In the article: “What is Leadership Coaching?”, I explained the importance of training and guided the readers through the merits of allied technologies. Today I propose to consider the coaching technologies.
Coaching takes a holistic view of the individual: work, corporate values, personal needs and career development are made to work in synergy, not against one another. - British Journal of Administrative Management
Technological effectiveness of coaching consists, on the one hand, in a specific sequence of steps and procedures for dealing with a specialist and, on the other hand, inflexibility and variability of the techniques and means involved for solving of individual problems of a future manager.
Any technology implies an algorithm of a certain process as well as management cycle of interrelated functions and operations which determinate achieving of stable results. Designing and outlining of technology is an essential condition of its controllability and predetermines its spontaneity. Coaching program represents a set of actions aimed at implementing a coaching model in the process of professional training of a manager and adjusts the stages and periods required for the solution of the tasks at hand. Different models are used in the coaching of enhancement of emotional quotient (EQ). Let’s take a closer look at the two models.
The first model is “who-what-how”. It includes three focus points which the trainee studies and elaborates together with the coach from session to session: “who” (the trainee, his objectives, values, needs, strengths, weaknesses, talents, limitations, manners of action, etc.); “what” (objectives of the trainee, tasks, dreams, what is needed, what is desired, what is given up and so on); and “how” (how to achieve, ways, possibilities, strategies, skills, technologies, techniques, methods and the like). Moreover, these focus points are shifted on a random basis, depending on the contents of the respective session: they can be elaborated in parallel, sequentially or in any order. The only thing that matters is that each focus point shall be elaborated to the full extent until everything is clear.
The second model is “focus-cooperation-observation”. It is used, as a rule, after the establishment of contact between the coach and the trainee. At first, a particular topic is brought into focus. Then it is jointly elaborated during sessions (in operation) and what happens is analyzed.
This method is suitable for helping athletes to overcome the plateau in competition form. Moreover, marketing strategies for enterprises are worked out in the same way. The key idea is to monitor the results of every session carefully.
The general coaching technology reveals itself through coaching roles and functions when dealing with the trainee.
- Joint participation
The coach not only offers his knowledge but rather proposes a partnership and joint participation. Knowledge is important too, but in coaching, it ranks second or even third. The priority is given to the ability of rendering support in solving of problems which (a) have no standard and known in advance solutions, and (b) shall be solved by one’s efforts. The following may serve as examples of such tasks: working out of business strategy, establishing of the management team, settlement of conflicts and personnel management. Just working out of some management system which is, as a rule, proposed by traditional consultants, is nothing else but deadweight if a trainee fails to learn how to create and to use such systems.
- Questions ("What is interfering or preventing")
Depending on the situation when a trainee knows how to act appropriately, but the expected result is not obtained, the coach comes to help, asking “what is interfering or hindering?”.
- Encouraging of a trainee to search for alternatives and to select a solution ("answer from the inside")
Even knowing how to solve a problem of a trainee, the coach seeks to make the trainee find a solution by himself. That is why the coach usually does not offer advice. Interaction happens by means of thought-provoking questions asked by the coach and joint analysis of the answers. Answering the questions, the trainee will gain more and more understanding of the task at hand and will be able to select the best solution. The coach may share his ideas with respect to the solution of the task at hand but will not insist on his point of view. The objective of the coach is to make it possible for the trainee to find a solution by himself by analyzing his own experience and assessment of the situation and, in such a manner, to contribute to his professional advancement.
- Opportunities
The coach focuses on emerging opportunities rather than on action plans. Plans are necessary. They should be made. However, not all situations unfold according to plans. It often happens that strict compliance with the plan hinders from taking of the emerging opportunities which have not been planned upfront. That is why one of the essential tasks of the coach is to keep drawing attention to the opportunities which are offered at every new stage of interaction meanwhile helping the trainee to make a plan for solving of the problem and to implement the plan.
- Skills
The coach focuses on the skills and achievements of the trainee which enables the latter to see clearly the progress and to outline the path for further development.
- Process
The coach helps the trainee to make the required changes in his life, views and beliefs by himself. The coach acts via the trainee and is responsible for the process of rendering assistance in solving the problem, while the trainee takes the actions planned during the session of coaching. In such a way, the coach helps and has the trainee advancing, instilling in the trainee independence and skills to find effective personal approaches to solving various problems.
- "Capture"
The coach never insists on any alternative solution or advice. If the trainee does not perceive a solution or disagrees with it, then this solution is not appropriate for his reality. The coach should try to understand how the trainee perceives the reality and then to help him to widen the reality by asking precise, suggestive questions, to help the trainee to see what he has not seen before, being bound by the boundaries of his perception. Besides, the coach cannot see anything and everything that the trainee can see. The joint task in the process of coaching is to find together the most appropriate solution in every specific situation.
To summarize, it can be stated with certainty that: In terms of tactics, coaching technologies vary from educational sessions and seminars to auto-trainings and consulting. Gaining the achievements of the technologies of behavioural therapy, training and tutorship, coaching enables to perceive the philosophy of personal development with reliance on changing of attitudes of the leadership management nonviolently — from problem-focused interaction to dealing with the potentials and resources.
