In the past 15 segments I have presented the case that professional coaching can be leveraged as a paradigm for a management style that is more empowering, and more fitting to the times than that of the traditional manager, the director, the boss, and commander. In this wrap up I would like to review the key elements of what makes up the coaching manager paradigm, and process. In my mind the coaching manager is a model, a role, a process, and can be a discipline.
Our examination of the coaching manger and Client (direct report) starts with identifying the primary focus of the work. The starting point, the focus for the work is the Client, the direct report. The overarching goal is to empower the client (the direct report) to function at a higher level at their job, and to grow and mature as an employee, team member, business partner, problem solver, leader, and person. So let’s be clear, the focus in the coaching manager and client process is the Client, the direct report.
Coaching as a discipline can provide certain universal benefits. These benefits include providing a sounding board for the client, setting of guardrails for dialogues, consideration of action steps, and consideration and removal or minimizing of blocks. Other general benefits of the coaching, which are not as easily measured include improved wellness, or sense of well-being, and improved self-confidence.
As in most work in business, or a well-run organization, the coaching manager and client work has goals to strive for. In the case of the Coaching Manager and Client process, the goals that are worked though and agreed upon is setting of the direct report (Client) goals. These direct report goals tend to fall into two general categories: 1) goals that align or are in response to organization, department, or management goals, or 2) Goals that align to the Client’s (the Direct Report’s) personal or professional development. Valid goals need to be ones that add value to the organization, the department, the customers, and/or the Client, as well as being realistic, that is achievable, and a goal that the Client is passionate about. Most large goals are typically broken down into smaller deliverables, or action steps, or tasks. Action steps, and tasks need to have completion dates assigned to them.
For the most part the work that the Coaching Manager and Client do together happens in one on ones. To follow the tradition of professional coaching, these can be called “sessions”. It is suggested that sessions follow a simple three-part format. The three large sections of the session are: 1) SET SCOPE 2) CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE and 3) ACCOUNTABILITY. In a typical 50-minute session Set Scope normally takes about 5 to 10 minutes. The wrap up of Accountability only takes about 5 to 10 minutes. So the bulk of the time in a session is in Constructive dialogue around the topic(s) that have been agreed on in Set Scope. Specific tasks, and action steps along with completion dates are agreed to in the Accountability, the session wrap up.
In the Coaching Manager and Client process we have seen that certain responsibilities fall to the Coach, and some fall to the Client (direct report) and some are shared. Some duties that typically fall to the Coaching Manager are: 1) Ask the Client to prepare an agenda 2) Review the Agenda, 3) Ask Open-ended questions 4) set and keep guardrails for the session 5) Recap the discussion 6) work through next best steps with the Client and 7) work with the client to set deadlines for action items. Items that typically fall to the Client (the direct report) include: 1) Prepare a session agenda 2) understand and work within the guardrails the coaching manager has set 3) take session notes provide thoughtful responses to the coach’s questions 4) consider and articulate next best action steps 5) Record any delivery dates, and 6) work to complete the agreed-upon tasks, and action steps.
I have suggested that a great Coaching Manager needs to possess certain personal strengths. These strengths include: 1) Sensitivity 2) Empathy 3) Ability to Focus 4) Flexibility 5) Be Knowledgeable 6) Be organized and 7) be nurturing. A great coach will recognize if they fall short in certain traits, but work to improve in those areas. Being a good listener will over-ride many areas of weakness.
Where you meet matters. It should be a space that is free of distractions, noise, and allow for private conversation. Meetings not need be face to face. With a little planning, and a policy of no multitasking, phone meetings are a valid option. When you meet is also important. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Friday’s are good options. Avoid the middle of the week. And mornings are better than afternoon or evening, as mornings are more conducive to planning action that can start the same day as the session.
But at its core, the Coaching Manager and Client process is a relationship. It is a relationship that exists to better the Client, the direct report. But it can also better the manager. The most important benefit the manager can give their direct report is to be a good listener. From focused, active listening the manager will hear the desires and problems of the direct report. A skillful Coaching Manager will help the Client identify core goals, and blocks to the Client’s development. The Coaching Manager will clarify important topics, set guardrails for discussion, and help minimize or eliminate block to Client goals, and action steps. Over time the client will mature, and grow as an employee, team member, leader, and person.
Now we come to a key question to our discussion of the Coaching Manager. Is this model valid and complete when understanding and creating a management style? As honest, and objective as I can be on the topic, I would say “Yes”, and “No”. The model is certainly valid, and timely. Younger professionals, and those employees that are reflective and are questioners will be attracted to the Coaching Manager model, and will I suspect respond favorably to the model. And in the long run, the approach is smart. As direct reports develop under the system they gain confidence and are able to more effectively solve their own problems. This frees the manager to pursue issues that are truly the realm of management, such as developing business relationships, improving processes, and building strategy. So in the long run more management time is freed up. The next part of the question considers “is it complete?” Honestly, I would say for the most part. Having said that I do acknowledge that there will be times, and situations where managers simply do need to direct their team. These times are few, and far between, and are in times of crisis. A manager might need to say “I just need you to do this, I’ll explain later…” In the world of business reality, these conversations will happen – but rarely. More frequently a manager, because of time constraints, may say “here is the best way to do this…” or “here is how I want you to do this…” My point here is that there are times where managers need to mentor. A mentor is not the same as a coach, and this will be a topic for a detailed discussion in the near future. In defense I will say that in the abstract world a coach is not a mentor – but in the real world, in implementing the Coaching Manager model, I suspect some activity that might be called mentoring will happen. In conclusion, my purpose here has been to suggest leveraging the best of professional coaching for a management model. At the same time, I like to be pragmatic. I truly believe that the Coaching Manager model I have discussed can be a management model – more than just one more tool that is only employed on occasion.
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, is a Career and Business Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com
Our examination of the coaching manger and Client (direct report) starts with identifying the primary focus of the work. The starting point, the focus for the work is the Client, the direct report. The overarching goal is to empower the client (the direct report) to function at a higher level at their job, and to grow and mature as an employee, team member, business partner, problem solver, leader, and person. So let’s be clear, the focus in the coaching manager and client process is the Client, the direct report.
Coaching as a discipline can provide certain universal benefits. These benefits include providing a sounding board for the client, setting of guardrails for dialogues, consideration of action steps, and consideration and removal or minimizing of blocks. Other general benefits of the coaching, which are not as easily measured include improved wellness, or sense of well-being, and improved self-confidence.
As in most work in business, or a well-run organization, the coaching manager and client work has goals to strive for. In the case of the Coaching Manager and Client process, the goals that are worked though and agreed upon is setting of the direct report (Client) goals. These direct report goals tend to fall into two general categories: 1) goals that align or are in response to organization, department, or management goals, or 2) Goals that align to the Client’s (the Direct Report’s) personal or professional development. Valid goals need to be ones that add value to the organization, the department, the customers, and/or the Client, as well as being realistic, that is achievable, and a goal that the Client is passionate about. Most large goals are typically broken down into smaller deliverables, or action steps, or tasks. Action steps, and tasks need to have completion dates assigned to them.
For the most part the work that the Coaching Manager and Client do together happens in one on ones. To follow the tradition of professional coaching, these can be called “sessions”. It is suggested that sessions follow a simple three-part format. The three large sections of the session are: 1) SET SCOPE 2) CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE and 3) ACCOUNTABILITY. In a typical 50-minute session Set Scope normally takes about 5 to 10 minutes. The wrap up of Accountability only takes about 5 to 10 minutes. So the bulk of the time in a session is in Constructive dialogue around the topic(s) that have been agreed on in Set Scope. Specific tasks, and action steps along with completion dates are agreed to in the Accountability, the session wrap up.
In the Coaching Manager and Client process we have seen that certain responsibilities fall to the Coach, and some fall to the Client (direct report) and some are shared. Some duties that typically fall to the Coaching Manager are: 1) Ask the Client to prepare an agenda 2) Review the Agenda, 3) Ask Open-ended questions 4) set and keep guardrails for the session 5) Recap the discussion 6) work through next best steps with the Client and 7) work with the client to set deadlines for action items. Items that typically fall to the Client (the direct report) include: 1) Prepare a session agenda 2) understand and work within the guardrails the coaching manager has set 3) take session notes provide thoughtful responses to the coach’s questions 4) consider and articulate next best action steps 5) Record any delivery dates, and 6) work to complete the agreed-upon tasks, and action steps.
I have suggested that a great Coaching Manager needs to possess certain personal strengths. These strengths include: 1) Sensitivity 2) Empathy 3) Ability to Focus 4) Flexibility 5) Be Knowledgeable 6) Be organized and 7) be nurturing. A great coach will recognize if they fall short in certain traits, but work to improve in those areas. Being a good listener will over-ride many areas of weakness.
Where you meet matters. It should be a space that is free of distractions, noise, and allow for private conversation. Meetings not need be face to face. With a little planning, and a policy of no multitasking, phone meetings are a valid option. When you meet is also important. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Friday’s are good options. Avoid the middle of the week. And mornings are better than afternoon or evening, as mornings are more conducive to planning action that can start the same day as the session.
But at its core, the Coaching Manager and Client process is a relationship. It is a relationship that exists to better the Client, the direct report. But it can also better the manager. The most important benefit the manager can give their direct report is to be a good listener. From focused, active listening the manager will hear the desires and problems of the direct report. A skillful Coaching Manager will help the Client identify core goals, and blocks to the Client’s development. The Coaching Manager will clarify important topics, set guardrails for discussion, and help minimize or eliminate block to Client goals, and action steps. Over time the client will mature, and grow as an employee, team member, leader, and person.
Now we come to a key question to our discussion of the Coaching Manager. Is this model valid and complete when understanding and creating a management style? As honest, and objective as I can be on the topic, I would say “Yes”, and “No”. The model is certainly valid, and timely. Younger professionals, and those employees that are reflective and are questioners will be attracted to the Coaching Manager model, and will I suspect respond favorably to the model. And in the long run, the approach is smart. As direct reports develop under the system they gain confidence and are able to more effectively solve their own problems. This frees the manager to pursue issues that are truly the realm of management, such as developing business relationships, improving processes, and building strategy. So in the long run more management time is freed up. The next part of the question considers “is it complete?” Honestly, I would say for the most part. Having said that I do acknowledge that there will be times, and situations where managers simply do need to direct their team. These times are few, and far between, and are in times of crisis. A manager might need to say “I just need you to do this, I’ll explain later…” In the world of business reality, these conversations will happen – but rarely. More frequently a manager, because of time constraints, may say “here is the best way to do this…” or “here is how I want you to do this…” My point here is that there are times where managers need to mentor. A mentor is not the same as a coach, and this will be a topic for a detailed discussion in the near future. In defense I will say that in the abstract world a coach is not a mentor – but in the real world, in implementing the Coaching Manager model, I suspect some activity that might be called mentoring will happen. In conclusion, my purpose here has been to suggest leveraging the best of professional coaching for a management model. At the same time, I like to be pragmatic. I truly believe that the Coaching Manager model I have discussed can be a management model – more than just one more tool that is only employed on occasion.
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, is a Career and Business Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com
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