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A
Absenteeism
In Britain, five million working days are lost each
year through absenteeism. It has been estimated that absenteeism costs
the British industry £10 billion a year, not to mention the loss of
productivity.
Accountability
Once the coach and the client agree on a
plan-of-action, the client must take ownership for what they said they
were going to do. Taking ownership, however, does not equate to taking
the blame. The coach makes the client responsible for their vision and
commitment, making them accountable for the outcomes of the intended
actions. If required, the client must define new actions to be taken.
Action plan
The coach assists the client to communicate the route
that he/she wants take in order to reach their goal. The coach monitors
the client’s progress along this route and offers support with regards
to planning and time management as clients will often benefit from
developing these skill areas.
Agreement (coaching)
Before the first coaching session, the coach
and client enter into a contract, which is signed by both parties. The
contract clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the two parties
and promotes the client’s dedication to the task of reaching their
goal/aim. It is also a very effective motivation tool, as the coach can
use it to remind the client of their voluntary obligation, of
completing the task, should they fall behind, lack commitment or become
disillusioned.
Anchor
Refers to any stimulus that induces a response. They can
change our state – our thoughts, feelings, emotions etc. They can occur
naturally or can be placed intentionally to trigger a certain response.
Appraisal Interview
During a coaching session, the client has
complete control and fee choice over how the session progresses. Any
identified actions that need to be carried out are recognized solely by
the client. In an appraisal interview, the two participating parties
both have a degree of control over the session’s outcome. E.g. a
manager and an employee – both parties may discover an area that
requires development, but the manager then instructs on the necessary
action, rather than the employee devising it.
Assessment
Before the formal coaching process begins, the coach
must observe the behaviour of the client, however, rather than simply
observing the client, the coach observes looking for specific traits or
habits, which provides distinctions and standards. This assessment will
allow the coach to tailor their coaching to the individual client.
Auditory
A term used in reference to anything that is concerned with the sense of hearing.
B
Balance (Work/Life)
In life, we cannot have everything we want at
once. There is usually a trade-off, e.g. spending more time with your
family negates spending less time at work. It is the coach’s
responsibility to help the client to prioritise their values and
commitments. The coach must help the client comprehend that balance
involves options that unavoidably exclude something else – there will
always be some form of loss.
Bottom-lining
This is a skill which allows the coach and client to
communicate more effectively. Succinctness and concision are both
advantageous skills in this area. It enables the client to get
‘straight to the point’ of their communication rather than dwelling in
vivid and graphic stories, which needlessly eat away valuable session
time.
Brainstorming
The coach and client team-up to spawn ideas, generate
alternatives and provide possible solutions. The ideas may be
far-fetched and improbable as this exercise is merely a creative one,
which enables the client to increase the possibilities accessible to
them. None of the ideas generated need be acted on.
Business Coaching
Coaching in business is ultimately concerned with
achieving increased performance and productivity. Put simply, the
coaching process closes the gap between an individual’s or team’s
present level of performance and the desired one, by making employees
responsible and accountable for their own learning and development.
C
Calibration
The ability to accurately recognise another person’s state through the analysis of their non-verbal signals.
Career Coaching
A coach can prepare a client for promotion or
even identify a clear career path with them. This can be done by
designing coaching goals that could result in recognition for their
achievement. The coach will often focus the client on long-term
projects that are challenging, but bring out the client’s potential.
This coaching method is employed when a client needs coaching in regards to their career and any concerns they may have about it. The coach should extract and use feedback on the individual’s skills as part of a discussion of career possibilities. The coaching should produce increased clarity, personal change and forward action.
Change Management
Change is a fact of modern life. The same is
true for business; competition demands it. Organisations now have to
embrace change for their survival. Restructuring, mergers, acquisitions
and new ventures are all examples of change. Leaders must find methods
of successfully introducing change as poorly initiated change can in
fact cause productivity and performance to fall due to poor employee
morale due to their fear response and potential resistance.
Clarifying
A coach may sometimes clarify what a client is detailing,
be it an experience, feeling etc, if the client is unable to articulate
it clearly. This skill illustrates a synergistic application of
questioning, reframing and articulating what is going on, while also a
good tool to use in response to a client’s vague sense of direction,
confusion or uncertainty.
Client’s Agenda
The client’s life purpose, values, visions, goals,
principles of fulfilment, balance and process all make up the client’s
agenda. Put simply, it is everything that the client is and aspires to
be and do in the future.
Coaching Relationship
A prerequisite for effective coaching is a
solid relationship based on mutual respect, trust, honesty, openness
and shared commitment. There is no room for hierarchy or inequality.
The coaching process must be non-critical, confidential and
non-judgemental for it to be effective.
Coaching Supervision
Coaching supervision is a process for
ensuring that coaching is carried out to the highest possible
standards. It is appropriate for professional coaches and for managers
that use coaching in their work. Coaching supervision facilitates the
personal and professional development of the coach, develops coaching
competencies and ensures the coach’s work is aligned with the needs of
the client.
Command & Control
Command and control organisations are based on
the premise that a power and knowledge hierarchy is the most effective
way of structuring an organisation. People at the top make decisions
for those further down to implement. The process is slow, expensive and
has its core belief that people cannot be trusted and should be
monitored.
Commitment
The shared obligations of the coach and the client as
bound by the coaching relationship. It involves the coach making and
keeping promises to aid, direct and test the client. The client must
assure the coach that they promise to learn, persist and change.
Confidentiality
Every single piece of information that a client
shares with a coach is to be deemed confidential. The coach may only
disclose the information to a third party with the client’s expressed
consent. Confidentiality is seen as the hallmark of the coaching
profession. If it is adhered to the client should feel safe and
trustful. This forms the basis of the powerful alliance between coach
and client.
Conflict
Conflicts are a fact of life. No matter how hard we try we
are all going to encounter conflicts at numerous times in our lives. We
can take certain steps to reduce conflicts, such as encouraging
openness, responsibility for high standards and a creative approach to
problem solving. Good coaches will often use certain methods to try and
explore the root of the issue to resolve the misunderstanding.
Confrontation
The coach may want to make their client aware of
discrepancies between verbal and non-verbal expressions, thoughts and
feelings, feelings and actions and commitment to achieving goals. To do
this, confrontation is a good tactic to employ as it brings that issue
straight into the open at invites discussion.
Congruence
Describes the alignment of a person’s skills, values,
beliefs and actions. Put simply, it basically means that “you talk the
talk and walk the walk”.
Constructionism
A branch of philosophy, concerning the nature of
knowledge, which is the foundation of the coaching theory. It concludes
that we only access meaning through social interaction. It believes
that it is through conversation and language that knowledge is created.
No school of thought, or person, has access to more truth than the
other. This is exemplified in the coaching relationship, where both
parties are equal and no one takes privilege over the other.
Counters
This term was coined by McMullen. It refers to statements
that a person makes to try and counteract the negative or limiting
beliefs born out of their own inner, critical voice.
Counselling
Whereas coaching is concerned with the now, future and
actions that need to be taken in order to get there, counselling deals
with issues that are based in the past that are preventing a person
from moving on in their life. Counselling supports people in a time of
turmoil and personal trauma.
Corporate Coaching
A powerful development tool for improving organisational performance and productivity
Creativity
A vital ingredient of coaching is creativity.
Creativity allows the client to release themselves from a difficult
situation, devise a new future/possibility and make a noticeable change
in their productivity or even quality of life.
D
Development
As the coaching program progresses, the coach monitors
how well the client is moving towards their purpose/goal. This is known
as their development and it is the coach’s job to facilitate this
development to aid their client in reaching their purpose/goal.
E
Evaluation
The coach must analyse the client’s progress towards
goals, the value achieved and future goals. These are the outcomes of
coaching and the coach may design different goals with the client to
enable them to reach their goal.
Emotional Intelligence
People with emotional intelligence are
self-aware, self-regulated and motivated. They are sensitive to others’
feelings and have the ability to influence people. According to Daniel
Goleman, success in business depends on emotional intelligence rather
than academic learning.
Empathy
Empathy is understanding and being sensitive to the feelings
and emotions of others. Good managers should be aware of what motivates
staff as to attain their full commitment. Managers should invest time
linking staff capabilities and goals; these efforts will be rewarded
with results. These skills will enable you to foster political know-how
in your organisation.
Executive Coaching
As times are changing, organisations are
increasingly willing to invest in coaching for their senior managers
and executives. The theory is, if the most influential people within
the organisation improve their performance, business result should
improve also. Executive coaches are often drafted in from outside the
organisation for an agreed duration or amount of sessions.
Entrepreneur
A person who undertakes an enterprise, often at a
personal financial risk. They are often the managing proprietor of the
firm who supplies the capital, bears the risk of production and is the
controller of day-to-day management and marketing. With these modern
day pressures, entrepreneurs have to be multi-skilled and undertake a
range of different jobs.
F
Fear
Fear can be translated as ‘being daunted by challenges’.
This is particularly correct when applied to the work place. Often
employees are not susceptible to change through fear of failure and the
consequences it may bring. This culture can be lessened by learning
from, rather than punishing, mistakes or even showcasing to the
individual how they can apply their present strengths to the new task.
Feedback
Feedback is one of the most important aspects of the
coaching process. When giving feedback, the coach should provide the
client with high quality data, for the sole purpose of raising
self-awareness and enhancing understanding, with no emotions or
judgements attached.
Flow (of Coaching)
The flow of coaching refers to the pattern and
sequence that the coaching process should follow. There is no universal
law regarding flow, but there seems to be a natural consensus with many
variations. The flow is not a linear sequence, however, certain trends
do tend to repeat themselves as clients begin the coaching, experience
its effects and see themselves in action and learning.
Focus
Coaching is based around identifying and achieving goals. The
coach can aid the client as much as possible, but it is the client who
must be focused on achieving that goal. Being focused often gives rise
to the drive we, as human beings, often lack to realise our dreams.
Formal (coaching)
An explicit agreement is made between both
parties as to indicate clearly, which party is the coach and which is
the client. Formal coaching is more often used for topics that are of
some significance or gravity. Formal coaching allows the client the
right to choose their coach and to cease being coached should they
enter into unwanted areas of their life e.g. areas where therapy would
be more appropriate.
G
Goals
Goals are used to provide a structure to the coaching session
itself and as a clear focus for resulting action. Goals should be
realistic but no too easy so that the client is able to achieve it
easily. Goals should be specific, measured, achievable, relevant and
timed (SMART).
H
Hawthorne Effect
After an experiment by Elton Mayo in the 1920’s, it
was discovered that a work force’s productivity is linked with their
morale. In Mayo’s experiment, the workforce told how they felt more
valued by the amount of attention they were receiving from Mayo and his
researchers and therefore felt more valued, which boosted productivity.
This gave birth to the “Hawthorne effect”.
I
Imagination
As one of their motivational tools, the coach will
ask the client various questions regarding “how they think they will
feel if…” These feelings can serve as structures by which the client
may turn to re-focus or further motivate themselves. A healthy
imagination is a very advantageous quality with which to form the
mental images of the future vision. Imagination is the creative power
of the mind.
Informal (coaching)
The informal approach takes place as general
everyday chit-chat. For example, in the staff canteen, a colleague may
complain that they’re never going to finish a particular project done
on time. This here is a perfect opportunity for informal coaching.
There is no respect for hierarchy with informal coaching, however, a
manager that is able to coach using this approach can have profound and
lasting effects on the performance of their subordinates, as they often
do not even realise they are being coached, as opposed to formal
coaching where they know they are being coached.
Intrapersonal
Describes the thoughts, desires and conflicts that occur within a person’s own mind.
Interference
Interference crops up in many forms e.g. fear,
limiting beliefs, frustration etc. It creates obstacle which prevent
the client from achieving their potential. Interference can often be
reduced through the use of powerful, probing questions that focus the
client’s attention and encourage clarity.
Inspiration
Leaders (and coaches) must possess the ability to
stimulate, inspire and motivate those they are working with. It is
often those who possess a passion and love for what they do, that are
often inspirational. Inspiration often comes from an understanding of
the effect of the desired outcome.
J
IndexK
KinaestheticRelates to the sense of feeling. Tactile sensations and internal emotions such as remembered sensations and the sense of balance.
IndexL
Leadership
Achieving effective leadership is dependant on a number of
factors such as the personality of the leader and the followers etc.
Good leadership normally occurs when there is an alignment between what
inspires a person, what job they are doing and the direction the
company is moving in. If the person is satisfied with all three, they
can give their best freely and communicate more effectively, resulting
in phenomenal outcomes.
Learning
Learning is a personal experience. Every person has their
own preferred learning method, whether it is auditory, visual or
experiential. The coach has to consider the client’s preferred method
of learning so that the coaching can be delivered by the most effective
and productive means.
Life balance
A person’s life balance is dynamic and always in motion.
Everyone is either moving towards or away from their life balance. The
coach’s job is to facilitate the client’s movements towards the life
balance as much as possible. Areas of people’s lives that need
balancing generally include career, money, finance romance, family etc.
Remember the purpose of the exercise is to balance the life force,
therefore, if certain areas receive attention at the expense of others,
life will remain unbalanced.
Life Coaching
With this form of coaching, support is provided to
individuals who want to make some form of significant change happen in
their lives. Coaches assist help individuals to explore the things they
want in life and how they might go about achieving it. Life coaching
normally takes the client’s agenda as its starting point.
Limiting Beliefs
It is widely agreed that our beliefs influence how
we feel and behave. Thoughts can determine emotions; emotions trigger
particular memories. When a client is asked what their goal is; they
often aspire to something that is realistic and possible, often in fear
of ridicule. For example, a client’s goal is to become the biggest name
in music. Rather than say this, the client states their goal as merely
wanting to become a musician. Here, the client is limiting themselves,
indicating that they themselves do not believe it is possible, how will
the client ever achieve this goal if they themselves do not believe it
to be possible?
Listening
The coach listens for the client’s purpose, values, vision
and commitment, in their words and demeanour. To listen for is the same
as listening in search of. The coach listens with a consciousness,
purpose and focus that surface from the relationship/alliance that was
initially created with the client. Here the coach is trying to identify
the client’s agenda.
M
Mentoring
A process used mainly for career development. The mentor is
usually someone who has vast experience in that career. They act as a
teacher providing a pool of answers for the client to draw on.
Motivation
Motivation is key to success in coaching. The client must
actually want to reach their goal as opposed to being told to reach it.
If a client is not motivated, then they will never achieve their full
potential. The coach should find ways to motivate the client through
the use of deep, probing questions.
N
IndexO
Obstacles
Obstacles are certain aspects of the client’s life that may
stand in the way of or hinder their progress. Obstacles can be almost
anything from close friends acting as distractions to working hours not
leaving enough time to carry out their action plan.
Olfactory
Concerning anything that relates to the sense of smell.
Options Stage
The purpose of the options stage is to get the client
to think outside their box and be creative in finding solutions that
take them one step closer to achieving their goal. Thinking outside the
box is exciting, challenging and invigorating. The aim is to get the
longest list of all that is possible.
P
Pacing
A method coaches often use to build rapport with their
clients. The coach will try to match certain aspects of their client’s
behaviour. The coach may mimic the client’s tone of voice, hand
gestures etc.
People-skills
One of the problems facing managers and leaders is
the vast amount of different personalities that they have to cater for
when trying to motivate their work force. Managers and leaders have to
develop different ways of addressing employees who will all have
different personalities, which in turn means that different things
motivate them.
Performance
Performance = Potential – Interference. Real
performance has been defined as “going beyond what is expected; setting
one’s own higher standard”. However, the responsibility for making it
happen must always rest with the client.
Performance Coaching
Deals with coaching activities that enhance
an individual’s performance in their current role at work. As each
client is different, the issues covered by the coaching will vary,
however the aim always remains the same; to increase the client’s
effectiveness and productivity. General, business and sports psychology
are all subject areas from which performance coaching derives its
theoretical underpinnings and models.
Perspectives
We can liken perspectives to a series of frames.
Every time we adopt a certain point of view, we are simply framing the
things around us so that we can categorise, understand and respond to
them. For example, if a colleague were to tell us about an event that
happened recently, we are learning of the event from their perspective
and are also decoding them information from our perspective.
Planning and Goal Setting
The coach assists the client in
articulating the direction in which the client wants the coaching to
take them. Once this has been clearly identified, the coach actively
monitors the client’s progress offering assistance in planning and time
management to help the client along their chosen path.
Powerful Questions
Clarity, action, insight, discovery and
commitment, all these emotions can be evoked through the use of
powerful questions. Powerful questions are open-ended as they require a
descriptive response rather than a ‘yes/no’ answer. They can generate
clearer vision, new learning or greater possibility as they are derived
from the client’s agenda.
Productivity
This is a measurement of how efficiently a work
force carries out its task. A workforce’s productivity normally
increases as they improve their skills, improve their motivation or
increase morale among the force.
Progress
Progress is closely linked with development. As a person is
developing, they are said to be making progress, however, progress is
usually far more identifiable than development. Development occurs over
a longer period of time, whereas, progress is much more apparent and
short term. A coach can facilitate progress by helping the client
identify any problems or obstacles that may hinder their progress.
Purpose Statement
Having established the client’s purpose, it can be
beneficial to develop a purpose statement. It can serve as a frame of
reference, aid decision making and provide a trigger for creating a
vision and goals that are focused and meaningful. Knowledge of one’s
life purpose can be invaluable through times of stress, change and
transition.
Q
Questions
There are two main types of question: closed and open.
Closed questions invite an immediate and short response such as ‘yes’
or ‘no’. These types of questions are better suited to gaining
quantative data rather than qualative data, where the use of open
questions is better suited. Open questions invite a descriptive
response. They induce the client to provide an insight into their
personality and feelings.
R
Reality Stage
Engaging the client in self-examination to identify
what’s happening, as well as how their current attitudes and behaviours
impact on the situation. It is about getting specific facts and
figures, what’s been tried before, the obstacles to be overcome, as
well as challenging any limiting beliefs.
Recognition
Whenever we feel we have achieved something, we naturally
seek acknowledgement for our achievement. Recognition is a good tool to
use to motivate people. A coach should seek to recognise their client’s
attainment and emphasise any feelings the client may have at the time.
The coach can then relate back to this feeling when making further
action plans with the client.
Reflecting
Shows the comprehension of the client’s thoughts and
feelings. It is a dialoguing technique that involves the coach
rephrasing or repeating the client’s statements with the inclusion of a
detailed identification of the client’s feelings.
Reframing
A skill that changes the meaning of words or phrases. It
changes the client’s perspective on the same facts to offer the client
an alternative and often more constructive viewpoint. Examples of
reframing are things such as putting a positive spin on things,
externalising etc.
Resistance (to Coaching)
Fear of change is often a motive why people
are reluctant to be coached. There are many others, but they often fall
in two categories; blatant and passive. Blatant resistors display
hostility, mistrust and a general unwillingness. Passive resistors are
less obvious, the client co-operates completely in the coaching
sessions, however, agreed actions are never completed, goals are never
achieved and the client simply does not change.
Respect
One of the foundations on which the coaching relationship is
built upon, respect is a principle, which requires no elaboration.
Respect should naturally occur between the coach and client as the
coaching progresses, so that the coaching may be as effective as
possible in its aim. Respect should be of equal terms to adhere to the
coaching principle of both parties being equals.
S
Scaling
Here, the coach simply rates the client to measure or
evaluate the client’s physiological or psychological experiences using
numbers as opposed to words.
Self-actualisation
This is the final tier on Abraham Maslow’s theory
of needs. This is viewed as the final stage of development and includes
such qualities as independence, autonomy, few but deep friendships, a
philosophical sense of humour and a resistance to outside pressures.
Self – Mastery
This skill regards the coach’s ability to become
invisible in the service of holding the client’s agenda. All the
coach’s opinions, preferences, beliefs and judgements should be
discarded so they can effectively reflect and support the client’s
agenda.
Shadowing
An observation technique whereby the coach follows,
observes and critically analyses the client while they are engaged in a
particular task. Feedback can either be immediate or given at a later
period.
Skills Coaching
With this type of coaching, focus is turned towards
the core skills the client needs to perform in their role at work. It
provides a ‘just-in-time’, flexible and adaptive approach to the
client’s development. The coaching programs are tailored for each
individual, normally to achieve specific skill objectives to meet the
needs of the organisation.
Slippage
When the client reverts back to their previous, unwanted
behaviours that had been addressed and modified in the coaching
intervention, it is referred to as slippage. It can cover such things
as beliefs, feelings, assumptions and actions.
Spectrum of Coaching Styles
Various coaching styles are available for
use, ranging from “push/directive” at one extreme to
“pull/non-directive” at the other. “Push” is akin to instruction. It is
the form of education and management that most of us are familiar with
e.g. teaching. “Pull” draws out a client’s existing inner strengths.
With this style, the client does most of the taking as opposed to the
“Push” style where the roles are reversed.
Strategic Planning
A crucial factor in the survival and success of
any organisation, strategic planning is one of the core elements of
coaching. Coaching not only aids the client to plan a strategy, but
also attaches a time-limit on the plan; even the best laid plans do not
amount to anything unless there is a deadline and a compelling vision
driving and guiding them.
Structures
These are tools which remind the client of their purpose,
goals and vision. They also remind of actions that need to be put into
effect immediately. Examples include calendars, alarm clocks, collages
and even messages on the client’s voicemail.
Success
Coaching naturally assumes that successes are inevitable.
When success occurs, coaching naturally responds by looking for
opportunities to acknowledge them, be it by reward, feedback etc. This
consequently places the emphasis on gains rather than losses.
SWOT analysis
Used mainly in the initial first meeting with the
client and in the planning process, a SWOT analysis is an effective
method of analysing the areas that the client may require coaching on.
The coach and the client analyse the client (could also be a company)
in terms of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Having completed the analysis, the coach and client are in the perfect
position to draw up a strategic plan to address any issues raised.
T
Team Building
Business teams require high morale to perform. When
people have an input into decision-making they have a far greater
commitment to final outcome. Teams that recognise each individual’s
strengths and weaknesses are far more productive as this helps
establish each individual’s role in the team. This leaves the team
feeling empowered to achieve more because they all have an input into
the final result.
Training
The Centre for Creative Learning suggest that 8 to 12% of
people translate new skills, learned in training, into measurable
improvements or business results. A likely reason for this is that
training programs do not allow for the skills to be put into practice,
there is no feedback and there is no ongoing support. This means that
when an employee’s skill level falls as they put the theory into
practice, there are no support mechanisms, so the employee resorts back
to their previous behaviour.
Trust
Safety and trust are the foundations that the coaching
relationship is built on. Trust can be created through such as means as
discussing safety, maintaining confidentiality, telling the truth,
offering the client the opportunity to ask for what they want and
actively listening to what they are telling you.
U
IndexV
ValuesValues provide a representation of who you are right now. They are principles that you hold to be of worth in your life. Many people confuse values with morals; morals can be chosen, values are not; they are intrinsic to you.
Vision
This is a comprehensive psychological image and set of goals,
which motivate the client and inspires them to carry out the action in
order to create that mental picture in their actual life. A vision can
provide the client with a sense of direction or even provide meaning in
their life. A strong vision is magnetic, exciting and sensuous. All
these traits constantly attract the client to bring them image to
fruition.
W
Wrap-up Stage
At this stage, the aim is to get the client to select
one of the options identified at the options stage. The client must
commit to taking the action within a defined timeframe. The coach will
also help the client identify any possible obstacles and how to
overcome them.