The Call for Coaching

Facts: Today’s Workplace

- Organizational change leads to loss of up to 75% productive work time.
- Job stress costs estimated at $3.5 billion ($300 billion in the U.S.).
- One of the top sources of job stress is poor interpersonal relationships.
- 85% of all organizational difficulties stem from interpersonal conflict.
- 60% of employees operating at 45% capacity.

Sources: Harvard Business Review, Globe and Mail, Peter Frost (2003)


Now, more than ever, leaders and employees need coaching to resolve issues in the workplace and create effective relationships.

As a manager, you wear many hats. You are expected to be a role model, mentor, as well as a coach. However, you cannot run the “shop” all by yourself. You need the support of a strong and effective team. Your role is to strengthen your team by coaching them through issues and situations so they are able to perform at their peak. By catching performance problems early, you will avoid them escalating into bigger issues.

So what is coaching?

Dennis Kinlaw (1989) describes “successful coaching is a one-on-one conversation between manager and employee that follows a predictable process and leads to superior performance, commitment to sustained improvement and positive relationships.”

However, a simpler approach to take is from the dictionary.

Coach – Origin – French – “A vehicle to transport people from one place to another.”


What’s the coaching process?

Build Rapport:
· Don’t wing it – be clear about the issues
· Create the right space
· Set context
· Ask for their perspective
· Do what you say and say what you mean

Observe and Analyze:
· Observe the impact the employee is having on others
· Avoid forming premature judgements
· Look for ways to test and confirm your observations
· Look for patterns in an employee’s behaviour

Question and Listen:
· Don’t be afraid to ask
· Ask curious questions
· Avoid pitfalls of listening
· Avoid interrupting
· Encourage the exploration of options

Provide Feedback:
· Ask permission
· Make it objective and descriptive
· Don’t just focus on the negatives
· Look at the bigger picture
· Deliver feedback in a timely manner
· Treat others how they want to be treated
· Use lightness

Facilitating Learning
· Model the behaviour you expect
· Agree on the action plan
· Schedule a follow-up meeting
· Make it clear you are there to provide support
· Evaluate progress


Hint: Asking Powerful Questions

When I say “powerful” I am not implying that you as the coach will have “power” over your employee or client. Powerful questions inspire thought, exploration and problem solving. They help to stimulate the coaching dialogue to get to the root of the issue.

Here’s some examples of powerful questions to ask in your next coaching conversation:

· What is the core issue?
· What perspective are you taking on this?
· What assumptions are you making?
· What do you want?
· What does success look like?
· If you had a magic wand, what would you have happen?
· What do you need to say “No” to?
· What does your gut say?
· What’s getting in your way?
· What’s stopping you from doing X?
· What’s the boldest thing you could do?
· What else?
· What is the worst thing that could happen?
· What are your next steps?
· What could you do by Friday?
· On a scale of 1-10, where 10 is totally committed, how committed are you to moving forward with this action?
· What support do you need to get this handled?
· What’s the learning for you?


Coaching employees through an issue can be one of the most challenging responsibilities that you encounter on the job, but it can also be rewarding. By taking some of these suggestions and applying them, you will increase your effectiveness and develop a stronger team.

Adapted from "Coaching for Leadership Excellence" Workshop, Sauder School of Business, Executive Education 2008.