Date: 6/17/2014

Title: COACHING TO HIGH PERFORMANCE - Part Two

A coaching relationship is based on several core competencies. The coach is partnering with the client in a thought-provoking process that is creative. Gentle challenging occurs that encourages the employee to move beyond a comfort zone and maximize his/her personal and professional potential. Core competencies are to establish the coaching agreement, co-create the relationship, communicate effectively, and facilitate learning and results.

Communicating effectively involves active listening and powerful questioning. Active listening is the ability to focus on what the employee is saying and not saying, and how this relates to the issues to be addressed. It is truly focusing on the employee’s words and body language….not to reinforce a point the coach wants to make, but to truly understand where the employing is coming from. This type of communication is accepting and reinforcing. When in this type of safe environment, the employee is able to take risks, own his/her deficits in soft skills, and attempt new behaviors.

Powerful question is a technique that gently forces employees out of comfort zones. We can’t make changes if we stay in the same paradigm that caused us the problems in the first place. Questions evoke insight, which leads to clarity and learning, which leads to commitment for behavioral change.

Facilitating learning involves creating awareness. The coach guides the employee to dig deeper into perceptions of situations. Broader perspectives are offered for consideration. Insights are born when the coach guides the employee into discovering new thoughts and beliefs that strengthen his/her ability to take action.

With awareness comes options. When a coach can help an employee “see” situations from different angles and internalize that perceptions drive behaviors, the employee can make different choices about how he/she behaves. When a coach can help an employee better understand his/her strengths and blind spots and how these lead to choices, more positive choices can be made.

Skills are usually already present, but are dormant and misunderstood. Experiencing a positive coaching relationship will help an employee move to a positive, high performance level.

To learn more about how to practice this understanding, contact Results Group, LLC at www.ResultsGroupLLC.com or 515-330-2866.