A 3 part process for developmental coaching: Going beyond “management by fear” and numbers

Coaching conversations, rather than algorithms, drive optimizing employee performance, especially when we use the developmental coaching approach for improving the performance of employees who are performing at least satisfactorily. Valuing the people that drive your organization goes beyond statistical purity to developing and sustaining relationships that involve developing skills and abilities, building trust and sharing knowledge. This helps manage employees as brand ambassadors in social media as well, as the corporate reputation online often rests upon how an organization builds relationships with its employees internally.

 

The developmental coaching approach focuses on conversations and actions that make employees successful, especially in their career development. Besides helping employees discover and maximize what they do well, it also involves helping them develop and maintain a positive attitude about themselves- which then inspires others to have confidence in them as well.  Furthermore, developmental coaching could be used to help them become more aware of their emotional intelligence and how their behaviors and reactions affect other people, as they can discover and improve opportunities to adapt their behaviors and actions based on other people’s needs and the situation.
 

The success of organizations rests upon how we develop employees. If employees are focusing on short term performance rather than long term success, your organization is falling into a “management by fear” trap identified by Deming where employees dread performance reviews and the organization lean towards formal performance reviews to inform employees about how they are doing (Walton, 1986).  This point becomes critical given how social networking, particularly online, influences organizational performance today. It creates an organizational culture bent on rushing instead of continuous improvement, which holds back not only the development of employees, but the overall organization as well.

In his blog post “Work harder, longer, faster, or smarter?”, Chris Merrington  (2013) explained how rushing results from how employees manage their workloads given expectation for more results in an environment of less time and support. Eventually, this rushing impairs the quality of work (best ideas are replaced by first ideas) and makes mistakes more likely (which affects costs and images).
 

Rushing does not have to be the norm, as we can take a developmental coaching approach towards helping employees balance their workload demands. The Power Point below goes over recognizing developmental coaching cues we often find in employee conversations, which is important since they provide coaching opportunities. Developmental coaching conversations help provide regular, consistent feedback and steer employees towards continuously improving long term.

Developmental coaching is about asking and listening to employees’ ideas, and working with them on a strategy to execute and evaluate their progress. It’s not about giving them ideas, as that could make them feel micromanaged. It is about helping them discover and execute on their ideas.

I use the following three part process to help guide my developmental coaching conversations:

1.     Determine: You’ll want to set the stage for analyzing the need by agreeing on the expectation for the developmental coaching with the employee, including that you are here to listen rather than prescribe. This stage focuses on helping them discover needs through asking and listening. It is crucial for you to listen first in order to understand and build the trust to get at the heart of the real issues for development.

2.      Act: Once the cause has been isolated, the employee and you can collaborate on how to deal with the gap, including how to practice and build upon what they have learned.

3.      Evaluate: You’ll want to discuss and agree on how to assess progress through a follow-up plan.

In summary, developmental coaching is about observing, listening and helping the employee analyze opportunities. What are your thoughts?

References:

Merrington, C. (2013, Oct 16). Work harder, longer, faster, or smarter? [blog]. Management-issues.com. Retrieved from http://www.management-issues.com/opinion/6777/work-harder-longer-faster-or-smarter/

Walton, M. (1986). The Deming Management Method. New York: Perigee Books.

Three business coaching approaches for peak performance: How business coaching is like Vulcan Chess

Business coaching in an organizational setting seems to be like a game of Vulcan Chess. In Vulcan Chess, as demonstrated by Star Trek’s Spock, chess moves involve considering moving up or down any number of levels, augmenting traditional chess moves. Business coaching really involves thinking along three levels, similar to how Vulcan Chess involves considering moves along three dimensions. Unlike Vulcan Chess, though, we have to integrate logic and emotion to empathize with others so as to quickly recognize when we can help and what type of help (coaching) is needed.

We want to help others succeed, as that is the critical goal of coaching, so when we recognize coaching opportunities, we need to consider whether coaching is needed on a performance, developmental, or behavioral level. The daily interactions we encounter help guide our coaching approaches along these levels, and choosing the correct level helps develop and sustain relationships. Listening to employees is crucial in guiding our decisions in choosing between these three types of coaching, as these choices impact how employees' leadership development is applied at the line level. Choosing the wrong level is not only illogical but could lead to a quick checkmate.

Performance coaching is used when someone is performing below an expected level, whereas developmental coaching is used to improve and develop those who are performing at least satisfactorily. Behavioral coaching involves changing behavioral patterns that sabotage- or significantly hinder- success; it is potentially more transformational than the other two approaches. So, as you can see, knowledge, skills and behaviors are important criterion that factor into how we analyze coaching opportunities, as taking a psychological approach to deal with an issue that is knowledge or skills based could backfire. Furthermore, solely focusing on negative feedback without encouraging positive behaviors or acknowledging accomplishments deflates morale and could signal that we aren’t listening effectively.

Coaching conversations really start when we look at the frequent exchanges we encounter daily, whether they are in person or online. You don’t see people walking around with “Help me” signs, but you can pick up cues that help you make decisions and make mental notes that help you relate with what they need. This really is where logic and emotion come together to help us analyze, relate to and engage those who need coaching.

So, effective business coaching involves listening and collaborating with someone as opposed to coaching at them by directing solutions. What cues can we use to help guide which coaching approach to take? The following short PowerPoint presentation provides cues I have used to help guide my coaching approaches.

In the end, determining the most appropriate business coaching approach is a lot like choosing the most appropriate move in Vulcan Chess: we need to observe, listen and analyze the opportunity. As Spock would say, “That is only logical”.

What are your thoughts?

Coaching up, without getting fired

You don’t want to be perceived as insubordinate, nor do you want to risk your job. Yet, you have constructive feedback for your supervisors that can help them professionally as well as the organization. You don’t have to remain silent nor do you have to be manipulative. How can you approach these situations so you remain respected and not get fired?

 

Coaching in our current environment is truly 360 degrees, regardless of whether we work for a business or non-profit organization, as we seem to find ourselves providing feedback for not only those work for us as well as colleagues, but also for our bosses and leaders as well. Supervisors who are strong leaders realize they become better by listening and acting on feedback from all sources, especially from their subordinates, and that strengthens the organization as well.  In The Blame Game, Dattner and Dahl (2011) explained the best leaders invite contrary viewpoints and do not shun criticism. Feedback does not have to be accusatory and blame-based, as that contributes to making an organization dysfunctional. Put differently, your constructive feedback helps reduce supervisors’ blind spots and improves problem-solving.
 

 

Coaching is a process of discovery, not directing, so you are taking a supportive, collaborative role when you take advantage of coaching moments with your supervisors. You aren’t prescribing an answer, rather considering the issue and alternatives. In “Differentiating leader and leadership development”, Dalakoura (2009) stated this self-development is important, as it promotes continuous learning, and it's not just a matter of leaders themselves initiating development, but development is encouraged by employees, other managers and HR leaders as part of a system.

You can develop a perception that you are a reliable, trustworthy team member, as you discuss issues directly with supervisors, instead of going around them. Opening channels for speaking up can improve, rather than jeopardize, your work relationships when you have a positive approach for tackling “coaching up”.

Here are five considerations for approaching “coaching up” discussions:

1)      Remain positive: Your supervisors and you are part of a team, with the goal of strengthening the organization, not making your life tough. Keeping a positive demeanor also helps your focus on the facts instead of emotions.

2)      Empathize: Your supervisors are people as well, so putting yourself in their shoes may help you appreciate their challenges, improve the timing of your critiques, and also help you remain humble. No one knows all the answers, yet a diversity of opinions can strengthen our collective knowledge and drive improvement.

3)      Ask for their consent: This helps invite your feedback and signals how receptive they will be towards your feedback.

4)      Be authentic: You don’t want to sugarcoat the issues with excessive compliments at the start, nor do you want to unnecessarily put them on the defensive. Don’t skirt or divert the issues. The focus has to be on the issues and improvement, and you want to set an appropriate perspective on them.

5)      Contextualize it: Focus on actions, behaviors and processes, and discuss how changes could help improve meeting or exceeding objectives. Be specific and fact-based. This also helps you distinguish what is urgent and important, highlighting those issues that can be managed. Consider how your critique adds value, especially for consumers.

These points should help strengthen your relationship with your supervisors, as it develops channels for openly sharing feedback and encouraging mutual respect. No one is perfect, we all want to grow. As a supervisor myself, I can appreciate feedback that helps me improve and I try to encourage feedback on a consistent basis.

What are your thoughts and approaches to coaching up?

References:

Dalakoura, A. (2010). Differentiating leader and leadership development. The Journal of Management Development, 29(5), 432-441. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02621711011039204

Dattner, B. & Dahl, D. (2011). The Blame Game. New York, NY: Free Press.