Developing Your Team Through Coaching

Coaching is a process through which managers and team members work together.

The team member is treated as the expert in a coaching relationship, and the coach serves as a facilitator who assists them in finding their own solution, charting their own course, and determining their own path forwards.

Coaches achieve this via probing questions, seeking ideas, recognising limiting beliefs, talking about goals, and establishing action steps.

If coaching sessions with team members are planned and have a clear goal, they will be more fruitful.

The GROW model was developed by John Whitmore in his book “Coaching for Performance.” The GROW model is a straightforward and effective structure for organising coaching sessions.

There are four steps to it:

G stands for set a goal
R stands for examine the current reality
O stands for explore your options
W stands for determine a way forward

Setting Goals

To begin, a session must have a goal or objective that must be met. If the aim is to be measured and achieved, it must be specific and measurable.

So, once the goals have been established, simple questions like “What would you like to achieve in this area?” are good places to start.

It is critical that the goals are articulated in a positive manner, such as ‘I would like to achieve……..’ rather than ‘I must not fail………’ It’s also a good idea to talk about the goal of the unique coaching session.

Reality Checking

Knowing where you want to start can help you figure out what you want to accomplish. That is, the current situation. This is frequently a crucial beginning point, and once this is established, the solution becomes clear and simple.

It may be necessary to revisit the original goal and discuss ‘how challenging/realistic are these goals in light of current reality?’

Options Stage

The next step is to define your options for accomplishing your objectives after you know where you are and where you want to go.

Following the creation of a list of prospective solutions and possibilities, the benefits and costs of each option can be assessed. Coaches’ suggestions should only be treated as possibilities, not as answers. The participant, not the coach, must provide the solutions.

Will (Way Forward) Stage

The goal of this step is to turn a discussion into a decision. You must also be motivated or have the will to make the journey. Whatever emphasis is placed on this stage, the ideal outcome is a commitment to action.

Keep in mind that a coach is not the same as a teacher. Team members are more likely to take ownership of their ideas and outcomes if they are given the opportunity to participate actively in solving problems or furthering their careers.

Make a note of any unusual behaviours, ideas, or language patterns. Keep an eye out for anything unusual.

• Have you noticed some unusual behaviours, ideas, or language patterns?
• Have you ever observed how a member of your team frequently competes with or compares themselves to their coworkers?
• Have you ever observed a disconnect between a team member’s self-perception and their actual performance?

Call out your observations; they can be powerful points for reflection.

The key takeaways

The GROW model is a straightforward and effective structure for organising coaching sessions. There are four steps to it:

G stands for set a goal, R stands for examine the current reality, O stands for explore your options, and W stands for determine a way forward.

Coaches achieve this via probing questions, seeking ideas, recognising limiting beliefs and talking about goals.

It may be necessary to revisit the original goal and discuss ‘how challenging/realistic are these goals in light of current reality?’

Once you know where you are and where you want to go, the next stage is to define your options.

The final step is to turn a discussion into a decision. You must also be motivated or have the ‘will’ to make the journey. Whatever emphasis is placed on this stage, the ideal outcome is a commitment to action.

Coaches’ suggestions should only be treated as possibilities, not as answers. Team members are more likely to take ownership of their ideas and outcomes if they are given the opportunity to participate actively in solving problems or furthering their careers.