GOLDEN RULES FOR A GOOD COACH

Coaching is a two-way process.  A coach should be looking for opportunities which will help to stretch and develop the people they coach.  A two-way communication process allows each other feedback about how things are going and where to be improved.  To ensure feedback takes place, invite the other person to give you feedback from time to time through regular sessions.  Give and get feedback on progress towards the goals which have been agreed.  Receiving and understanding the feedback should be the coach’s responsibility.

The “feedback hamburger” is a useful tool for a coach when they are trying to give straight but balanced feedback.  The “meat” of the burger is main communication.  When giving feedback be sure that you are being specific and that the feedback is focused on specific events or behavior.  Timing to give the feedback is also an important consideration.  In giving feedback be careful to avoid judging or using general labels in the conversations.

One of the Golden Rules that good coaches learn early in their careers:

“People who don’t listen aren’t listened to”

If you want to be listened to you have to work hard at listening and not talking.  Pay attention.  Maintain eye contact.  Learning to listen and being able to provide feedback to people.  Key to good listening is to stop talking and to start asking questions.  The more we listen, the more we understand.  Most of us have the greatest difficulty in listening when we have a vested interest in the conversation:

• when we really want to “win” the argument or discussion,
• when want to convince the other person of something,
• when we have something at risk, etc.

 

Seven Tips for Good Listening

1. Focus on the other person

• Give all of your attention
• Don’t do other things like answering the phone

2. Look at them

• listen with your eyes as well as your ears
• understand what their face and body is saying as well as the words they are speaking

3. From time to time repeat what you have heard to check that you have understood correctly
4. Try and draw the other person out
• start questioning with who, what, where, when, why, or how
5. Try to hear more than just what they are saying
6. Make sure you have understood correctly by repeating back what you have understood
7. Sum up the conversation to show you have understood the key parts of what the other person has been saying

 

Shared from:

http://blog.readytomanage.com/business-coaching-training/

Listening Skills in Coaching – Encouraging Two-Way Communication

November 11, 2012 by Dr. Jon Warner