Coaching Into Action
Sharon Feltham, Excellerate
One assignment for the NZQA Diploma of Strategic Leadership requires students to participate in a 3-month peer coaching partnership. They journal agreements, coaching sessions and progress. They reflect on their experiences and draw conclusions from the both the perspective of coach and coachee. Often students (busy managers) agree to meet prior to lectures although many have chosen to meet before work at a local café for a weekly coaching check in.
Irrespective of where or how they meet, all described initially how their coaching conversations would roam, seemingly randomly, inspite of action plans and agendas. They felt they wasted time discussing unrelated matters, failed to address issues effectively or achieve satisfactory conclusions. However as time passed they also discovered this; new ideas surfaced and different problems were solved, relationships became deeper, stronger, more challenging and rewarding. They experienced progress they hadn’t anticipated as both the quality and the structure of their conversations improved.
They learnt to design deliberate conversations.
Build Relationships, Explore Possibilities and Agree on Action
When coaching a peer or team member or even a whole team we can use three very different conversations.
1. A Conversation to Build the Relationship
Where we build mutual trust, respect and understanding to create the foundation for getting things done
2. A Conversation to Explore Possibilities
Where we invite the individual (each and every team member) into the conversation to problem solve, brainstorm, explore possibilities and identify opportunities.
3. A Conversation for Action
Where we decide and agree on actions, and secure commitments
How to Work with this
No Shortcuts Follow the Sequence
Note and follow this 1,2,3 sequence. It can be very confusing and unproductive if we are unclear about the purpose of the conversation or if we try to hold all three at the same time.
And don’t shortcut the process. There will be consequences. Many of us, driven by deadlines and the need to produce results, will skip directly into action conversations. We then fail to build goodwill and commitment. We fail to select the best solutions. The implementation and execution phase can be plagued with problems.
Tips for Troubleshooting
Once we are into the “work in progress” mode, if there’s little or no progress we should use the conversation for possibilities. When ideas and opportunities are absent or blocked return to the conversation to build the relationship.
The students in the Diploma programme reported having all three conversations, although they didn’t realise this initially. They built their relationship and explored possibilities through their “roaming” conversations. Once their relationship was robust and possibilities identified they moved into action centred conversations. They became far more productive when they organised these conversations into a sequence, so much so, many continued with their peer-to-peer "cafe coach ins" long after they graduated from the Diploma programme.
Answers in your Inbox:
Subscribe now to our free monthly newsletter Excellerate Update for more coaching tips and team tactics.
