What is coaching? A clear definition is a necessary foundation for success – whether you’re coaching a group of 8-year-old soccer players or a business executive.
Humanergy views coaching as a dialogue that promotes success and development. Coaching is a dialogue because it relies upon the interplay between the coach and coachee. Sorry, no super hero coaches flying in to save the day. But a skilled coach does guide others to produce fantastic results – new/better thinking and behavior and outstanding performance.
What are the essential elements of successful coaching?
Feed. Feed the person with authentic respect and value of their perspective. Feed the strengths by:
- recognizing successes
- understanding the mechanics of success (the specific thinking and behaviors that produce it)
- reinforcing desired practices
Need. Identify the need for improved impact, results and performance. What’s the gap between current impact, results and performance and what is desired or required?
Seed. Seed performance with improved practices. Work with the coachee to grow new thinking and behavior.
Weed. Weed out limiting practices when they are resistant or dangerous. Some thinking and behavior are counter-productive. Develop a plan to eliminate practices that hinder progress and replace them with newly-seeded best practices.
Together, these 4 essential elements are a winning combination for coaching success. If you’re being coached, make sure that all 4 aspects are being covered. If you’re the coach, don’t leave out any of these critical components. After all, coaching is a partnership with mutual responsibility to ensure that feed, need, seed and weed all happen. Agreed?
Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!
It is important to stay out of the way of the process when you are coaching.
All of us have seen sport coaches who tend to be of the yelling type. I have noticed they tend to focus on the negative and are telling the team or individual what they, the coach, WANT to say and not focus on the positive and tell them what the team or individual NEED to hear.
The same has held true in my experience, that when working with individuals in a business environment, You need to be sure to not ” tell them what you want to say”, but rather share with them “what they need to hear”.
Continually lay the ground work in a way that allows self awareness or discovery. This personal, internal journey will have greater impact with sustainable results.
Not a bad way to look at things. This is a great blog, first time reader. Feel free to check out my blog or website, too, and use any content w/credit. Best regards!