So how do actually set about carrying it out so that you gain your team member’s full buy-in, and can give yourself the best opportunity for success? Here are four steps to lay the foundation for coaching in your department, so it becomes more of a culture within your department:

Step 1: Set the vision. Decide exactly what you would like the outcomes to be and identify what the team member(s) need to do to achieve them. Clarify expectations, identify the timetable, establish what resources you have available, encourage and motivate them on the first steps of the journey.

Step 2: Step away and let them come to you if they have questions. Empower and encourage them to use their own best judgment. Redirect them to others if they have simple questions. Fight the urge to step in and take over. Support them, but don’t take on their problems

Step 3: If it’s going well, support and acknowledge this fact, and model what is working so that you can repeat if necessary. Monitor how they are doing, evaluate the results and adjust if needed. Keep the motivation going.

Step 4: If it’s not going well you may need to step in and assist. Understand what the issue is and what have they tried. Make a decision quickly after you have checked in with them. Repeat what the vision and deliverables are. Clarify your expectations and resources available. Identify if they need a bit more mentoring rather than coaching.

If you follow these steps, you give yourself a better chance of succeeding with your coaching within the business.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

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5. I don’t need more feedback.

We all get feedback from our managers, peers, and even subordinates. The problem is that they aren’t giving you neutral feedback. They’re giving you feedback based on their personal expereriences with you and they can’t take a step back and look at you objectively. They’re also less likely to let you know if they think your behaviours or attitudes are inappropriate. A coach will give you honest feedback, whether you like it or not.

4. Coaching relationships are short term experiences.

On the contrary, if you seek a professional coach you should seek to build a long-term relationship. The cycle of growth and development never really ends and, as such, you’ll always need a coach to help you reevaluate your goals and objectives and make changes to your plans. Your goals will determine how long you need a coach.

3. I have a mentor. I don’t need another one.

Having a mentor is great but mentors and coaches aren’t the same thing. Mentors are usually people within the same industry you are in – with a focus on helping you learn the specific ropes of that industry so that you can build your career. Coaches, on the other hand, may have skills that complement yours – skills you need to learn that have nothing to do with your industry in general. Mentors focus on work. Coaches focus on you.

2. I’m not coachable.

Everyone who wants to be coached is coachable. It’s true that there are a few people who simply can’t be coached but it’s not for lack of trying. Their attitudes and behaviours simply make it impossible. You can’t expect a coach to do all of the work for you. Your coach won’t even be able to motivate you if you don’t want to be motivated. There are even days when the most coachable people simply can’t be coached. You’ll get over it – and you will learn.

1. Coaching forces people to form dependencies.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Working with a coach will not make you dependent upon him. Your coach is more likely to help you learn to be self-confident than he is to allow you to form a dependancy.

Stop making excuses about why coaching won’t work for you and start reconsidering your options. Having a coach in your life is likely to help you foster your career – and before you know it you’ll be a better manager with a promising future!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Leadership Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

5. I’m successful, so I don’t need a coach.

Nope. Wrong. You may, at one point in your career, learn a certain set of skills. As you advance, you’ll need to build upon those skills and the higher you get on the management food chain the more important they’ll become. You need a coach by your side to help you learn how to get better at the things you’re not as strong at. And trust me – no matter what you think, you’re not already perfect.

4. I don’t need counseling or therapy.

That’s wonderful. The good news is that coaching is NOT counseling, nor is it therapy. Yes, you do get to have private conversations with your coach. Yes, you will get to talk about your goals and aspirations. The difference is that your coach is there to inspire you and help you build a successful career while a therapist would merely be trying to heal you.

3. I don’t have a problem, so I don’t need coaching.

What’s more effective – preventative medicine or medicine administered after you’re ill? The truth is that a coach can help you to build your career from the ground up, giving you advice and guidance along the way so that you don’t make a mess out of it. If you wait until you have problems (like a bad reputation) it may be too late to save your career – with or without a coach.

2. I can’t find a coach with the same experience I have.

Why on earth would you want a coach exactly like you are? Why wouldn’t you want a coach who already has a proven track record as a leader? Someone with technical expertise, amazing communication skills, and the ability to share insight. The truth is that you could have a coach from a completely different industry and the ideas he shares with you will be just as valid.

1. Coaching doesn’t matter because you can’t prove a ROI.

Contrary to popular belief, there are ways of measuring your ROI (return on investment) in regards to the benefits of your coaching experience. As a matter of fact, studies have shown ROI numbers ranging up to 600% in some cases.

Take a look at each of these myths, or misconceptions, and erase them from your mind. The benefits of coaching are many, and measurable.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Leadership Development

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Good mentors are able to embrace and develope four main skills. Without these skills you will not be able to communicate with or aid in the enhancement of anyone’s performance. These skills are as follows:

• Observation skills are important because you must be able to see and understand what the person you are mentoring is currently doing and/or is capable of.
• Analytical skills will give you the tools you need in order to determine where the person you are working with is falling short and what changes may need to be made.
• Questioning and active listening skills are essential. When mentoring, you don’t feed the person you are working with a set of detailed instructions. You have to probe and ask questions about what he does and does not understand. You’re not a teacher, you’re a guide. If you don’t ask questions and listen to the answers you won’t know what needs to be done next.
• Feedback skills are incredibly important as well. You must be able to give honest feedback in the form of constructive criticism. Negative feedback isn’t appropriate in most mentoring situations. You must be able to correct the actions and behaviours of your trainee without making him feel as though he failed at a task. Embrace the learning curve.

Have you taken the time to develop these mentoring skills? If not, get started. 2010 will be a long year full of confusion – for you and your teammates – if you don’t.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Leadership Development

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

These are all relatively simple, so we’ll start with the first. In order to encourage your employees to learn they need to have three things:

• Desire
• Opportunity
• Competence

They must want to learn, they must have the time and support needed to learn, and they must already have some degree of competency or ability to do their jobs. You can’t successfully coach anyone who doesn’t want to be coached.

The next thing you need to understand is the type of level of change a coaching relationship should cause. You’re mainly looking for three things. You should see your coaching having a positive impact on your employee’s customer relationship skills; the person you are coaching should be able to properly manage the things he’s learning in his coaching session; and you as the manager and coach should see a recognisable change.

Finally, you need to recognize how important coaching actually is to your employees and team members. They look forward to your coaching sessions because thy give them time away from having to make their own decisions, give them a sense of safety in a confidential setting, and make them feel as though they have companionship even though your relationships are detached.

You may think coaching is a waste of time but you should make a strong effort to have a coaching session with all of your employees at least once every month. After a bit of time you’ll begin to see a noticable difference in both their work skills and morale!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

5. Find a Reason for Coaching

Don’t coach for the sake of coaching. Make sure you have a clear, concise objective. What are your employee’s career goals, both long term and short? What can you do to help him reach those goals? Without goals, there is no reason to begin coaching.

4. Direct without Leading

As a coach, you should offer advice as to how to reach a goal without actually paving the path for your team members. Give your mentee all of the information he needs to get from point A to point B without actually doign all oof the work for him. Be a support system instead of a crutch.

3. Ask Open Ended Questions

Questions that can be answered with a simple YES or NO won’t get you anywhere. Listen to what your employees are telling you about their goals, aspirations, and setbacks and ask probing questions. Use the answers to help them develop plans for more effectively dealing with similar situations in the future.

2. Remember – You are Human

You are human and, as such, are not a walking encyclopedia. Your trainee may ask you a question that you don’t know the answer to and it is perfectly acceptable to admit that you do not have that answer. Simply let your trainee know that you’ll have the answer for them at your next coaching session.

1. Provide Honest Feedback

Use a few minutes at the end of each coaching session to let your trainee know exactly where you think he or she needs improvement. Ask him or her to assess himself as well. Find out what he is learning and what he is able to apply in the workplace. Make sure he walks out of each coaching session with at least one new piece of information.

Great coaching will lead to great improvements – in both your communication skills and the performance of your overall team!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

The first type of person is a “fixer.” Fixers are people who believe they can sort everything out on their own without the help of others. They’re usually self-centered people who just can’t see the big picture.

The second type of mentoring-resistant person is a “bureaucrat”. These people are very controlling and can’t think out of the box. They won’t break the rules and are completely unflexible.

Third on the list are the “pleasers.” These people aren’t great to work with on a mentorship basis because they won’t challenge anyone or confront difficult situations. There is no use trying to teach them anything because they’ll always agree with what you say.

Finally we have the “talkers.” These individuals won’t shut their mouths long enough to build a rapport with anyone – clients or fellow employees. They’re incapable of practicing active listening and, therefore, will never absorb any of the information or wisdom you try to share.

Are you one of the above people? Are you trying to mentor with a personality like one of these? If so, you may need to consider whether or not the mentorship relationship you have is worth your time and effort.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Manager Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

“Systematically increasing the capability and work performance of someone by exposing him or her to work-based tasks or experiences that will provide the relevant learning opportunities, and giving feedback to help him or her learn from them.”

He’s absolutely right. As a coach, though, you need to know how to get your mentee started – how do you jumpstart the learning process?

There are three things that need to be in place before you can teach anyone anything. They are:

• Desire – the person you are coaching must want to learn as opposed to finding himself in a situation where he is forced to adopt a coach;
• Opportunity – you must have the time to coach your employee, he must have the time to dedicate to the things you are teaching him, and you must have the support of your organisation (in both time and materials); and
• Competence – you must be an expert in your area of specialty. Otherwise you’ll only cause confusion to the person you are coaching. The person you are coaching must be competent as well – he needs to care about his work, have the skills necessary to do the job, and be willing to work with you to make his job even better.

If these three main points do not exist you will have a very difficult time facilitating the learning process. Take the time to review your situation before you get started. Doing so will enable to you make the changes necessary to ensure you are successful.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Manager Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

You have four main obligations to meet as a mentor:

• You must be prepared to do good;
• You are obligated to avoid actions that will cause harm;
• You must remain fair at all times;
• And you are obligated to act with care and concern.

These concepts should call into the category of common sense but some managers neglect to think about the ramifications of their actions before they take on a mentee. You will, of course, earn credit for taking the time to help another person, but you need to make sure you’re prepared to guide them down the proper path.

If you aren’t 100% sure you have the time or skill to be a mentor, don’t do it. Ask your training department or another manager or mentor to help you out. In this case, taking on more than you can handle will be detrimental not only to yourself, but to your new employee or mentee. Be open and honest about your abilities and constraints and it will be easy to avoid disaster.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

As you get started, keep in mind that there are four main phases of mentoring.

First you must establish some sort of rapport with your mentee. You need to spend some time getting to know each other while at the same time identifying some of his work habits, thought processes, and ethical beliefs. This should give you an idea of how easy it will (or will not be) to guide him.

Once you’ve gotten to know each other you’ll need to set a direction for your mentoring. You’ll want to develop a plan of action with specific, identifiable goals. Use both your mentee’s desires and your own experience to set goals appropriate for his level of experience.

You will, of course, want to begin making progress. This means identifying what work your mentee has that can be applied towards your mentoring goals, assigning new projects (if you are also the employee’s manager),  and providing a certain amount of training and/or resources.

Finally, once your mentee is comfortable in his job role, you should simply move on. You don’t have to make yourself unavailable to your mentee, but at some point you’ll have to cut your ties enough to let him do his job on his own. Besides, by then you may have someone else waiting in the wings for your time and attention.

Do you have a specific mentoring program in your workplace? If so, how does it work? Do you have mentoring groups or do you form one on one relationships?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Courses

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”