We start by chemistry checked first. Then, there are 4 steps as we call it 4-Ds. Diagnosis, design, discussion and destiny.
It’s like you go to visit a doctor. You have to be diagnosed – it’s a situational appraisal. Then, the coach will design coaching plan for you based on the finding, and start implement the coaching discussion and eventually you reach your coaching destination.
Checking – Chemistry
TheCoach will meet with the prospective coachee first. The first meeting is a chemistry check between the two persons. If any party does not feel comfortable, usually it stops there. In that case, TheCoach will recommend the prospect to the other coach.
1. Diagnosis
There are 2 steps:
a. Self discovery. The coachee will do online test by using Gallup’s Strengthsfinder 2.0. This will help the coachee to discover his or her top 5 talents. We will use this information during the coaching sessions.
b. 360 degree interview. TheCoach will meet with 6 surround people to obtain the perception of the coachee. The interview is face-to-face for an hour per person.
2. Design
Base on the diagnosis information, TheCoach will design a specific tailor made to meet individual’s coaching need. Usually, the coaching will be 90 minutes per session. There will be 2 sessions per month. The suggested period are; 3 months or 6 months.
3. Dialogue
Then, we can start the session. The discussion will be around these topics: beliefs, behavior, communication style, and interaction styles.
The most frequent skills coach uses is questioning skill or Socrates method. A good coach will facilitate the discussion by asking questions for the cochee to discover the solution by herself.
4. Destiny
The coachee will reach the coaching goal at the ned of period. There are 3 outcomes:
– Better self awareness
– Significantly change
– Moderate change
4-Is Coaching Model
Based on over 10 years executive coaching experience, TheCoach develop 4-Is Coaching Model to use in our coaching discussion.
It is a model that helps a coach to identify and apply coaching approach that is appropriate to each situation and each person.
4-Is is a model that starts with Individualise as a principle. Then you select one of the three I’s _ Instruct, Inspire, Inquire _ depending on the situation. Let’s explore each one.
Individualise is fundamental for coaching. Training and teaching are mass approaches to help people learn in a group setting. On the other hand, coaching is about each individual. You have to consider each person’s style, beliefs, potential, background, preferred learning style and willingness to learn.
You can’t coach everyone the same way. That’s the most common trap for leaders trying to coach, particularly high achievers who are ambitious and love to learn as they will assume everyone loves learning and welcomes coaching.
Once you learn this principle, you can choose an approach from the rest of the 3 I’s.
Instruct teaches others by instructing or doing things with them. It works best for coaching on work processes or specific knowledge. For example, a manager comes to ask you what to do for a staff who steal company’s property – disciplinary action according to the policy.
Inspire helps people learn indirectly. There are several methods:
Walk the talk by being a role model. Do what you say and say what you do. For example, if you want your team to be customer-oriented, you should received the complaint calls from your clients.
Tell a story. There are lots of stories that impart lessons, whether it is a positive attitude, professionalism, dealing with adversity, leadership or management excellence.
Use your own experience. If you have gained trust because people know who you are, what you stand for and your success, sharing lessons about your success can inspire someone else. Still, you should check with your staff first on whether they want to hear about your experience.
Inspiring people is less directional. You can be a good role model or share a worthwhile story but your subordinates will have to decide whether they want to apply what they learned from you.
Inquiring is coaching by questioning. This is an effective way to coach knowledge workers. The questions help people to think on their own. This method is the most difficult, but I write about it a lot on my website. The book I always refer to is Quiet Leadership by David Rock. The author explicitly teaches you how to use questions effectively help other people think better.