Coaching

View or download the printable version of the Quick Guide to Coaching (PDF).

What is coaching?

Coaching is "the process of equipping people with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities they need to develop themselves and become more effective" (David Peterson, PhD, Psychology, University of Minnesota). Successful coaching includes:

self-awareness,
motivation,
ongoing feedback and support,
application, and
accountability.

coaching process, details provided in caption — Graph showing the sequence of a coaching process in five steps: 1) Self-awareness, 2) Motivation, 3) Ongoing feedback and support, 4) Application, and 5) Accountability. The 'Ongoing feedback and support' step is depicted as a cycle with four elements: new skills development, practice opportunities, assessment, and reflection, indicating a continuous loop of growth and learning.

Why should I be a coach?

Coaching helps people reach a high level of performance, realize their potential, and stay engaged in important work. Coaching helps retain motivated, talented and skilled people.

How do I get started?

The following steps will help you coach more effectively:

1. Self-Awareness

Does the person have the self-awareness to learn from the coaching?

What does success look like?

The person can identify and accurately describe the following without getting defensive:

their skills, knowledge, and abilities,
their areas of weakness and what they are not good at,
how other people perceive them, including strengths and weaknesses.

Sample questions to ask when coaching

What are your greatest professional strengths?
What do you consider to be your areas of opportunity?
How would others describe you?

Building Self-Awareness

Help the individual assess their areas of strengths and opportunities by having a conversation, sharing your observations, and encouraging the person to get feedback from peers.

If self-awareness is not present, then the focus of feedback and coaching needs to be on helping the person build it.

3. Ongoing Feedback and Support

What can you do on an ongoing basis to support the development of the skills, knowledge, and abilities the person needs to be successful? What are the best tools to help facilitate their development?

One of the biggest coaching decisions is deciding exactly what skills, knowledge, and abilities to focus on and picking appropriate tools to help the person develop.

What does success look like?

The person seeks out and receives regular feedback and encouragement to help them develop specific skills.
The person asks for and is provided with opportunities to learn and practice the skills they need to develop.
Regular assessment of progress and performance and opportunities to reflect on growth and learning.

Sample questions to ask when coaching

What training/development would help you better perform your work? Specific training, formal or informal? Mentoring? Observing others? Learning from a colleague?
How will the training benefit your work?

Effective tools for providing feedback and support

New Skills Training

Teach employees new skills or help them perfect existing skills.
Provide them with specific skill training and establish accountability for them to use the new skill.
Be intentional and creative about connecting the individual with resources and specific skill training.

Providing Practice Opportunities

Help employees acquire new skills or grow existing skills by providing opportunities through role-playing, rehearsing, or trying out new skills or behaviors.

Assessment

Formally or informally assess the person's performance (both results and behaviors) to identify opportunities for development or performance in the context of coaching goals.

Providing Opportunities for Reflection

Encourage the person to reflect on performance, both in terms of results and behaviors, journal, and/or provide relevant reading assignments.

4. Application

Provide opportunities to apply and master skills on the job.

What does success look like?

The person is using the knowledge and skills acquired in training to become more effective at work and is educating others about ways to become more efficient.
The person asks questions about the ways new skills/knowledge can be applied in day-to-day work.
The person seeks opportunities to apply and/or applies the newly acquired skills.

Sample questions to ask when coaching

How can I help you apply the learning on the job?
What special projects or assignments will allow you to practice?

Providing application opportunities

Identify projects or work assignments that will allow the person to apply the skills they are learning. Consider low-stakes assignments to start with.
Be available to assist the person if they get stuck or need additional support.
Provide room for making mistakes as they learn and apply new skills.
Encourage taking on challenging work.
Help the person reflect on what they are learning, and where they might be stuck and need additional support.

View or download the printable version of the Quick Guide to Coaching (PDF).

Service Areas

Supervisory Development Program

Topics

Feedback and Coaching

Resource Type

Quick Guide

Course Focus

Foundations

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Assessing Performance, Potential, and Readiness, Quick Guide

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Coaching (4:38), Video

Coaching Webinar, Webinar

Creating a Culture of Feedback (4:29), Video

Feedback, Quick Guide

Feedback ActionSheet, Template

Feedback and Coaching, Online Module

Feedback and Coaching, Webinar

Feedback and Coaching Podcast (54:19), Podcast

Feedback and Coaching- Questions and Answers, Webinar

Feedback: Ready, Set, Go! (4:07), Video

Giving Feedback that Works, Podcast, Webinar

Maximizing Employee Learning, Quick Guide

Coaching

What is coaching?

Why should I be a coach?

How do I get started?

Resource Type

Course Focus

Related Resources for Supervisors

Talent Strategy

Contact

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