business

22 the north magazine

THE COACHING MANAGERPeople Centered… Outcome Driven… Performance Focused

”No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings”William Blake

Standing at the bottom of a snow

covered hill in Lofer, Austria, I wasworking with the GB Alpine ski team; it wasthe 17th of January 2006. The team weretraining for the next set of competitive racesand my role was to assist them on thepsychological aspects of their performance,in order to help them compete to the peakof their ability. I became aware that a manwas standing by my shoulder. I recognizedhim from earlier when I had noticed he waskeenly observing us. He asked me what Iwas doing, I told him that we were workingon developing their competitive mentalskills ability. “I ask them questions whichfocuses their mind,” I replied. Askingpowerful questions is one of the keys toeffective coaching. In this article we willexplore some of the key pillars to effectiveof business coaching.

With the credit crunch affecting manyaspects of business, savvy owners andemployers recognize the value of having areally effective and efficient team; onewhich saves energy, time and money byworking together and seeking innovativesolutions to the problems faced bycompanies around the world. Coachingoffers leaders and managers a different,powerful and flexible tool which can helpmembers of their team to grow anddevelop both personally and professionally

which in turn has a positive knock-on effectfor the business. More and more coaching isbeing seen as the vital tool which is neededto make this happen. The realization that agoal or solution when given to you bysomebody else will seldom be as powerfulas a goal or solution you discover foryourself, because ownership increases yourcommitment to making it happen ischanging the face of leadership within theworkplace. Creating an environment thatencourages innovation, the sharing of ideasand a zone of confidence is key to asuccessful, thriving business.

Developing Rapport

“People don’t care how much you knowuntil they know how much you care”Zig Ziglar

Think of someone in whose company youfeel comfortable. What is it about thatperson that allows you to relax and beyourself? This is very important for a coach,having the ability to put someone at easeallows you both to safely explore theopportunities and challenges ahead. Whenpeople are relaxed in one another’scompany they almost seem to move as one,matching and mirroring each others’movements. Rapport building is a skill somepeople seem to find easy, the “naturalnetworkers;” but we can all learn simplebody language techniques to develop ourrapport skills.The next time you go to a restaurant watchpeople. Study their movements, how theirbodies relate to each other. What do younotice?

Listening Skills

“When people listen, listen completely.Most people never listen”Ernest Hemingway

Listening is different from waiting your turnto speak! Coaches listen at many differentlevels to what is said. What is not saidallows you to develop a clearer picture ofyour clients situation. The next time youhave a conversation with a friend, be stilland listen, don’t rush to fill every quietmoment.

Curiosity and Questions

“The important thing is not to stopquestioning. Curiosity has its ownreason for existing”Albert Einstein

Develop an intense curiosity about peopleand their world. This will guide you to askquestions about their strengths, hopes, andchallenges. Practice asking questions like“How do you do that? What would that getyou? Where’s your next challenge?”

As I moved away from the hill, I thoughtabout the power of people finding theirown answers to their performancechallenges. Through having the courage tocoach in the appropriate situations youenable others to find their own answers andsolutions, and in turn helping them to growa great team. In today’s turbulent times self-reliant innovative and resourceful teamplayers can be the lifeblood of a growingorganization allowing them not to justsurvive but thrive and prosper. �

Donald MacNaughton is available forconsultation, coaching and workshops forindividuals and organisations.email: donald@zonedinperformance.comwww.zonedinperformance.com

WORDS I DONALD MACNAUGHTON