This blog features a round of popular Coaching Cafes exploring very real workplace coaching scenarios.
The webinars introduce a range of topics that we hear every day in our coaching or when delivering our Leader as Coach, Team Coaching or full coaching programs Certificate IV in Workplace and Business Coaching (10834NAT).
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Whether you are new to coaching or an experienced coach, we offer key tips and coaching techniques on how to coach managers or team members around these top 4 topics:
How to coach a client with too much on their plate?
What if I know the answer?
When it’s easier to do it myself? Coaching and delegation.
When is it not the right time for coaching?
Scenario 1: How to coach a client with too much on their plate?
The look on Sonya’s face said it all! A mixture of curiosity laced with ‘here we go again’. The topic: ‘I think I might sign up for a triathlon’.
So, she listened patiently to me, slowly nodding, whilst rapidly forming her opinion.
Followed by asking a couple of good questions about ‘what was I trying to achieve?’
And then she said, ‘Now I’m going to state my opinion. Now is not the right time; you’ve got too much on your plate’.
Reluctantly I agreed.
Which brings us to the topic of this week’s Coaching Café: how do you coach clients with too much on their plate?
Now to be fair to Sonya, this wasn’t a coaching session; it was a chat over morning coffee. So it’s perfectly normal to jump in, ask questions and to offer opinions and advice etc.
But it is a very common topic in our coaching.
And since working out priorities because ‘I’ve got too much on your plate’ is a very common topic in workplace coaching; let’s see how to approach the scenario. Particularly when as the coach you have the feeling that the client has way too much on their plate. But you can’t say that, and jump into the space; and express your opinion.
Scenario 2: What if I know the answer?
It’s a question that we get often in our Leader as Coach or introductory coaching workshops that goes something along the lines of:
‘Coaching is great. Asking them for options is great. But what if I know the answer?.’
The question is usually followed by an explanation about how the person asking the question is a subject matter expert and knows the way forward. Or perhaps there’s no time for coaching. Alternatively, a worry or concern about the options generated by the coachee. Particularly when the coach thinks that the options might be risky or just unrealistic.
Even coaches with more experience may find thoughts might cross their minds about ‘better’ options or answers.
So join us for this Coaching Café where we explore the scenario in the workplace, when you actually know that an option may not work. Alternatively, the option is not the best alternative or is not feasible. Whether you are an experienced coach, coaching managers to coach their people, just starting out, or even coaching family members, it’s a topic that we can all explore and learn from.
Scenario 3: When it’s easier to do it myself? Coaching and delegation.
‘Sure I can delegate, but it’s easier to do it myself!’
It’s a real struggle in our workplaces right now. Leaders and managers and their teams are overwhelmed by their workload. Therefore, rather than coach people to grow and develop and give someone a learning opportunity, we hear people say: ‘it really is easier to deal with that pressing matter myself’.
Or perhaps they have tried coaching. And then we hear ‘coaching doesn’t work because an employee is not responding, so rather than coaching them, it’s easier to do it myself’.
We all know we need to delegate and that coaching assists with delegation. But when it comes down to it, delegating can be difficult. Particularly when the team is under pressure.
So how do you use coaching to assist in delegation? How do you coach people to pick up the slack, when it is their job and they need to perform better? Or alternatively, it’s not their job and you need them to step up?
There is a lot in this to unpack, so join us for this Coaching Café where we focus on insights into coaching and delegation and how to overcome those moments when it is easier just to do it myself.
Scenario 4: When is it not the right time for coaching?
Throughout our conversations we explore the role of coaching, coaching principles and ICF Core Competencies and great coaching questions.
Following on from this, another scenario we often get asked about is:
when is it not the right time for coaching?
The question often comes when people who are new to coaching are thinking ‘coaching is great…but…’. The ‘but’ is questioning when is coaching most appropriate? And when should the manager be doing something else? For example telling, directing, mentoring, advising or intervening.
This tension about ‘what is my role’ and ‘what is appropriate’ is not just a simple matter of understanding the difference between coaching, directing, mentoring and other techniques. We can think about the scenarios from several perspectives including risk versus reward and ethics or values.
With this in mind, join us for this Coaching Café as we focus on when is it not the right time for coaching?
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If you are a regular, you know the vibe and the great contribution that you make to our discussions; so we look forward to welcoming you and offering you a value-packed 30 minutes each Friday.
If you’ve not joined us for a Coaching Café, now is your opportunity to schedule this time for your professional and personal development. In addition, you have the opportunity to collect ICF CCEU’s for FREE. In no time at all, you’ll be looking forward to Friday lunchtimes, just like we all do!
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