What is coaching?
Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.
– Sir John Whitmore, 2003
Coaching is more relevant and crucial than ever in the digital age. It is the key to unlocking potential. Coaching helps information flow smoothly, advocates autonomy, gives meaning, instils purpose and strengthens motivation.
How do you coach someone?
Asking open questions is the backbone of a good coaching session. To structure your conversations, you can use the GROW model framework.
Coaching is not a panacea for every leadership problem
There are situations in which coaching will not be effective, and managers should seek other appropriate tools. To assess whether coaching is the right solution, ask the following questions:
- Is the person aware that performance is unsatisfactory? (Feedback Problem)
- Does poor performance occur because the person is unaware of what is expected of them? (Goal Setting Problem)
- Is performance hampered by obstacles beyond their control? (Management Problem)
- Does the person know how to do the task and is confident in carrying it out? (Training Problem)
- Is good performance followed by bad consequences? (Reward the Right Thing)