A Manager's Guide to Coaching - Simple and Effective Ways to Get the BEST Out of Your Employees

Citation

Cattell, A. (2008), "A Manager's Guide to Coaching - Simple and Effective Ways to Get the BEST Out of Your Employees", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 40 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2008.03740fae.001

A Manager's Guide to Coaching - Simple and Effective Ways to Get the BEST Out of Your Employees

Article Type: Bookshelf From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 40, Issue 6

Brian Emerson and Anne Loehr,AMACOM,New York, NY,2008,229 pp.,ISBN: 9780814409824,US $16.95, UK £9.99 (paperback),

The authors are both certified coaches and co-founders of a consultancy providing leadership development retreats around the world. Anne Loehr has a managerial background in the hospitality sector and Brian Emerson specialises in organizational development for leaders. The text is written for managers and readers interested in coaching others and in developing their own coaching skills.

The book aims to provide a resource which gives the reader a number of coaching tools whilst also covering the entire coaching process.

The first four chapters: Getting the best from employees; The what, why and when of coaching; How to coach and the tenets of coaching are presented as a “how to” on coaching. Chapter three is the substantive element of the book as it presents a framework for the coaching process and questioning techniques. It also outlines a basic formula which the authors call W.I.N. B.I.G (the initial letters of the second and third stages of the process). This is designed to guide the coach through any coaching conversation and covers the following approach:

1. 1.

   Determine capability:

2. 2.
   • •

     Is coaching the most relevant approach?

   • •

     Creating dialogue by asking appropriate questions.

   • •

     Assisting the coachee in moving to action then holding them accountable for commitments.

3. 3.

   Build awareness:

4. 4.
   • •

     Wonder about root cause - discovery.

   • •

     Investigate wants - clarifying vision.

   • •

     Name possible solution - problem solving.

5. 5.

   Move to action:

6. 6.
   • •

     Build a plan - defining action.

   • •

     Insure action - develop accountability.

   • •

     Give validation - validate.

Chapter five gives advice on how to use the book to best effect to:

• •

  coach employees;

• •

  make best use out time for coaching;

• •

  use the text as a group/team resource in specific situations; and

• •

  use the text as a tool to coach yourself.

Chapter six moves the reader to application of the formula and provides questions for specific coaching situations. These are intended to guide the reader through a coaching conversation on each of the topics, namely: interpersonal problems; motivation; time management; conflict; clarifying goals; resources (lack of); development opportunities; life balance; conflicting priorities; delegation; and increasing confidence.

Chapter seven is divided into six sections, one for each stage of the W.I.N. B.I.G. coaching model. Each gives the coach and coachee a choice of forty questions, which they can tailor to the coaching dialogue.

A superficial glance at the book may initially give the reader the impression that the content is formulaic and potentially gimmicky. Whilst chapter one is a rather dry beginning to the text, the content of the book picks up pace and the reader is presented with a range of material which will inform the coaching process. Coaching situations, case studies (and useful questions arising from them) provide useful templates for both coach and coachee to learn from. Sample conversations, responses and follow-up questions which can be adapted are also presented in equal measure. As a coaching framework the book presents an obviously workable model based on the considerable experience of the authors. The price of the book presents excellent value for money.

Alan Cattell