It doesn't cost anything to meet us
Harvey Schachter's article in the Globe and Mail gives three great tips to improve your listening skills.
As coaches, we cannot emphasize enough how important it is to listen, at different levels, to what is said and what is not said. This listening is the key to asking powerful questions- which is the best way to develop people, and to develop business.
Take a minute to give this a read, and think about how you can show others you're listening.
Here's a great overview for anyone who is interested in actively coaching their peers.
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/02/cultivate_your_coaching_networ.html
From Harvard Business Review
Posted by Sandra Oliver on February 27, 2012
Coaching, Leadership, Leading Teams, Team Effectiveness
Evidence that sales coaching works and works best with the middle 60%.
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/01/the_dirty_secret_of_effective.html
From Harvard Business Review
In this article from the Globe and Mail, the author outlines 7 common pitfalls people fall into when entering into a coaching engagement.
By Vince Lombardi:
From the Vancouver Sun: Management technique designed to promote 'culture of inquiry,' improve how people interact
Read more: http://goo.gl/0ZbkU
How do you know if you are using the right one?
Personality tests are a big part of our coaching process. At the early stage of a new coaching relationship, it's important for individuals to get insights into their strengths and areas of opportunities. There are many tests out there, however not every tool has the right impact. One of the tools that we leverage in our coaching practice is The Birkman Method (http://www.birkman.com/birkmanMethod/whatIsTheBirkmanMethod.php).
We recently used it with one of our executive clients. Through a debrief discussion, we were able to focus on the behaviors that get in the way of him delegating effectively. By identifying those obstacles and leveraging what he is actually great at, we were able to help him set very specific goals around delegation. Following a recent meeting with his coach, he was happy to report that he is now delegating more and he is much happier! Now that's a positive impact!
As reported by CNN Money/Fortune, this article talks about the rise of coaching for executives, and the change in perception from a "last step" measure, to a proactive way to enhance peoples' skills.
Read the article but even better read the book. Ignore the Goldman Sacks examples that are out of date. Get into the meat of the book. It is thoughtful and well researched and will change the way you approach work. It will also change the way you look at coaching.
People too often make feedback about the other person. "You need to be a better communicator." "You need to improve your ability to coach your staff."
It much more powerful to make the feedback about you rather than the other person. "I really like to be kept in the loop. My preference is to be updated weekly on this project. Will that work for you?". "People management is really important to me. I would like you to make sure that you complete all of your performance reviews in person and on schedule. Can you commit to that?"
Sound better? Of course it does. It is not that the first examples are wrong they are just not as effective as the second examples above. If you want people to listen, make it about you most of the time.
Spring is a good time to reflect on all things new. New growth. New challenges. New issues. New people.
It’s also a good time to change things up. Over the course of the past few months we have been doing some things differently. We’ve been privileged to partner with a number of clients to launch new approaches to coaching. We thought we’d share some of those stories with you.
There’s a fresh way to develop high potentials.
Recently Claire, supported by Wendi and Sophie, worked with one client to design and deliver a customized high potential program— “a Shadow Senior Management Team”— that includes a combination of peer coaching and one-on-one coaching. Now, five months into the program, we’ve seen incredible growth in both the individuals and the group. They’ve developed tremendous comfort with one another and with their IMPACT coaches. They’ve developed new strategic skills, raised their professional profiles, and have become more confident leaders. They are acting like a senior management team. They are a source of inspiration to us as well as a reminder of how well peer coaching can work!
Don’t just test. Onboard effectively.
You can use personality tests to help you hire and onboard employees effectively. Sophie is a specialist in the Birkman Method. She worked closely with a client to help choose the right new hire for that client. Sophie also met with the client and her new hire and used the Birkman to have a practical dialogue around how they can best work together starting from day one. Both the client and the new hire have reported that the experience was rewarding, practical and game- changing for them.
Speaking of new things, we’re excited to launch the new and improved IMPACT website. We’ve made simple changes to the site to keep it fresh, make it even more user-friendly and include exciting new information and resources.
We’ve poled our coaches for their best tidbits of advice and we’ve begun to post them on Twitter. To receive our tips, follow us on twitter:www.twitter.com/impactcoach.
And in the spirit of the season of new growth, if you like our work, please tell your friends and colleagues.
Happy spring.
The IMPACT Team
As people start to work with me, one of the questions I get asked is, “Do I have to lie on a couch?” For most people this is tongue in cheek but for some, it is a question about how coaching really works. Here’s what to expect from a good coach:
If you find your coaching conversations are not effective, you may need another coach or be better served by a psychiatrist or psychologist. Most importantly, your time is valuable, find someone who really helps you.
I’ve finished up more than one coaching meeting with the thought, “This client may not need me. He already knows what to do.” Sometimes I’ve agonized over how I can add more value for those clients who just seem to have spectacular self-awareness and the ability to make great decisions. I make it a point to ask my clients whether they are getting what they need from me, yet I somehow doubted it when these seemingly totally “together” clients answered yes.
One day, one client brought all my agonizing to a halt when she said, “You know what, you’re a great mirror for me.” I was reminded that every client is different. Every client has different needs, and I can add value in different ways for different clients. There are really talented leaders out there who don’t need me to give advice. Rather, what they appreciate about their coaching sessions is the opportunity to talk things though confidentially, have me listen and challenge them. Sometimes the coach can be a sounding board. Sometimes devil’s advocate. Sometimes the trusted adviser.
Sometimes a mirror.
If you have a knowledgeable client, remember: they haven’t hired you because you are smarter than they are or because you know more about the subject matter that you are consulting on. They have hired you to help them. Don’t worry about yourself and what value you are bringing. Focus on them and give them what they need even if it feels uncomfortable.
Everyone who coaches anyone should read this article. Science now confirms that a positive and forward looking approach to coaching works better than finding flaws.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101117184501.htm
