Zoned in Performance "The Coaching Manager"
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business 22 the north magazine THE COACHING MANAGER People Centered… Outcome Driven… Performance Focused ”No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings” William Blake S tanding at the bottom of a snow covered hill in Lofer, Austria, I was working with the GB Alpine ski team; it was the 17th of January 2006. The team were training for the next set of competitive races and my role was to assist them on the psychological aspects of their performance, in order to help them compete to the peak of their ability. I became aware that a man was standing by my shoulder. I recognized him from earlier when I had noticed he was keenly observing us. He asked me what I was doing, I told him that we were working on developing their competitive mental skills ability. “I ask them questions which focuses their mind,” I replied. Asking powerful questions is one of the keys to effective coaching. In this article we will explore some of the key pillars to effective of business coaching. With the credit crunch affecting many aspects of business, savvy owners and employers recognize the value of having a really effective and efficient team; one which saves energy, time and money by working together and seeking innovative solutions to the problems faced by companies around the world. Coaching offers leaders and managers a different, powerful and flexible tool which can help members of their team to grow and develop both personally and professionally which in turn has a positive knock-on effect for the business. More and more coaching is being seen as the vital tool which is needed to make this happen. The realization that a goal or solution when given to you by somebody else will seldom be as powerful as a goal or solution you discover for yourself, because ownership increases your commitment to making it happen is changing the face of leadership within the workplace. Creating an environment that encourages innovation, the sharing of ideas and a zone of confidence is key to a successful, thriving business. Developing Rapport “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” Zig Ziglar Think of someone in whose company you feel comfortable. What is it about that person that allows you to relax and be yourself? This is very important for a coach, having the ability to put someone at ease allows you both to safely explore the opportunities and challenges ahead. When people are relaxed in one another’s company they almost seem to move as one, matching and mirroring each others’ movements. Rapport building is a skill some people seem to find easy, the “natural networkers;” but we can all learn simple body language techniques to develop our rapport skills. The next time you go to a restaurant watch people. Study their movements, how their bodies relate to each other. What do you notice? Listening Skills “When people listen, listen completely. Most people never listen” Ernest Hemingway Listening is different from waiting your turn to speak! Coaches listen at many different levels to what is said. What is not said allows you to develop a clearer picture of your clients situation. The next time you have a conversation with a friend, be still and listen, don’t rush to fill every quiet moment. Curiosity and Questions “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing” Albert Einstein Develop an intense curiosity about people and their world. This will guide you to ask questions about their strengths, hopes, and challenges. Practice asking questions like “How do you do that? What would that get you? Where’s your next challenge?” As I moved away from the hill, I thought about the power of people finding their own answers to their performance challenges. Through having the courage to coach in the appropriate situations you enable others to find their own answers and solutions, and in turn helping them to grow a great team. In today’s turbulent times self- reliant innovative and resourceful team players can be the lifeblood of a growing organization allowing them not to just survive but thrive and prosper. ■ Donald MacNaughton is available for consultation, coaching and workshops for individuals and organisations. email: [email protected] www.zonedinperformance.com WORDS I DONALD MACNAUGHTON
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In the business world the skills of coaching are more and more valued for increasing capacity. In this article Don MacNaughton looks at how you can use a coaching mindset to get the most out of your team.
Transcript of Zoned in Performance "The Coaching Manager"
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: [email protected]
WORDS I DONALD MACNAUGHTON
