Coaching Skills Training
Coaching skills include:
Listening,
Questioning,
Creating a conversation,
Managing oneself,
Building rapport,
Eliciting and influencing beliefs,
Eliciting values,
Building self esteem,
Using coaching models (such as TGROW) and
Putting all of the above into an organizational context
Many individuals and organizations assert that they do not need training in these coaching skills, because they already have them and use them effectively. In some cases this is at least partially true. In most, it is not!
By way of example many executives are shocked when they start to practice their listening stills. What they discover is that frequently they are not really listening to others in order to fully understand their point of view, their situation and their view of the world. Often they are instead: waiting to talk, knowing the answer/ solution before the speaker has even defined it; thinking of an answer, thinking of a clever / smart comment, being smart, daydreaming, assuming, presuming etc.
With training, they become aware that their colleagues/employees actually know that their opinion is not being truly heard. This causes immense problems in any organization. When we think that we are not being listened to we stop communicating or start to be aggressive and frequently make personal verbal attacks on each other, either directly or behind backs. None of this benefits the organization! So, executives find it really useful to begin to practice listening skills with others, in a ‘Coaching gym”/ “practice field” situation.
Similarly, all of the above skills can be examined and practiced, away from the job in a coaching gym. In this way, leaders learn how to coach as part of their daily remit. As a result, internal organisational communication improves dramatically, with all of the associated benefits.
