FAQ’s on Coaching
Q. What is the purpose of Coaching?
A. My view is that Coaching is one of the fastest and most specific and targeted way to enable your Client to identify the specific attitude, skills and knowledge (ASK pattern) to move them to a new higher level of personal performance. The Coach is there to challenge thinking and ignite possibilities. Thinking at the level that has got you to the level you are at today will not be the thinking that gets you to the next level. This is especially the case when Coaching is identifying specific behaviours and competencies that they wish to develop and define these in measurable terms. Further, the Client that decides just how far they want to progress in achieving their objectives and the pace at which they progress?
Q. Does the client always have such a clear idea on what they want to achieve from your Coaching?
A. Not always. Often, my role is to enable the client to think through their options. This means I will use powerful questioning techniques and attentive listening to generate and examine options for the Client. Part of this process is exploring what ‘will not happen,’ and what ‘will happen,’ should the Client make different choices. The way I manage this process is totally Client focused and allows the Client to examine the consequences and costs of following, or not following various Coaching pathways.
Q. What Coaching methodology do you follow?
A. It really is important for the Client to understand the process and the methodology which supports the development of the attitudes, skills and knowledge upon which they want to focus. So, for instance, we could use a variety of models including STRIDE and GROW acronyms that reflect the core stages and processes in Coaching. For instance STRIDE relates to; Strengths and maintaining people with a positive attitude; Target exploring goals and objectives; Reality assessing the current situation in relation to the target and identifying and remove self-limiting beliefs: generating Ideas and options and Decide and commit to Evaluate now and later on the action they can take. I will not go into GROW but there are many methodologies and approaches that will suit the variety of Client styles.
Q. How directive are you with your Clients?
A. The bottom line is Coaching is based on empowering the Client to make decisions and take personal ownership in the Coaching process. Further, the Client works with the Coach over a fairly short period of time to ease the Client’s learning and provide support. Let’s be realistic – sometimes there is a power imbalance often evident at the beginning of a Coaching project when the Client may ‘perceive’ the Coach as an expert there to literally direct, motivate or coach them along a preset agenda determined by the Coach. Likewise, the Client may put too much responsibility on the Coach, or in some cases, use the Coach only as a sounding board rather than a facilitator of working together.
Q. How about the role of structure in the Coaching relationship?
A. Effective coaching is based on ensuring two elements of structural arrangement and plans of the coaching activity – so there is a logical, reasoned and sequential approach to Coaching that will be undertaken. This includes jointly agreeing the process of defining overall goals and methods of assessing progress; the setting of specific outcomes and objectives and these being ‘Client,’ rather than Coach, led; the methods of appraising and documenting progress and the completion of learning logs and diaries that will enable agreed criteria for time based project to be mapped; agreeing a process for feeding back progress to the Client and how this will be undertaken and by whom.
Further to that, agreed set of principles that envelop the coaching process; such as; defining the role of the coach; how the individual coaching will evolve; likely issues for explanation that relate to the coaching process and foster the ideal but realistic relationship that evolves in the process. This also requires a definition of the role of the Coach and core activities, responsibilities, learning and otherwise which will be acceptable, ethical and reflect best practice for this relationship over time.
Q. How does the relationship evolve?
A. Effective coaching arrangements are based upon developing a relationship between the Coach and the Client which is founded upon trust and rapport, where the Client has the freedom to succeed, make decisions about their learning and be able to reflect on learning’s and develop them. Further, an effective coaching arrangement is formed when empathy exists between the Coach and the Client which incorporates the highest degree of confidentiality and integrity.
Q. How do you help the Client to understand their learning process?
A. Coaching arrangements and plans are enriched when the Client develop a freedom to succeed. The Coaching process gives them more choices in their development. When Coach is exposed to, and can understand the Client’s learning process, their preferred learning styles, and how they best apply their learning to their development they the Coach can stretch the Client well beyond their comfort zones. In many projects it of value to the Client to support the Client in understanding for instance the ‘Kolb learning process’ and ‘Honey & Mumford’s Learning Styles and even some psychometrics like MBTI should the Client feel they can benefit from them.
Q. What about the use of Psychometrics?
A. I often use them because they bestow such advantages for the Client. Some Clients still think these profiling tools are ‘pass’ or fail tests. They are not. They simply allow the Client to develop a measurable benchmark of where they fit in a certain management or professional population. I am qualified to use most Psychometric instruments such as 16PF, OPQ and MBTI as well as ability tests and believe they are a powerful resource and leverage to enable a Client to know precisely which behaviours they need to address. This is particularly important when a Client is working on their Social Confidence, Presentation or Influence or Sales skills and equally important exploring Leadership behaviour. Further to that these instruments are well researched with up to date databases on various management populations. It is even possible to develop company or organisational databases for performance improvement at some later date.
Q. How do you know which profiling system to use and which will work better for the Client?
A. I guess it’s down to experience. I always think the more one listens to the Client the more accurate the perceptions of the Clients ‘real wants and needs’ are defined as opposed to those that are expressed.
Q. Are all Coaches certified as Business or Executive Coaches
A. Today, we have more Coaches working in Europe then ever before and the majority are not certified or accredited to any real authoritative Coaching body.
Many Coaches pay a yearly fee of a few hundred pounds to be a member of a Coaching organisation or Consultancy – but these are often not officially accredited. In the UK it’s really the ILM who provide the assessment for undertaking Coaching work and on successful completion of these programmes then the Coach can join the Association of Coaching in the UK. I do not understand how people can claim to be a Coach without at least membership of the AC or CIPD.
For instance I am CIPD and ILM qualified, a trained Lecturer and have a Masters degree in Organisational Psychology as well as accreditation to use most ability and psychometric profiles in Europe and the USA.
Q. What happens when choosing a Coach?
A. Chemistry is really important. If there is no chemistry - then meet more Coaches until you find one where rapport is almost natural. Don’t be too picky though. People tend to like people like themselves. The Client may well gain much more benefit from a Coach who portrays a different style to the Client and that Coach may support their Client in their learning and thinking at a higher and deeper level – simply because they challenge the Client to think differently. Remember, the Client chooses the Coach not the other way round.
Q. What else is important about choosing a Coach?
A. It is critical that the Coach understands ‘Best Practice’ and new developments in Coaching. This also means being Coached, tutored and supervised by others that aids their current and future development. From my direct input from my Coach and from Mentors and CIPD Groups I am constantly exposed to new innovative processes and methods which aid my Coaching. This approach can pay real dividends for the Client and the Client’s organisation especially in its highly competitive environment.
It is also critical to belong to various Coaching Associations and Professional bodies that support Coaching Best Practise such as the CIPD, the ILM and other academic and learned organisations. There will be opportunities to enable the Clients undertaking the Coaching process to develop their own networks both in the company, in the industry and possibly inter-industry.
Q. What about the difference between Mentoring and Coaching?
A. It is critical to note that there are fundamental differences between Mentoring and Coaching and not confuse the two. The mentoring model is more akin to line manager acting partially as a Coach. Alternatively, Mentors may be trained separately to help staff develop as ‘content experts’. Mentoring can be achieved either through the traditional functional specialism in which the manager operates or may be chosen from other areas in the organisation. Coaching is a distinctly separate process that involves no direct line authority over the Client.
Q. The Coaching relationship has to be based on some sort of ‘mutual trust’ - can you tell me a little about that?
A. Effective Coaching arrangements are founded with a high degree of confidentiality where the Coach makes it clear that they will not broach confidentiality or any discussion with anyone about progress in the Coaching assignment. Effective Coaching is based on the mutual trust and that there is no reporting to others in the organisation without the permission of the Client. The Coach should make the Client aware that they have the sole responsibility to raise issues with others that evolve from the coaching relationship with their managers or HR, unless they agree otherwise from the outset.
Q. So, fundamentally what is the foundation of effective Coaching?
A. Effective Coaching is based on mutual agreement achieved through ‘contracting’ in much the same way we agree ‘psychological contracts’ with others. Contracting implies a mutual discourse about needs, wants, expectations, resources, methodologies, standards of behaviour, time, access, defining the Coaching process favoured by the Client, sharing thoughts and ideas, direct input when requested and a whole host of side issues. Best Practise is achieved when the contracting process is a major feature at the start of the Coaching relationship. It is also important to recognise there are varieties of Coaching Models and structures that can be applied and these need to be carefully assessed and reviewed by the Coach for their appropriate use and application in their Coaching intervention.
For more information email Philip
A. My view is that Coaching is one of the fastest and most specific and targeted way to enable your Client to identify the specific attitude, skills and knowledge (ASK pattern) to move them to a new higher level of personal performance. The Coach is there to challenge thinking and ignite possibilities. Thinking at the level that has got you to the level you are at today will not be the thinking that gets you to the next level. This is especially the case when Coaching is identifying specific behaviours and competencies that they wish to develop and define these in measurable terms. Further, the Client that decides just how far they want to progress in achieving their objectives and the pace at which they progress?
Q. Does the client always have such a clear idea on what they want to achieve from your Coaching?
A. Not always. Often, my role is to enable the client to think through their options. This means I will use powerful questioning techniques and attentive listening to generate and examine options for the Client. Part of this process is exploring what ‘will not happen,’ and what ‘will happen,’ should the Client make different choices. The way I manage this process is totally Client focused and allows the Client to examine the consequences and costs of following, or not following various Coaching pathways.
Q. What Coaching methodology do you follow?
A. It really is important for the Client to understand the process and the methodology which supports the development of the attitudes, skills and knowledge upon which they want to focus. So, for instance, we could use a variety of models including STRIDE and GROW acronyms that reflect the core stages and processes in Coaching. For instance STRIDE relates to; Strengths and maintaining people with a positive attitude; Target exploring goals and objectives; Reality assessing the current situation in relation to the target and identifying and remove self-limiting beliefs: generating Ideas and options and Decide and commit to Evaluate now and later on the action they can take. I will not go into GROW but there are many methodologies and approaches that will suit the variety of Client styles.
Q. How directive are you with your Clients?
A. The bottom line is Coaching is based on empowering the Client to make decisions and take personal ownership in the Coaching process. Further, the Client works with the Coach over a fairly short period of time to ease the Client’s learning and provide support. Let’s be realistic – sometimes there is a power imbalance often evident at the beginning of a Coaching project when the Client may ‘perceive’ the Coach as an expert there to literally direct, motivate or coach them along a preset agenda determined by the Coach. Likewise, the Client may put too much responsibility on the Coach, or in some cases, use the Coach only as a sounding board rather than a facilitator of working together.
Q. How about the role of structure in the Coaching relationship?
A. Effective coaching is based on ensuring two elements of structural arrangement and plans of the coaching activity – so there is a logical, reasoned and sequential approach to Coaching that will be undertaken. This includes jointly agreeing the process of defining overall goals and methods of assessing progress; the setting of specific outcomes and objectives and these being ‘Client,’ rather than Coach, led; the methods of appraising and documenting progress and the completion of learning logs and diaries that will enable agreed criteria for time based project to be mapped; agreeing a process for feeding back progress to the Client and how this will be undertaken and by whom.
Further to that, agreed set of principles that envelop the coaching process; such as; defining the role of the coach; how the individual coaching will evolve; likely issues for explanation that relate to the coaching process and foster the ideal but realistic relationship that evolves in the process. This also requires a definition of the role of the Coach and core activities, responsibilities, learning and otherwise which will be acceptable, ethical and reflect best practice for this relationship over time.
Q. How does the relationship evolve?
A. Effective coaching arrangements are based upon developing a relationship between the Coach and the Client which is founded upon trust and rapport, where the Client has the freedom to succeed, make decisions about their learning and be able to reflect on learning’s and develop them. Further, an effective coaching arrangement is formed when empathy exists between the Coach and the Client which incorporates the highest degree of confidentiality and integrity.
Q. How do you help the Client to understand their learning process?
A. Coaching arrangements and plans are enriched when the Client develop a freedom to succeed. The Coaching process gives them more choices in their development. When Coach is exposed to, and can understand the Client’s learning process, their preferred learning styles, and how they best apply their learning to their development they the Coach can stretch the Client well beyond their comfort zones. In many projects it of value to the Client to support the Client in understanding for instance the ‘Kolb learning process’ and ‘Honey & Mumford’s Learning Styles and even some psychometrics like MBTI should the Client feel they can benefit from them.
Q. What about the use of Psychometrics?
A. I often use them because they bestow such advantages for the Client. Some Clients still think these profiling tools are ‘pass’ or fail tests. They are not. They simply allow the Client to develop a measurable benchmark of where they fit in a certain management or professional population. I am qualified to use most Psychometric instruments such as 16PF, OPQ and MBTI as well as ability tests and believe they are a powerful resource and leverage to enable a Client to know precisely which behaviours they need to address. This is particularly important when a Client is working on their Social Confidence, Presentation or Influence or Sales skills and equally important exploring Leadership behaviour. Further to that these instruments are well researched with up to date databases on various management populations. It is even possible to develop company or organisational databases for performance improvement at some later date.
Q. How do you know which profiling system to use and which will work better for the Client?
A. I guess it’s down to experience. I always think the more one listens to the Client the more accurate the perceptions of the Clients ‘real wants and needs’ are defined as opposed to those that are expressed.
Q. Are all Coaches certified as Business or Executive Coaches
A. Today, we have more Coaches working in Europe then ever before and the majority are not certified or accredited to any real authoritative Coaching body.
Many Coaches pay a yearly fee of a few hundred pounds to be a member of a Coaching organisation or Consultancy – but these are often not officially accredited. In the UK it’s really the ILM who provide the assessment for undertaking Coaching work and on successful completion of these programmes then the Coach can join the Association of Coaching in the UK. I do not understand how people can claim to be a Coach without at least membership of the AC or CIPD.
For instance I am CIPD and ILM qualified, a trained Lecturer and have a Masters degree in Organisational Psychology as well as accreditation to use most ability and psychometric profiles in Europe and the USA.
Q. What happens when choosing a Coach?
A. Chemistry is really important. If there is no chemistry - then meet more Coaches until you find one where rapport is almost natural. Don’t be too picky though. People tend to like people like themselves. The Client may well gain much more benefit from a Coach who portrays a different style to the Client and that Coach may support their Client in their learning and thinking at a higher and deeper level – simply because they challenge the Client to think differently. Remember, the Client chooses the Coach not the other way round.
Q. What else is important about choosing a Coach?
A. It is critical that the Coach understands ‘Best Practice’ and new developments in Coaching. This also means being Coached, tutored and supervised by others that aids their current and future development. From my direct input from my Coach and from Mentors and CIPD Groups I am constantly exposed to new innovative processes and methods which aid my Coaching. This approach can pay real dividends for the Client and the Client’s organisation especially in its highly competitive environment.
It is also critical to belong to various Coaching Associations and Professional bodies that support Coaching Best Practise such as the CIPD, the ILM and other academic and learned organisations. There will be opportunities to enable the Clients undertaking the Coaching process to develop their own networks both in the company, in the industry and possibly inter-industry.
Q. What about the difference between Mentoring and Coaching?
A. It is critical to note that there are fundamental differences between Mentoring and Coaching and not confuse the two. The mentoring model is more akin to line manager acting partially as a Coach. Alternatively, Mentors may be trained separately to help staff develop as ‘content experts’. Mentoring can be achieved either through the traditional functional specialism in which the manager operates or may be chosen from other areas in the organisation. Coaching is a distinctly separate process that involves no direct line authority over the Client.
Q. The Coaching relationship has to be based on some sort of ‘mutual trust’ - can you tell me a little about that?
A. Effective Coaching arrangements are founded with a high degree of confidentiality where the Coach makes it clear that they will not broach confidentiality or any discussion with anyone about progress in the Coaching assignment. Effective Coaching is based on the mutual trust and that there is no reporting to others in the organisation without the permission of the Client. The Coach should make the Client aware that they have the sole responsibility to raise issues with others that evolve from the coaching relationship with their managers or HR, unless they agree otherwise from the outset.
Q. So, fundamentally what is the foundation of effective Coaching?
A. Effective Coaching is based on mutual agreement achieved through ‘contracting’ in much the same way we agree ‘psychological contracts’ with others. Contracting implies a mutual discourse about needs, wants, expectations, resources, methodologies, standards of behaviour, time, access, defining the Coaching process favoured by the Client, sharing thoughts and ideas, direct input when requested and a whole host of side issues. Best Practise is achieved when the contracting process is a major feature at the start of the Coaching relationship. It is also important to recognise there are varieties of Coaching Models and structures that can be applied and these need to be carefully assessed and reviewed by the Coach for their appropriate use and application in their Coaching intervention.
For more information email Philip
