Page 175 - Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders

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COACHING—ONE-TO-ONE LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION
CHAPTER 10
about our families; others prefer not to. Some of us like sports, cook-
ing, camping, biking, you name it; others could care less about any or
all of these.
As the coach, you need to identify an individual strength—some-
thing that the person is doing very well. Say something positive about
the person’s performance. Then move to the areas of weakness, things
that the individual could be doing better. Call them “opportunities
for improvement.” First find out what the individual thinks about the
situation.
Ask if there is anything holding the individual back or preventing
her or him from doing the job. These obstacles could be a lack of
resources, not enough time, or another individual—even the leader. Typ-
ically such problems not only are harmful to the individual but may be
harming the entire team. Emphasize your willingness to help. Ask the
individual if he or she has any suggestions for improvement.
Get commitment. Identify solutions to the problems. Ask the individual
to commit to improvement. Gain agreement. Establish a time frame
for resolving the problem. Again, gain agreement. Close the session on
a positive note. Thank the individual for his or her contributions. Ask
for feedback on your coaching style. Was it helpful? How could you
have made it better? (If you are open and forthcoming, you will get
honest feedback. It may take a few sessions for the individual to open
up, but in time she or he will—if you have established the proper
boundaries of trust.)
Follow up. Check on the individual periodically. Feedback during
the workweek is perfectly acceptable. Do not ride the person. Just
be available. When the agreed-upon deadline is reached, check on
the status of the situation. If the problem has been resolved, recognize
the individual for meeting the commitment that he or she made. If
the problem has not been resolved, ask why. You may need to sched-
ule another coaching session, or at least keep a close watch on the
situation.
As the leader, you want to be able to resolve any issues, but you also
want to enable individuals to solve as many of the difficulties as possible
for themselves. Too much intervention indicates that you are doing too
much, to the detriment of others on the team. This also thwarts the
growth of the individual. Too little intervention leaves the individual to
sink or swim. Sometimes that is appropriate; other times it is not. When
you follow up, make certain that you ask for feedback on your coaching
style. Again ask how you can improve.