Exclusive Webinar: Bringing Science to the Art of Coaching

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Interest in helping leaders to become better coaches is at an all time high! Surveys show that employees want a great deal more coaching than they receive and there are signs that corporate America is finally responding in two ways:

1. They are training managers to be better coaches
   
2. They are using external coaches

With all this investment, what can be done to insure that it pays off with the highest possible return? There is great inconsistency in the quality and effectiveness of coaches, and the field is attracting more people at a rapid rate.

To expand and improve the art of coaching triggers a series of extremely important questions. Indeed, the future success of coaching may lie in our ability to find answers to these basic questions.

Please join us on Wednesday March 18, 2009 as our partner, Dr. Jack Zenger, leads a no-cost webinar focused on Bringing Science to the Art of Coaching.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Applying research from a variety of allied disciplines
  
• Applying lessons learned from other successful initiatives that are closely related to coaching
  
• Using research conducted in business and public service organizations

WE'LL ANSWER KEY QUESTIONS:

1. To what degree does coaching really pay off? Is this just one more in a long line of management fads?
   
2. How can we increase the effectiveness of each coaching session?
   
3. How can the process of coaching be made more consistent?
   
4. What is the appropriate goal for coaching, and how much change can we expect?
   
5. What is it about the coaches’ personality or behavior that makes the most positive impact?

TOPIC: Bringing Science to the Art of Coaching

DATE: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

TIME: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT

PRESENTER(S): Dr. Jack Zenger

Click here to register for this event!

Gain Willing Commitment

Using effective influence skills to gain the willing commitment of others – instead of using your positional power – will give you the edge to accomplish your results and build more productive business relationships.

Coaching for Performance

When coaching for performance, ask about any barriers that may be getting in the way of the desired performance. This simple question may be the key to finding buried treasure!

Persuading Others to Help

If you need help completing a task, use your network to find an expert. Figure out how that person would benefit by helping you or think about what is important to them. Use that information along with your influence skills to persuade them to help!

Survivors Getting The Blues Instead of The Pink Slips

As columnist Diane Stafford wrote today in the Kansas City Star, "They're just not that into you. You, as in employers."

It's no surprise that employee engagement is declining these days. While some may feel the survivors "should be happy just to have a job," it's certainly no picnic at the office.

As they wait for the other shoe to drop, survivors struggle to do the additional work of 3 or 4 people (maybe more), work among empty cubicles and hallways that echo as reminders of their co-workers who are no longer there, and for many, the pressure to produce is about to boil over.

Stafford offers several tips for companies to keep employees energized including setting clear direction for personal success, open and honest communication, opportunities for development, recognize and reward, and focusing on work/life balance.

Along with our Alliance Partners, Devon Scheef and Diane Thielfoldt, co-founders of The Learning Cafe, we work with organizations to help engage multiple generations in their workforce. We know that despite the larger challenges of the organization, the behavior and actions of each manager has a huge influence on their team's engagement, satisfaction, and consequently, productivity.

Diane and Devon recommend the following actions for managers to meet the needs of each member of their team:

Millennials

Millennials are hungry for fifteen-minute feedback! Ask "What's going well? What's not? What can I do to support you?"

Provide challenging, varied work by assigning multiple projects at a time. They expect, and can multitask!

Include groups and teams as part of their work.

Invest in their training and education.

Gen Xers

Coach don't micromanage them. Give them a goal and get out of the way.

Provide mentors (maybe even a maverick thinker) to help them reach their next career goal.

Provide a flexible work environment.

Offer frequent, truthful, specific, and concrete communication.

Baby Boomers

Don't take them for granted! Ask if they are satisfied or enthusiastic about their work, their projects, learning opportunities, etc.

Help design jobs to accommodate multiple family demands - demands of their kids and their parents.

Keep it fresh - job rotation, special assignments, task forces, projects, etc.

Be a concise communicator. It saves time.

Silent Generation

Frequently, tell Silents why and how their work is significant. Link it to the bottom line.

Verbally and publicly recognize their contribution and importance. Ask these experts to share their knowledge and critical skills by being a mentor. Ask newer employees to shadow and learn from them.

Provide proactive technology support if needed.

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Each of us needs to feel respect and value. Managers can provide that support every day - making the difference for the survivors and the organization.

Preferred Learning Style

Good development conversations address opportunities for bridging the knowledge gaps. Understanding the individual’s preferred learning style is key to crafting the most productive development experiences.