responsibility.   

By listening to the responses from the coachee, the manager will be sure of the plan of action and the thinking behind the plan.   

Being coached, the coachee becomes aware of all aspects of the task in hand and the actions necessary to see it through to fruition.  the degree of clarity this brings enables him or her to envisage the results and so choose to participate.   

And because the coaching relationship is supportive and non-judgmental, there is much less risk of covert retaliatory behaviour.  

Coaching sessions can be arranged for individuals and groups.  

I am an experienced group facilitator and coach and have worked in the world of business, both as an Advertising Account Director and latterly as a corporate trainer, facilitating workshops on topics such as Interpersonal Skills and Stress Management.  I am also a qualified and experienced psychotherapist, counsellor and supervisor.

 

 

 


"I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think" 

Socrates

Chakras
Click here for more information on this ancient philosophy

Addictions and Compulsions   

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