Robert Hargrove suggests that “masterful” coaching involves challenging and supporting people to be extraordinary leaders, as well as to achieve extraordinary levels of performance (Hargrove, p. 12). When I have asked participants of leadership and/or coaching workshops to think back to the individual who had the most impact in their lives, inevitably, participants remember teachers, coaches, family members, friends, mentors and/or managers whom they felt gave them a tremendous amount of support and understanding, while at the same time, challenged them to achieve levels of performance which they did not previously realize they were capable of.
Individuals usually describe an atmosphere of trust and support that engendered open and honest communication, while at the same time experiencing tension to think new thoughts, try new approaches, and to stretch themselves in new ways in order to achieve more than was originally thought possible. This balance of trust and tension are the hallmarks of outstanding leaders-coaches.
From my experience as a manager, trainer and consultant, there are ten hallmarks of coaching excellence, including;
1. Show a deep commitment to excellence and no acceptance of mediocrity.
2. Understand and identify “teachable points of view” (Hargrove, p. xx) that help to focus action while motivating and inspiring others toward action. Commit yourself to these “teachable points of view as a set of standards and morals to live by.
3. Demonstrate commitment to the individual being coached.
4. Listen and be open to the experience and ideas of the coached, in order to more fully understand them and the current situation.
5. Gather information/feedback from all available sources and reflect this information back to help the individual being coached expand his/her view of his or her present performance.
6. Challenge past experiences, thinking and ways things have been done in the past in order to stimulate thought and expand thinking.
7. Reach an agreement on key behaviors for change.
8. Collaboratively develop action plans.
9. Provide ongoing and regular follow-up.
10. Hold self and others accountable for results.
References:
Hargrove, R.A., (2003). Masterful coaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
Magnify Leadership and Development
6232 South Vinecrest Drive • Murray, Utah 84121 • Phone: 801-266-0849
Email: info@magnifyleadership.com
Website: http://www.magnifyleadership.com
James Gehrke is the President of Magnify Leadership and Development.
After various promotions in Sales, Sales Operations, Training & Development, and Sales Management and Training, he headed Pfizer’s Learning & Development for all of Europe, Canada, Africa, & the Middle East where he was instrumental in the development of a global management curriculum and other training initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness for over 30,000 employees. He has worked on many high levels, cross functional teams addressing issues such as Field Force Effectiveness, Change Leadership, Leader Behavior Development, Executive Coaching and many others.
Since starting his own training company, James has developed and trained both public and private leadership, coaching, targeting and territory management sessions for hundreds of participants in various industries. James is bilingual and can teach in both English and Spanish
http://www.magnifyleadership.com
Tags: coaching, development, excellence, hallmarks, Leadership, magnify, skills
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