COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
COACHING FOR CHANGE STRONG PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, LLC INSIDE THIS ISSUE What is Coaching? Why Coaching Matters Coaching for Improved Performance
WHAT IS COACHING?
BENEFITS OF COACHING
A coach is an accountability partner who helps clients
Clarity and new perspective
clarify and take action to achieve their goals.
Inspiration and motivation
Coaching involves the coach and client in a co-
Support system offering potential solutions
creative process—a process that involves a high level
Unlimited email support between sessions
of communication and problem solving. If you want to invest in your organization’s future, I help people navigate through change with
invest in your employees’ self-improvement.
confidence. When we work together, I help individuals understand their options and clarify action plans to
Organizations such as Facebook©, LinkedIn©,
reach their goals. We discuss where they want to be,
Campbell Soup© and W.W. Grainger©, are
where they are now, and what needs to change to
discovering how coaching can accelerate
help them achieve their goal. I support individuals as
performance as part of their strategic workforce
they move through changes that they haven’t moved
development efforts.
through before on their own.
COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
"A goal properly set is halfway reached." Zig Ziglar
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COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
ABOUT My name is Tuesday Strong and I help individuals and organizations translate goals into reality. Both individuals and organizations can be challenged by competing priorities, resource needs and underdeveloped skills.
My work involves offering fresh perspective and solutions that encourage changing behaviors to achieve results. I support individuals and organizations through career and life coaching.
Organizations benefit from external perspective and data-driven strategy development.
My 30+ years of experience in both corporate and academic environments, combines with top-notch business training from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Harvard University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Duke University, to support your organization.
My studies involved receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resource Management from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a Master of Science Degree in Human Resource Development from Indiana State University, and a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Management and a Master of Business
Previously, I spent nine years in a customer service call center where, for five years, I focused
Administration Degree from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
on hiring, coaching, performance management and professional development. I also spent 19 years in management and project management in an academic environment using my strategy, marketing and advancement expertise.
My lifelong learning activities have included completing the Management Development Program at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and continuing education programs at Rochester Institute of Technology and Duke University.
"Our team-building events helped me and made working with them easier!" - Mark Allen, Jr. Designer
"A goal without a plan is just a wish." Jeff Rich
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COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FAILS, AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT Managing the performance of others can be tough, but effective if done correctly. The problem is that not all managers know how to manage others correctly. You probably know of managers who dread giving performance evaluations, you may even dread them yourself. That’s when you hear the familiar phrases: “Just fill out the form and have the conversation.” “It won’t be that bad, what could possibly happen?” “Talk about the categories on the form and it’ll be okay.”
What a sorry way to approach guiding and supporting those you’re responsible for. It need not be this way! There’s an easier way to ensure employees have the competencies and motivation to contribute to the organization’s goals. It’s actually so straight-forward that you may wonder why it’s not more common.
Here it is: When managing performance, from ensuring employees have the training they need to fostering commitment, engage them in frequent, meaningful conversations—conversations that include focusing on goals and the actions they take toward achieving them.
Hold on! I know that sounds too simple, but there’s a rationale behind it. And, yes it works. I’ve seen it numerous times, used by both seasoned and new managers. I’m talking about incorporating coaching into performance management. Coaching involves listening, asking critical questions, and encouraging others toward their goals.
Try it yourself, and you’ll find that employees are more engaged and committed to achieving goals. And who knows? You may actually look forward to performance related conversations.
As a career coach, I help individuals:
As a life coach, I help individuals:
develop interview skills
overcome setbacks and obstacles
create job search strategies
identify blind spots
use professional development for career
consider new perspective
progression
achieve clarity
understand personal marketing and branding
renew motivation
develop resumes and cover letters
take responsibility for their goals
prepare for career transitions
prepare for challenges and transitions
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COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
WHY COACHING MATTERS Organizations continue to try and "do more with less" and implement various cost cutting measures to realign operations or reposition themselves in the market. While there are times such methods are appropriate, improvements in performance to support overall goals can also be achieved in other ways— including through coaching.
Coaching is different than the common "command and control" method of getting work done. Coaching involves the employee working with a trained professional to work through the process of strategic empowerment.
When managers use coaching techniques, they help employees understand goals and the current reality surrounding the goals. Through a series of critical questions, they encourage employees to consider the options for achieving the goals followed by fostering the creation of action steps to begin working on the goals.
A growth mindset is critical for improving performance. Dweck explains that, “mindsets are powerful beliefs, but they're just something in your mind, and you can change your mind.” Coaches can foster such change by helping individuals view challenges as opportunities or
Using this process, the employees assume ownership of
by encouraging different learning tactics.
the goals and become more invested in taking the steps needed to make progress. When managers coach, they help employees move through changes they haven’t moved through before on their own.
Individuals struggle with change and transition. Even when we know changes are coming or must happen, we often stress over the changes and how they impact our lives. We tend to feel stressed even if we do not directly
Managers struggle with managing the performance of others. To ensure employees have the competencies and
experience a negative impact. This can occur due to a perceived loss of control.
motivation to contribute to the organization’s goals, managers can employ coaching techniques such as listening, asking critical questions, and encouraging employees to make progress on their goals. Frequent, meaningful conversations can be what employees need to become more engaged in the process and committed to their goals.
Coaching can help employees understand and move through change with more confidence and less anxiety because coaches can help others understand if/how their goals relate to the changes and their options for reacting. A coach can help others assess their options and guide them through the decision-making process.
Coaching can foster a growth mindset. Psychologist Carol Dweck has articulated a concept of mindset that states that people respond to situations with either a fixed or growth mindset. The fixed mindset is demonstrated when people believe they cannot change, that people are either born talented or they’re not with no way to change their qualities or capabilities. With a growth mindset, individuals believe that their qualities and capabilities are only starting points and that they can make improvements through practice and other behaviors.
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When managers use coaching techniques, they help employees understand goals and the current reality surrounding the goals.
COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
INDIVIDUALS BENEFIT FROM COACHING Individuals who work with coaches are open to the perspective of another. Their willingness to work with another in an attempt to better themselves or simply make progress toward their goals, is evidence of their commitment to self-improvement. Unfortunately, others are unaware of the potential benefits of coaching and miss opportunities to maximize their potential.
The benefits of coaching for individuals varies, but for many the benefits or outcomes may include one or more of the following:
Coaching can also help individuals improve in various aspects related to their work performance. Additional benefits and outcomes for individuals include:
Clarity and new perspective Inspiration and motivation Improved ability to set goals and create action plans
Willingness to assume greater responsibilities Inclination to work more collaboratively
Ability to overcome obstacles
with others
Increased self-reliance
Enhanced communication skills Improved job and/or life satisfaction
ORGANIZATIONS BENEFIT FROM COACHING Employee engagement continues at low levels with only 34% of employees in the United States feeling involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace (Gallup, 2018). The consequences of such low engagement vary, but include increased absenteeism, low productivity, poor service, declining employee health, and increased turnover and costs.
Organizations are seeking new ways to engage employees and improve production and profitability. Increasingly, the "command and control" method of management is being replaced by managers as coaches. For managers who coach, this does not mean they no longer provide direction or supervise their employees, but instead they adapt their management style to different situations and respond more effectively to their employees. Guiding and empowering employees rather than just telling them what to do, providing opportunities for growth, development and autonomy, is not only much more rewarding, but far more productive (Bungay Stainier, 2016; HBR Guide, 2014; Simpson, 2014; Whitmore, 2009). Benefits from coaching include:
Enhanced motivation and confidence Readiness to adapt to change Improved performance
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COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
THE ROLE OF TODAY'S MANAGER Managers like to plan their work and work their plans. The challenge with this approach, is that managers are not always prepared to work their plans. Outdated practices and a focus solely on job related tasks can backfire and result in delays, substandard quality, lost customers, or turnover. By the end of the quarter, a manager can feel confused and discouraged, wondering, “What went wrong?” There has to be a better way to approach managing others.
No longer is the “command and control” way of managing others best. Research tells us that, "Today's manager needs to be a coach, holding employees accountable while encouraging development and growth." (Gallup, 2018). This involves focusing on relationships while empowering employees to complete their work using their discretion. Today’s knowledge workers seek independence and want to participate in solving their own problems.
In addition to keeping pace with demands and regulations, in today’s post-industrial organization, innovation must be a focus. This requires the evolution of management practices. “To foster innovation, modern managers act as facilitators and culture builders. They bring the right people and other resources along with whatever support mechanisms are required to foster creative thinking.” (Ivey Business Journal, 2010).
Management practices, in the traditional sense still add value. This involves the manager serving as supervisor and overall guide for performance. How the manager approaches supervision is what needs to change. In today’s workplace, managers as coaches are what is needed. “No longer does a manager just tell people what to do: he or she guides them in their work, clears obstacles from their paths, and supports their immediate and long-term career goals. Trusted, experienced, and efficient personnel form the hub of the true wheel of productivity, so coaching skills should take the lion’s share of your time.” (TLNT.com, 2014). Coaching involves listening effectively and asking critical questions that empower employees to establish action plans and solve problems.
Coaching impacts the relationship between manager and employee in positive ways. “A coaching approach enables the employee to come up with their own ideas and enables their intrinsic motivations. Research shows that when leaders use coaching it improves employee’s motivation levels and performance, and boosts satisfaction with both their job and manager.” (Economist, 2018). The key is for managers to effectively coach. Expecting managers to coach and preparing managers to coach are two different aspects. Leadership must enable managers to effectively coach through training and practice. When they do, the results can be impressive. “Research shows that employees who report to managers who coach effectively are 40% more engaged, exhibit 38% more discretionary effort and are 20% more likely to stay at their organizations than those who report to ineffective coaches.” (Gartner, 2019).
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COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
COACHING FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE Once employees know their goals and the time frames for achieving them, coaching can play an important role in guiding employees as they determine their next steps. Whether you have an external coach or an internal manager work with employees, the key to progress involves the steps taken during coaching and the coach or manager’s comfort level in coaching employees. Effective coaches listen well, ask critical questions, and encourage others during the coaching process. During the coaching process, they:
Confirm the goal Acknowledge the reality Review options Finalize next steps Encourage, measure, and recognize progress
Confirm the Goal In this step, the employee shares the goal with the coach or reconfirms the goal with their manager. For example, “Improve customer retention.”
Acknowledge the Reality In this step, facts and perceptions need to be discussed. If a coach is working with the employee as additional support for management, the coach needs to understand the situation from the manager’s perspective as well as from the employees. If the manager is coaching the employee directly, they can confirm the facts with the employee. If we continue with the prior example goal of “improve customer retention,” the current reality might include: Turnover in customer service has increased during the last two years Not all employees in customer service have received the same training Not all employees in customer service report to the same manager
From this set of circumstances, we know that multiple actions need to be taken to achieve the goal of improving customer service. Management and the employees in customer service need to take action to support progress toward achieving this goal.
Review the Options Options for management might include:
Gather feedback and review data in an attempt to understand the increased turnover Ensure all employees within each unit receive the same training and guidance Gather feedback and review data to understand customer complaints
Options for the employee might include:
Complete customer service training within the next month Implement new initiatives as advised and give feedback to management Ensure customer feedback/complaints are shared with management
Finalize Next Steps Employees need confirmation of next steps that include expectations and time frames. Coaches/managers discuss the next steps with the employee and answer any questions. Once any needed clarification is provided, and action steps confirmed, the employee should feel empowered to complete their work. Goals and next steps are documented for reference.
Encourage, Measure, and Recognize Progress Encouraging progress involves empowering employees and providing periodic feedback, documenting as appropriate. Measuring progress involves understanding the desired outcomes, tracking and reporting, and using data to inform decision-making. Recognizing progress involves both public and private recognition and recognizing the individual and their performance.
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COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
ACCORDING TO THE EXPERTS Justin Reich, executive director at the
MIT Teaching Systems Lab ,
observed, “The most
important skills for the future will be the kinds of things that computers cannot readily do, places where human workers have a comparative advantage over computers. Two important domains of human comparative advantage are ill-structured problem solving and complex, persuasive communication (Pew Research Report, 2017).
Deloitte’s
research led them to conclude, “When new managers are promoted to supervisory
positions, they often think their job is to direct or evaluate people. While directed management is important, it plays a smaller role than one might think. It is the coaching and development role of management that is the most valuable (Deloitte, 2015).
Harvard Business Review
explains, “More and more top executives are expecting managers
to coach their subordinates. In fact, one at Wells Fargo announced that he expects the bank’s managers to dedicate fully two-thirds of their time to coaching. What’s more, employee surveys we’ve conducted over the past decade show that subordinates want coaching” (Harvard Business Review, 2014).
Google discovered in their Project Oxygen ,
that their “employees ranked coaching on top
of the most important competencies they want their managers to have. Their emotional intelligence and their involvement and personal relationships with their team, rather than their technical expertise, were their most appreciated strengths” (Harvard Business Review, 2013).
Nestlé
has made a big commitment to coaching. As Séverine Jourdain, the Head of Coaching
at Nestlé, put it: “Our ambition is to fully integrate coaching into our company mindset… and make coaching…the model of our future leadership style. Today, we are moving from Command & Control style to an Empower & Engage leadership style. Coaching is both the lever to make it happen and one of the core skills expected from our Leaders” (Knowitall, 2014).
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COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
HOW I SUPPORT YOUR SUCCESS I believe in people and in their ability to create transformative change in their careers and lives. Long lasting change only comes from a new level of awareness and by creating habits that are aligned with desired outcomes.
That’s how I help. Through coaching, I empower people to make decisions and change behaviors that result in immediate impact. We work together to establish new habits that are aligned with current goals.
My coaching is customized to help individuals understand how to leverage their strengths. I also offer support to ensure old habits are eliminated and new ones are developed.
As a coach I’m an accountability partner who helps others clarify and take action to achieve goals. Coaching involves the coach and client in a co-creative process—a process that involves a high level of communication and problem solving.
As a career and life coach, I help people navigate through change with confidence. When we work together, I help individuals understand options and clarify action plans to reach goals. We discuss where the client wants to be, where they are now, and what needs to change to help them achieve their goals. I support clients as they move through changes that they haven’t moved through before on their own.
If you want to invest in your organization’s future, invest in your employees’ selfimprovement. Organizations such as Facebook©, LinkedIn©, Campbell Soup© and W.W. Grainger©, are discovering how coaching can accelerate performance.
Contact me to learn how your employees and organization can benefit from coaching.
tuesdaystrong.com COACHING SPECIAL | 10
COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
3 Ways Individuals Benefit from Working with a Coach Most of us are extremely busy, and often our free time is planned in advance. The problem is that our busyness can interfere with actual progress toward our goals. On occasion, we plan our weeks so full with activities and tasks that they are impossible complete, let alone enjoy.
And how we fill our weeks doesn’t always position us for long term success. Over time we feel stressed and discouraged from wondering why we can’t achieve more, why we can’t be happier with the path we’re on. Is there a way to stop this cycle and the frustration that comes with living in such a state of busyness?
Yes, there is and it’s easier than you may realize. Often what we need is a fresh perspective, clarity and a renewed motivation. That’s where a career and life coach can help. A coach can empower you to make decisions and change behaviors that result in immediate impact.
What is coaching? A coach is an accountability partner who helps you clarify and take action to achieve your goals. Coaching involves the coach and client in a co-creative process—a process that involves a high level of communication and problem solving.
1. New Perspective Coaches ask critical questions that help you understand your motivations and real desires.
2. Clarity When you work with a coach, they can help you understand your options and clarify action plans to reach your goal. Coaches discuss with you where you want to be, where you are now, and what needs to change to help you achieve your goal.
3. Motivation Coaches serve as accountability partner who speaks with you on a regular basis to help you make progress toward your goals. They support you as you move through changes that you haven’t moved through before on your own.
For example, I help clients in many ways including:
Taking responsibility for their personal and professional development Preparing for career changes Dealing with workplace challenges Learning how to manage others Developing life skills such as planning, goal setting, budgeting, networking, community involvement, etc. Managing intense workloads/commitments (think working full-time, going to school, and having a family, etc.) Focusing on self-care Handling career transitions Preparing for retirement
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COACHING SPECIAL EDITION · FALL 2019 | CHANGE
FAST FACTS COACHING
Expecting managers to coach and preparing managers to coach are two different aspects. Leadership needs to enable managers to effectively coach through training and practice. When they do, the results can be impressive. “Research shows that employees who report to managers who coach effectively are 40% more engaged, exhibit 38% more discretionary effort and are 20% more likely to stay at their organizations than those who report to ineffective coaches.” (Gartner, 2019).
Let's Work Together When I support you as a coach, I work with your team members to re-energize their performance in ways that complement your existing performance management practices. My work involves understanding team member strengths and offering a fresh perspective to help them acknowledge the reality surrounding their goals. Together, we review options and finalize next steps. My role involves encouraging team members and measuring and reporting progress—working with you to position your team for success.
Contact me at tuesday@tuesdaystrong.com to learn more.
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