Çiğdem Karadeniz PCC, CPCC, ORSC /Career Coach

Coach Manager

As profession of coaching is well known and several managers benefit from this service the concept of “Coach Manager” come to light as a need.
There is a difference between being a Coach and Coach Manager and yet target remains the same: job satisfaction, content employees and high performance.
The definition of leadership varies from person to person. I would like to add the notion of “being a coach manager” which is one of the most important leadership skills.

In what ways you can make contribution to your company as a Coach Manager?

Transforming talents into leaders: Leaders train leaders. Leaders you have trained help you to grow stronger and move forward while feeling safe because you are built on solid basis.

Integrating and merging the teams: Especially in mergers and acquisitions period it is manager’s duty to help individuals to join into changing process and assist people to raise their concerns who are affected by the change. Human factors are the reason mostly where mergers and acquisitions go wrong.

You help the culture and change to be reflected into the company: Either operational or structural change, employees would like to know and feel that their voices are heard and are guided towards success. Coach Manager provides this and leads positively.

Prepare back up candidates: Guiding and leading talents with high potential to move towards higher positions and new skill sets in an attempt to provide information is a coaching skill as well.

How run a Coaching Session?

Sessions are dynamic, they have to be treated according to the situation and related individual differently.

Sometimes, you might have to provoke thoughts and ask questions in that manner.

Sometimes when working with a person who is “stuck” in her/his own way of thinking and cannot get leave behind their point of view and experience, you can help them to approach the situation with a different point of view.

Sometimes you work it a person who can benefit from your feedback only.

The more have a flexible and coherent communication style the more you are effective.

“Six Coaching Principles” to become a Coach Manager

• Be attentive to appropriate time and setting
• Focus on questions
• Active listening
• Give feedback
• Show new perspectives
• Encourage to support the development, motivate to overcome difficulties

Be attentive to appropriate time and setting

You need a set up in order to run a coaching session. You need to take into consideration not only the individual you are coaching but your personal condition as well. Thus, you can increase the efficiency of a coaching session. It is human to get back to your personal issues and to seesaw. Determine whether the timing is right, imagine and design the experience you want to create visually beforehand.

Focus on questions

Conscientious and to the point questions help employees to have a deep understanding of the situation. Rather than asking superficial questions that display the situation and action plan, it is better to ask stronger questions that can provide solutions. Questions that can lead individual to explore his/her inner world will be more helpful and inspire creativity. Encourage them to clarify the available information and find new methods will serve the purpose.

Active listening

You truly need to be actively listening to gather new information, get results regarding the causes and to strengthen the relationship indeed. In order to achieve that you need to be there with your mind and body during the session. You need to turn to the response and reflect this into your body language as well. You also need to pay attention to what is said as well as what is not said, you need to interpret right and analyse it. If you could make short summary of what you got out of the session, it will be a courtesy to opponent as well as checking whether you got the situation right.

Give feedback

There will be opportunities for an employee where she/he can benefit from you feedback during the coaching session. If you can do this in constructive way without being threatening, you can shed a light for the change of an employee.
When you observe certain behaviour, ask for permission before you give feedback. Have the courage to tell the truth. Be supportive and constructive. Focus on behaviour not the person. Make sure your purpose is understood.

Show new perspectives

You can cooperate regarding new approaches that will be beneficial to the company and employees after agreeing upon the shortcomings in performance. You can do the planning together that will support the expected performance results. It is important to be on the same page in terms of targets and shortcomings. When designing new approaches try to be creative. Find alternative solutions. Your plan should be realistic and to the point.

Encourage to support the development, motivate to overcome difficulties

Evaluation sessions, regular meetings and follow up on certain issues and acknowledging efforts will help with the changing process of the individual. Hurry them along. Appreciate when you see a real development. When there is lack of motivation see it as an opportunity for coaching.
Your employee’s success is your success. Celebrate together.