#Coaching Part 2 How Do You Make It Happen?

Coaching is a great way to accelerate learning and development in the workplace and also in our personal lives.

Invest Some Time in Coaching - Be The Best You Can Be

 Having explored what coaching is and some different coaching styles: 

• how do you start

• how do you just make it happen?

My advice would be via some coaching models. Pick one you think will work best and give it a go in a real life work (or non work) example.

One of the most commonly used simple and effective coaching models is the GROW model, which is detailed below:

 

 I        Issue – What is the issue?

·         What is important to you right now?

·         What is your most important priority?

G        Goal – What are you trying to achieve?

·         Where do you want to be in x time?

·         What outcome are you looking for in this situation?

R         Reality – Where are you now in relation to your goal?

·         What have you tried so far, what has and hasn’t worked?

·         What is preventing you right now from achieving your outcome?

O         Options – What could you do?

·         If time, money and resource were no object what could you try?

·         What else could you try that could help you?

W        Will – What specific action will you take next?

·         What specifically could you do next time and when?

·         How confident do you feel that this will help you achieve your outcome?

Using GROW think of the coaching exercise like a journey:

• where do you want to go (on holiday)
• where are you now (in a busy office!)
• what do you need to do to make it happen (sort out the logistics)
• how do you get there (...well that's all in the planning bit)

A good way of thinking about the GROW Model is to think about how you'd plan a journey. First, you decide where you are going (the goal), and establish where you currently are (your current reality).
You then explore various routes (the options) to your destination. In the final step, establishing the will, you ensure that you're committed to making the journey, and are prepared for the obstacles that you could meet on the way.

Tip:
In its traditional application, the GROW Model assumes that the coach is not an expert in the "client's" situation. This means that the coach must act as a facilitator, helping the client select the best options, and not offering advice or direction.

When leaders coach their team members, or act as mentors to them, this may or may not apply. On one hand, it's more powerful for people to draw conclusions for themselves, rather than having these conclusions thrust upon them. On the other hand, as a team leader, you'll often have expert knowledge to offer. Also, it's your job to guide team members to make decisions that are best for your organization.

- See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_89.htm#sthash.yn6kBm4F.dpuf

They key is to ask the right questions, ensuring they are open questions and and use active listening skills. Take time to listen and digest what is being said. Don't feel you have to be talking all the time. Think PUSH & PULL and pull the information from the other person, rather than feeling under pressure to come up with all the answers yourself.

You don't need to be a people manager to use this technique. If you have regular meeting with your people manager or team leader you could suggest that you both try this technique to help drive your personal development.


An example of using the GROW model in practice:

You manage a large team of mixed capability. One of your team members Iam Capable requests a career development discussion with you. He is worried about the lack of career progression and thinks he has to move teams to achieve the stretch and challenge he seeks.

• I - You discuss with Iam Capable the issue that is bothering him - he feels there is a lack of opportunities
• G - The goal is for him to feel motivated, not seek a new role and to provide him with stretch and challenge 
• R - you were completely unaware of how Iam Capable felt - now that you know you can do something about it
• O - you establish a development plan for Iam Capable enabling him to take on new stretching pieces of work and gain the recognition he is seeking
• W - you agree to sit down in 3 months and review his progress against the plan. You are on hand for 1-1's to provide any support he needs with his new responsibilities.

Why not give it a go and see how you get on?