April 2006 ISSUE
PD SPOTLIGHT
simple coaching steps bring huge payoff
BY NANCY TOTH, MA
Manager, Professional Development
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It can be said that coaching skills create constructive conversations. All management
styles have one thing in common — they are manifested in a manager’s
communication.
Successful managers are able to conduct effective interpersonal transactions, nearly all of which are conversations. Not surprisingly, we can increase the conditions for our organization’s success by making our conversations as constructive as possible.
Rachelle Lee, an organization development consultant with Einblau & Associates in Calgary, says that a manager’s role currently includes many types of one-on-one exchanges with employees.
ounselling or problem-solving, confronting,
mentoring and tutoring are among the most challenging.
These are all known as coaching conversations. “The ability to conduct
such conversations well is not innate; coaching skills are learned. As with all
other skill areas, if an individual has not been trained, he or she likely will
avoid tackling these types of conversations,” says Rachelle.
I knew APEGBC was having great success with Einblau’s two-day seminar Coaching for Commitment. After auditing the seminar, I had to agree that the approach to coaching seemed to click with participants.
Rachelle is a management consultant specializing in strategic business marketing planning and research development in financial services, manufacturing, health care and social services. Prior to joining Einblau & Associates, she worked in various management positions in corporate and small business environments, and was CEO of a communications research company. In addition to providing consulting services, she offers training in leadership coaching to business owners and managers.
No organization today can afford to pass up coaching’s significant payoffs, such as
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positioning employees to work up to their full potential
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keeping abreast of issues and problems in real time — before they become costly
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building problem solving capacity throughout the organization.
What are the four workplace conditions required to build commitment? They are simply
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being clear (about the organization’s core values and performance goals)
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having influence (over what we do)
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being competent (to perform the tasks expected of us)
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feeling appreciated (for our performance).
The good news, says Rachelle, is that “managers have control over these conditions. Taken as a whole, the four conditions can produce a business culture that fosters commitment. Managers who coach have a greater likelihood of creating these conditions.”
We make sense of the world around us through our exchanges with other people. Until we are able to see the significance of the tasks we are asked to perform in the workplace, we cannot give whole-hearted commitment to our work. Employers who want to capitalize on their employees’ full potential can find a direct route to this goal by way of their managers’ coaching conversations.
Einblau & Associates has been training managers to coach their direct reports since 1999 through Coaching for Commitment. This two-day course is highly practical and gives managers and supervisors a step-by-step method for successful coaching conversations.
Hundreds of engineering managers have taken this course over the last five years and were able to use the skills immediately upon leaving the course and returning to their jobs. This course was written by an engineer who has a PhD in education. Engineers find this course highly applicable to their work environment because the case-studies are engineering-related, and the material is taught methodically to build to a strong conclusion.
Here are a couple of testimonials from engineers.
“This was great! This was the first management course directed solely at engineers, and it made a huge difference. The course was logically presented and there was a good balance between lectures and workshops.”
— Mark Rigolo, P.Eng.
Ballard Power Systems
“Your experience with us technical types really comes through.”
— Geoff Burn, P.Eng.
Associated Engineering (Ont.) Ltd.
The two-day course teaches
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commitment versus control management models of management
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conditions for building commitment
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how managers can positively influence employees’ commitment and motivation
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how coaching skills foster commitment
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The four types of coaching conversations: counselling, mentoring, tutoring and confronting
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helps and hindrances to successful coaching
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characteristics of successful coaching conversations
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a concrete, step-by-step process for coaching that can be used on-the-job the next day
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the difference between criticism and confronting
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how to give effective, corrective feedback
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how to challenge an employee who has reached a plateau
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how to handle resistance and ensure commitment to improvement
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rapport building and targeted communications skills.
APEGGA is offering this powerful two-day seminar, Coaching for Commitment, in May for a total cost of $600. That’s significantly less than the general public pays, at $900.
The seminar will be offered in Edmonton May 16 and 17 and in Calgary May 29 and 30. (THESE DATES ARE CANCELLED. NEW DATES WILL BE POSTED ON THE APEGGA WEB CALENDAR.)
MORE INFO
For more information
or to register
visit http://216.218.188.77/eventsapegga/
Einblau & Associates
visit www.einblau.com