Coaching & Counseling

Coaching & Counseling Office of Human Resources Jean Prather, PHR 1 The most valuable assets of a 20th century company were its production equipmen...
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Coaching & Counseling Office of Human Resources Jean Prather, PHR

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The most valuable assets of a 20th century company were its production equipment. The most valuable assets of a 21st century organization … will be its knowledge, workers and their productivity. -Peter Drucker

OBJECTIVES • Learn – When and how to provide coaching and counseling. – When and how to give feedback and use constructive communication. – How coaching and counseling are interrelated.

COACHING & COUNSELING • Coaching and counseling work together to improve employee performance. • Coaching is a directive process by a supervisor to draw out latent potential and an employee's skills and abilities in order to achieve behavioral change and increase productivity. • Coaching focuses on what is currently happening and is task oriented.

COACHING AND COUNSELING • Sometimes coaching reveals attitude problems, fears or other factors that interfere with the willingness to do one's job. When such barriers to motivation are identified, supervisors shift into a counseling mode to resolve them before engaging in coaching. • Counseling is the process of guiding an employee in a constructive direction. It addresses the “won’t do” instead of “can’t do”. Counseling is people oriented and focuses on past behaviors.

COACHING • When dealing with direct reports, coaching means going beyond the day to day aspects of management to meet not merely tangible goals, but to help people build their strengths and develop skills and thought processes that will make them better employees and possible future leaders. • It will also preserve and build the employer and employee relationship.

COACHING IS . . . • Getting employees to go outside of their comfort zone. • Encouraging employees to work harder and smarter. • Collaborative rather than prescriptive. It is based on the subordinate’s achievement of performance goals set in concert with his or her manager.

BENEFITS OF COACHING • Coaching may be challenging, however, it has many benefits, including – employees learn more about their jobs and perform better. – employees develop a sense of loyalty toward their supervisor and the organization. – working conditions are improved. – productivity and quality are enhanced and maximized. (“Coaching Employees,” 2000)

• Describe the best supervisor(s) you have had during your career. • How did they inspire/encourage you? • What did they do to move you out of your comfort zone?

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COACHING Some examples of when you will coach an employee: – When they appear to be having difficulty completing a specific task – When they have excessive errors – When they miss deadlines

KEYS TO UNLOCKING POTENTIAL • Identify skill deficiencies and development opportunities – Employee self-discloses (maybe during counseling session), by observation, and by asking the right questions

• Overcome skill deficits • Make good performance better • Prepare for the future.

THE FOCUS IS ON • Work-related goals. – Work-related goals should be the exclusive concern of a coaching effort; attention should be given only to behaviors and problems that directly relate to the subordinate’s achievement of those goals. – During the course of the discussion, issues that are not work related may arise; but when this happens the supervisor should refocus the dialogue on improvement in the organizational setting. – Discuss an employee having personal issues.

• Do you know what your employees are doing? • What are the most difficult employee performance issues that you face? • How do you currently address them?

AN EFFECTIVE COACH . . . 1. Leads by example. – You can’t expect your employees to be present, on time and hit deadlines, if you don’t.

2. Sets realistic expectations. – Disappointment is as much about expectations as anything. Setting realistic expectations can help prevent underperforming employee situations.

3. Communicates well and often.

AN EFFECTIVE COACH. . . 4. Gives one-on-one feedback, frequently (specifics later in presentation). 5. Gives clear directions. – No directions or unclear directions are the number one reasons for teams failing. 6. Is approachable. – You hope that your employees are not afraid to come to you directly when they have issues (especially with you).

AN EFFECTIVE COACH . . . 7. Is clear about roles and responsibilities. – Supervisors would have fewer “difficult people” if roles and responsibilities were made clearer. You know that roles and responsibilities are unclear when you hear such comments as: “I thought I was supposed to do that.” “We both did that?” “Nobody did that?”

AN EFFECTIVE COACH . . . 8. Creates a climate of openness, mutuality and trust. – Some degree of trust and openness is essential. If the organization or the department in which the subordinate works is full of tension and mistrust, coaching won’t be effective. “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

AN EFFECTIVE COACH. . . 9. Knows how to deal with conflict. – Some people avoid conflict. When we avoid conflict, we see this big elephant in the room, but we all step around it and do not talk about it. When you avoid conflict, it tends to get worse. On the other hand, others seem to enjoy “a good fight.” Both extremes of dealing with conflict are to be avoided.

AN EFFECTIVE COACH. . . 10. Understands expressed and wanted control. – People with a high need for wanted control are comfortable when somebody else tells them what to do. – Conversely, people who have a high need for expressed control are likely to attempt to exert control and influence others. – If both parties (supervisor and employee) have a high need to control, then there may be conflict.

• How approachable are you? • Is the direction within your department clear? How could you improve the clarity? • Is every employee in your department clear concerning their roles and responsibilities? • Do you know who likes to be in control and who doesn’t?

WHEN COACHING • Don’t coach if you or the employee are upset • Ask questions, rather than give advice. – The employee can usually figure out the “best way” to accomplish a task.

• Use word pictures (analogies and metaphors) – people will remember these. • Avoid negatives: Say “Maybe you could…” as opposed to “You shouldn’t…” • Practice generous listening.

WHEN COACHING • Successful outcomes from the coaching discussion increase where the agenda for change is limited to one aspect of behavior at a time. • Any durable coaching process must contain three elements: managing expectations, monitoring performance, and giving feedback.

WHEN COACHING • Expectations must be agreed upon both in output terms and in terms of the behaviors demanded. The criteria for success must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timed (SMART) • The single most important question the coach can ask (and must act on) is: What can I do differently?

WHEN COACHING • It is important that early on in the coaching relationship ownership of the problem or opportunity passes to the employee. For this reason language such as, "here is what I would like you to do," should be replaced by, "how would you like to address this?".

WHEN COACHING • The coach should be willing to provide possible remedies to performance difficulties. Presenting possible remedies is very different from telling the employee how to act. Equally important, suggestions and input from the coach should complement, not become a substitute for, posing insightful questions that extend the employee's self-appraisal.

WHEN COACHING • Change is best achieved where there is a sensitive balance between building self-esteem, and introducing creative tension. Part of the dialogue between the coach and the employee should encompass an honest exchange about the consequences of not adopting the agreed upon processes or behavior. • If there is no follow-up, little will change. A high value-added follow-up tactic is to "catch them doing it right."

Discussion Scenario • Mary is your administrative assistant. She keeps missing deadlines that, in turn, cause you to scramble to make yours. How would you coach Mary to turn this situation around?

Coaching Questions • Questioning the employee is an important step in the coaching process, whether they have selfdisclosed issues or you have observed them. – What are the three most important things you would like to accomplish right now? – What would you like to be doing that you aren't currently doing? – What do you need from me to achieve those goals? – What management style best suits you? • Am I giving you what you need to succeed?

Coaching Questions • I want to hold you accountable in a way that is supportive, not negative or micromanaging. – What approach do you prefer I take to ensure follow through with your commitments? – How do you think I should broach the subject so that you will be open to hearing it?

Feedback • Reinforces positive new behavior and what the subordinate has done well; • Suggests rather than prescribes avenues for improvement; • Is continual rather than sporadic; • Is based on need and is elicited by the subordinate; • Is intended to help.

Providing Feedback • If you see it, say it – right at the time. • Give positive feedback publicly – negative feedback is ALWAYS done in private. • With positive and negative feedback, be very specific. • Be sincere and caring when giving feedback. • Words are a powerful reward system – say Thank you!

CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION • Constructive communication is particularly helpful when coaching or counseling a member of your staff. • The effective communicator knows the difference between the questions, ‘Did he hear you?’ and ‘Do you feel heard?’ One is a connection; and it is connection that inspires people to do their best work.”

CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION • Problem oriented, not person oriented. – Problem-oriented communication focuses on a problem that can be solved rather than the person who is responsible for the problem. – Person-oriented communication puts the listener on the defensive and focuses the attention on blame rather than on avoiding or solving future problems.

CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION • Congruent, not incongruent. – Congruent communication conveys what the speaker is thinking and feeling. There are definitely situations where discretion is a more appropriate choice than full disclosure of what we think and feel. However, in most communication situations, we communicate more effectively when we're candid. If we aren't honest, listeners won't trust what we say.

CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION • Descriptive, not evaluative. – Evaluative communication expresses judgment of the listener, or his or her actions. To be a constructive communicator, we should objectively describe problems rather than speak in an evaluative manner. – An example of a blatantly evaluative statement would be, "Your last project was screwed up." Evaluative communication puts the listener on the defensive. It's more descriptive and therefore more constructive to say, "Your last project left out an important piece."

CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION • Validating, not invalidating. – Validating communication helps people feel understood, valued, and accepted. – In contrast, invalidating communication treats people as if they are ignored, worthless, or alienated. Invalidating communication is superiority-oriented, rigid, impervious and/or indifferent.

WHY EMPLOYEES DON’T PERFORM WELL 1. Lack of Knowledge 2. Lack of Ability 3. Lack of Effort Coach for the first two; counsel for the last one.

COUNSELING . . . • Is aimed at employee development and may occur at any time. • Forces an employee to face the issues with their performance or behavior and gives them an opportunity to change. • Reinforces the employee’s accountability.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR COUNSELING • Some examples of when you might counsel: – Emotional outbursts – Excessive tardiness/absenteeism – Excessive disagreements/arguments

WHEN COUNSELING • It is imperative that a supervisor have – Respect for employees • Believing that individuals are responsible for their own actions and ideas; • Awareness of each employees unique values, attributes, and skills; • Refrain from projecting your values onto them.

– Self-Awareness • Understand yourself as a leader; • Be aware of your own values, needs, and biases.

WHEN COUNSELING – Credibility • Being honest and consistent between your statements and actions. • Be straightforward with subordinates and behave in a manner that earns your subordinates' respect and trust.

– Empathy • Understand the subordinate's situation and help them identify what is going on and develop a plan to improve it.

COUNSELING. . . • Identify the problem – Be able to vocalize the issue in terms of its impact on the department or organization. • Prepare for the counseling session in advance by setting a time and place with the employee. • Have your information (observations) organized prior to the meeting.

COUNSELING. . . • Open the session – Tell your employee that you want to help them succeed, so you need to discuss the issue. • Discuss the issues – be specific and provide examples. • The employee must perceive that the counseling is in their best interest.

COUNSELING. . . • Be quiet and give the employee plenty of opportunity to talk. – Silence is not a bad thing • Develop a plan of action with the employee (performance improvement plan). • Schedule follow-up appointment before the employee leaves. • Document! 44

WHEN COUNSELING . . . . • Keep focused on the employee the entire time. • Keep an open mind. • Be objective. • Don’t be late for the session. • Don’t allow interruptions – don’t answer phone calls. Turn off the cell phone!

BASIC PRINCIPLES • Lead by example. • Focus on the situation, issue or behavior, not on the person. • Maintain the self-confidence and selfesteem of others. • Maintain constructive relationships. • Take initiative to make things better. © Zenger Miller

Comments or Questions • Now’s the time to ask . . . . . Don’t be afraid to ask because if you are thinking it, someone else in the room is too.

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