Coaching Skills PDF

Module 1 Unit One Defining Coaching Coaching is about supporting an individual to take action towards achieving their goals, support their development and growth and/or overcome obstacles which may be impacting their performance. It is essential that coaching provides a safe environment for coac...

Module 1 Unit One Defining Coaching Coaching is about supporting an individual to take action towards achieving their goals, support their development and growth and/or overcome obstacles which may be impacting their performance. It is essential that coaching provides a safe environment for coachees to articulate themselves without judgement or criticism. Effective coaches do not lead or direct, they work to their client’s agenda, asking the questions that coachees can't , or are reluctant to, ask themselves. Role of a coach It is not the role of a coach to offer advice based on their experience, nor to take any accountability for the resolution of the topic. The coach is responsible for helping the coachee to find solutions to their own challenges and aspirations, by building a relationship which establishes boundaries and sets expectations that promote an environment of trust and confidentiality. It is important that there is clarity of the aim or objective of each conversation. Following this, the coach becomes a catalyst, approach and questioning, for the coachee to identify their options and choose which to action. Managing the logistics also plays an important part in the success of a coaching session, whether that be considering the suitability of environment or managing the time and progress through the conversation. A coach also needs to review their coaching after each session to ensure that they are effectively applying the core coaching skills of being present, listening, questioning and providing feedback, whilst always managing boundaries and upholding a code of ethics. A coach uses the above to support the exploration of a topic and be present for their client throughout the coaching process, being aware of verbal and non-verbal communication to identify what is being said and what is not being said. Throughout this process the coach is helping to raise the level of self- awareness and accountability in their client. There are numerous potential benefits to be had for everyone involved within the coaching process, for coach, coachee and organisation. Coachee For the coachee, it can provide them with an understanding of how to grasp an opportunity, create ideas and solve problems, have the time to reflect on things that can improve self-awareness and build confidence, all of which can lead to an improved individual capability and performance. Organisation For the organisation, improvement in individual performance leads to improvement in organisational performance and ROI, enhanced capability, setting the cultural tone, and people retention and progression. Coach Interestingly, the coach may also see personal improvement, and awareness, thinking time, insights into individual and organisational performance impacts and improvements. Different levels of coaching Within coaching there can be differing opinions and perspectives of what is involved, for example coaching in the sporting world represents an older model of coaching, where the coach is in charge, setting standards and telling the coachee what to do, with feedback provided on how well the individual executed the task. More recently developmental coaching is what is practiced by professional / executive coaches. A coaching conversation is defined by its impact. Whether it’s simply a conversation or coaching it’s about the style of the conversation and it’s something that could last two minutes or two hours. What might help us decide if it is coaching: Conversation is focused on the other individual bullet The intention of the coach is a positive one towards the other person bullet Listening, questioning and reflection are used bullet Does the individual think and reflect afterwards? Coaching requires a less directive style of managing and behaving. It should encourage others to be self-directed, challenging people to think, make their own decisions and find their own way to progress. If a coach maintains a directive approach, they retain responsibility and accountability, thereby not allowing the other person to do so, potentially negating their need to think. Adopting a non-directive approach, promoting a self-directed response in the other person, is therefore what a coach seeks. However, note that being directive can sometimes still be useful when someone needs reassurance and guidance, but does not reflect a coaching approach. Consider the following spectrum by Julie Starr (2021), that captures the movement from directive to self-directed. As discussed, a coach will seek to establish and maintain an adult-to-adult relationship through a more supportive less directed/self-directed style, captured the further right you move across the spectrum shown. A parent to child relationship through a directive style is shown on the left of the spectrum, and this more closely lends itself to mentoring. Let’s explore coaching and mentoring in more detail. Coaching v Mentoring Both coaching and mentoring are valuable, recognised learning interventions, and in their own way each develop an individual’s capability. They have some similarities, such as: Providing development for the client Requiring an open and trusting relationship Providing support and challenge for the client Having a duty of care However, they’re different, and these differences are key in understanding the benefits of both and when each intervention can be used to best effect. See if you can correctly identify which of the below are features of Coaching or Mentoring by dragging each statement into either box. Coaching Non-directive/Non-advisory Follows client’s agenda Client forms own ideas and solutions Raises awareness and accountability Transforms beliefs, attitudes and behaviours from the inside-out Short-medium term relationship Mentoring Provides guidance/advice based on experience Have travelled a mentee’s path Wise and trusted - credible Makes introductions/develops networks Often a long-term relationship Structure informs approach Start As there is no existing coaching relationship, the first meeting is unique. There needs to be a careful balance of articulating the key principles involved whilst building rapport. This initial meeting is often called a chemistry session. It is an opportunity for the coach and coachee to get to know each other and for the coachee to find out more about the coaching process. When starting a coaching relationship, the coach needs to consider a number of things concurrently: Connect: build a strong client relationship bullet Contract: establish an agreed way of working bullet Aim: what does the client want to get out of the coaching? bullet Manage: best use of time for client benefit Let's explore these four in more detail. Connect: t is known that the strength of relationship is often the determining factor of successful coaching, so building that connection is the key to starting well. With some individuals we experience a natural chemistry, however with others this is not there. As a coach, you therefore cannot rely on a natural chemistry to exist, you must be capable of forming a good connection and building a relationship. So how can this be done? Connecting well is best experienced rather than being read about, like a theatre review is never the same as being there. We often start connecting with people by talking about things we have in common. For example, it may be a cliché, but we all talk about the weather. If both coach and coachee are from the same internal environment, discussion could begin about certain aspects of the office. Beginning with common ground is therefore a good place to start and will allow the coach to progress the conversation from there to get to know the client in more depth, utilising good questioning and listening skills. As a coach, evidencing listening through verbal and non-verbal signals more readily builds the relationship, as the individual feels valued, knows they have your attention, and that you are present. Curiosity is showing interest in what the client is saying without a preconceived agenda. It’s about seeking to understand the client’s world without trying to offer further solutions/improvements, by forming questions from what the client is saying rather than trying to take the client down a path of the coach’s reasoning. It is about being with a person rather than doing something to them. So, establishing that meaningful relationship can be practised by building common ground, demonstrating effective listening and showing curiosity. A word to the wise – don’t become self-absorbed or carried away by technique. The paradox is that thinking too much about connecting may lead the coach to be a bit stiff or unnatural which will work against what they set out to do. Focus on being flexible in your style whilst retaining your authenticity. Contract Contracting is about identifying an agreed way of working together. It can be called a contract, coaching agreement, coaching alliance or something similar dependent on the formality/informality of the relationship to begin with and the culture of the environment. Again, whilst all coaching varies from coach to coach, there are some commonalities in contracting, such as being clear as to what is meant by coaching in the particular relationship, logistics such as frequency and duration, as well as confidentiality, ethics and boundaries. Note that the above must be covered whilst continuing to build rapport. There are a number of ways to undertake the above, for example, the coach can send the coachee some information in advance, or the information can be used as a catalyst for a conversation between coach and coachee. This will be expanded upon later in this programme, with a dedicated learning unit exclusively on the topic of contracting. Aim It is important that there is a collective understanding of the aim of the coaching relationship, by the coach, client, and where relevant, the sponsor. This is sometimes a little trickier than first thought, as client expectations may vary significantly from unrealistically high, where they want to address multiple issues/opportunities immediately, to no expectations where they don’t believe anything will help, and perhaps somewhere in the middle, where they are not exactly sure what it is that underpins the need for the session in the first place, but they know they need something. A coach would generally seek to identify no more than two or three coaching aims/goals with the coachee at the outset. However, it is not a necessity or sometimes a possibility to have clear coaching goals, where sometimes a general description or concern is all that is/can be articulated and required. Often clarity will emerge as the session progresses and objectives/goals will become clearer. Manage Managing time is a prerequisite to a successful session. It is the coach’s responsibility. The coach should ensure that time is managed effectively to connect, contract and identify session aims. The coach needs to be present in the moment with the coachee whilst also being aware of the overall session flow and timings. Explore The use of coaching models and techniques can support the exploration of the coachee’s topic. We will be introducing you to a range of models, approaches, and techniques as we travel through the programme. Here are a few to whet your appetite. GROW There are four stages to the GROW model: Goal - what do you want to achieve in this session/longer term? Reality - where are you now? Options - what are your choices? Will - what are you going to do? The simple GROW framework is valued by leaders and coaches, whether for a quick check-in, a full coaching session or planning a long-term change initiative. We will be sharing a GROW video demo with you in Unit 5. Dance of Insight The Dance of Insight is another simple coaching tool that can be used to facilitate a productive conversation, no matter what the context or content - it’s like being an invisible dance partner with your coachee. Permission - this is about asking consent before moving a conversation in a particular direction, this demonstrates respect for the coachee and gives the coachee choice on the direction of the coaching conversation. Placement - this is about anchoring and defining exactly where you are in a conversation so that both the coach and coachee are clear about the current focus of the conversation.  Questioning - this is about asking open-ended questions that evoke greater clarity, facilitate new insight, discovery or possibility, and prompt commitment to action. Clarifying - this is voicing the essence of what is being said and simplifying complex ideas, allowing the coach and coachee to make connections to other ideas easily. Scaling Scaling is another exploratory technique often used in Solution Focused coaching. It uses rating to break a situation down to a very basic form, usually a number, but you can use colours/shapes/pictures/temperature depending on what your coachee prefers. For example, on a scale of 1-10 how are you are feeling about your upcoming presentation? The starting point is for the coachee to understand where they are at, as this gives them a real measure of their current thoughts, feelings or experience. Exploring the number with your coachee allows them to assess their situation in more depth and provides a working foundation for moving forward. Finish Ensuring a good close to the session is just as important as getting the start right. This enables both parties to take the rapport built throughout this session into the next one, leaving in a good place, with the client clear and motivated to take action. Retaining sufficient time for this to happen is really important. Take time to review what the client is taking away from the session, their commitment to action, and how they are as they leave. Note that it is the client who should articulate and summarise the above, not the coach. It is an easy mistake for a coach to make, spending a session enabling a client to open up, share, identify and develop, and then at the end of the session the coach summarises on the client’s behalf, thus inadvertently taking away client ownership and commitment to action. It is also useful to spend a few moments reviewing how you are working together during the coaching. Share thoughts and feelings on what is working well and what is not working so well and what you could both change in the coaching relationship to make it even more productive. As trust builds over time in the relationship, there is a possibility of more being shared and a greater depth of learning occurring. As the client relationship develops sometimes dependency can become an issue, in that your client looks forward to your sessions and almost begins to rely on you being there for them and to help them talk through and resolve dilemmas. The relationship risks moving more towards advisory and mentoring rather than coaching. This risk emphasises the need for appropriate contracting, not only at the outset, but also as you move towards the end of the coaching relationship. Reviewing alignment to the agreed way of working provides a litmus test perspective as coaching progresses. Additional thoughts to consider when coming to the close of a coaching relationship: bullet Help the client to explore what they are taking away collectively from their sessions – what has been the greatest learning for them? bullet  What have they learnt about themselves as part of the coaching process? bullet What can your client do now that they couldn’t do before? bullet Are there any areas still left where they feel they need more support and how will they find this support now that your coaching is ending? bullet Should there be a follow up (in a few months) to see how the client is progressing? An internal coach needs to consider how they and the client will continue a different relationship outside of the coaching context, whilst remembering the confidential nature of the coaching process Coach reflection, learning and development The coach should always seek time to reflect on their own personal process and performance within the coaching relationship: 1 1 What has been the coach’s most significant aspect of personal learning during this coaching? 2 2 Review how you performed as the coach. What will you now work on? 3 3 Coach should consider any feedback and their own reflections to identify points to discuss with their ‘coaching supervisor’. A coach supervisor is a highly experienced coach who brings perspective to the quality of a coach’s coaching, provides CPD (continuous professional development), and enables the coach to have ‘safe space’ to allow them to share their reflections about their coaching, talk about problems, difficult relationships or awkward situations, in a confidential setting. This can help the coach to deal with the potential stresses and pressures of the job and ensure that they can continue to develop. It’s good practice to have regular supervision as a practicing coach. Summary A professional coach is responsible for helping the coachee to find solutions to their own challenges and aspirations, by building relationships which establish boundaries and set expectations that promote an environment of trust and confidentiality. It’s not the role of a coach to offer advice based on their experience. Within coaching there can be differing opinions and perspectives of what is involved. More recently, developmental coaching is what is practiced by professional / executive coaches. Both coaching and mentoring are valuable, recognised learning interventions, and in their own way each develop an individual’s capability. However, they’re different, and these differences are key in understanding the benefits of both and when each intervention can be used to best effect. A very simple but powerful way of thinking about the structure of coaching is; Start, Explore, Finish. As part of this apprenticeship you are going to be establishing coaching relationships; consider the learning points in this guide to help prepare for your next step on your coaching journey. Module 1 Unit 2 Reflective Practice and self development How we learn Understanding you and your personal effectiveness Many of us know what personal effectiveness and self-management are, we will have read books, attended training courses and listened to others talking about the importance of the topic; however how many of us have mastered this challenging concept? After all, it takes focus, energy and discipline to be the best that we can possibly be. Personal effectiveness means maximising all the resources you have at your disposal such as your skills, talents, strengths, focus and energy (both in a work and personal capacity) with the aim to master your life and achieve both work and life aspirations. Self-management impacts this because it is all about how you manage yourself and the focus here is about the ability to balance and control your emotions, inner thoughts and behaviours across a wide variety of different scenarios and relationships. Being aware of your own behaviours means gaining the conscious knowledge of who we are, our attributes, our character traits, belief systems, values, personal motivations and emotional feelings. There are many benefits of having this awareness, such as: 1 1 Understanding emotions 2 2 Communication skills  3 3 Conflict management 4 4 Self-advancement 5 5 Leadership skills 6 6 Self-actualisation Taking responsibility and prioritising your objectives and goals starts with managing your personal effectiveness. It has to start from ‘within’ as a first step. Any successful coach in today’s fast paced, complex world will be thinking about continuously developing and learning about the impact they have on themselves and those around them. This is challenging as there will be many differing personalities and relationships to understand and adapt to. Personal effectiveness will be one of the success factors in driving positive outcomes. Learning theory Click on the icons below to see an introduction to a number of learning theories. Behaviorism – Stimulus in a learner’s external environments can bring about a change in behaviour through training and education. Operant conditioning: means changing voluntary behaviour and requires the learner to participate and to want to change to the behaviours that result in positive reinforcement and reward. Classical conditioning: is concerned with changing involuntary behaviour. Classical conditioning is passive the learner’s perspective. Rewards and other forms of recognition given can produce the same effect. The most well-known of this is the story of Ivan Pavlov who trained dogs to salivate when they heard a bell being rung. He had taught them that there was a relationship between the bell being rung and food appearing (which made the dogs salivate). Cognitivism – Founded in Gestalt theory, cognitivism aims to develop knowledge already gained and to interpret new knowledge through cognition (mental skills) such as recognition, recall, analysis, reflection, application, finding meaning, problem solving, evaluation, memory, and perception. Humanism – Learning is a self-actualising process. Focusing on emotions and feelings as well asand cognitive needs. This is relevant to the way in which learners develop skills such as listening with empathy, participation in group work, questions concepts in order to understand them, is sensitive to individual differences, and accepts responsibility for one's own actions. Social learning – This kind of learning takes place through the interaction with others in a social context. It can include observation of others. This forms the basis of community learning and situational learning such as project groups and action learning. Constructivist – Each learner constructs meaning from understanding, knowledge through experiences and through reflection. When we encounter something new it has to be reconciled with previous knowledge and experience. The result may change what we believe or rejecting the new data. Self-Awareness To become personally effective, developing your self-awareness and becoming more consciously aware of the impact you make is the starting point and foundation for becoming an effective coach. Self-awareness is important because it enables you to become more conscious of who you are. When you have a better understanding of yourself, you can accept who you are, and where you currently are on your personal development journey. Then you can make conscious choices about where to focus your development and growth. This part of the process also includes becoming comfortable with uncertainty and with not knowing all the answers. For many, this can be quite a challenging mindset to overcome; we live in a highly competitive environment where many people feel that they should know everything otherwise their credibility or capabilities might fall into question and the feeling might be that we are judged based on what we don’t know rather than what we do or how we are. If you are honest and open with yourself and you acknowledge areas you want to change and grow, this can be really powerful and show a sense of integrity. Let’s now explore some of the ways in which we can develop our self- awareness, so you have some options for your toolbox. Feedback A critical element of developing self-awareness and personal effectiveness is the art of receiving feedback. At face value, it may seem easy and quite straightforward to receive feedback however, sometimes it can be helpful to structure the approach and get yourself in the right frame of mind so you can receive the feedback with the intent in which it is given – this part can be quite challenging! It's no secret that being praised often makes people feel good. Pride, pleasure and increased feelings of self-esteem are all common reactions to being paid a compliment or receiving positive feedback. This is because being praised triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the reward and pleasure centres of the brain. As well as making us feel good, dopamine can also contribute to innovative thinking and creative problem-solving at work. These positive effects, however, are relatively short-lived, and for praise to have an enduring impact on employee engagement, it needs to be offered regularly. As Jim Harter (2006), chief scientist at performance management consultancy the Gallup Organisation puts it: "recognition is a short-term need that has to be satisfied on an ongoing basis". Gallup's research indicates that employees who report that they are not adequately recognised at work are three times more likely to say they will leave in the following year. The developmental side of feedback is also helpful because without knowing what we can enhance or improve on, our performance could either stay the same or decline so there is a burning platform to ask for as much feedback as possible to continuously keep learning and developing in the role as a leader at your organisation. A key principle with feedback is to collect your data over a period of time as this will give you time to embed your learning objectives. With most things, changing behaviours or acquiring new skills or knowledge are not quick fixes so patience is key. Structuring the feedback process will help you to evaluate and review how you are doing; having milestones and checkpoints based on live feedback will be powerful in establishing how you are doing in line with your success measures and other expectations that have been set. Note Structuring the feedback process will help you to evaluate and review how you are doing; having milestones and checkpoints based on live feedback will be powerful in establishing how you are doing in line with your success measures and other expectations that have been set. Single-loop learning, Double-loop learning, Triple-loop learning Changing the way we think and behave in reaction to outcomes is crucial to effective learning. This distinguishes single-loop learning from double-loop learning, developed by Chris Argyris (1957). Single loop learning is where actions are modified based on the difference between expected and delivered outcomes. In double loop learning, the underlying causes are also identified and addressed. Understanding the assumptions and drivers underpinning our actions is key. Double loop learning also leads to organisational learning. It requires self and situational awareness, an open and honest outlook, and ownership. Triple loop learning is where you learn how to learn further by reflecting on how you leant in the first place! It’s not just changes that require thinking focus, it is the learning behind them. This level of learning drives organisational and big picture awareness and improvement. Stages of competence and learning mindset We often remain within our comfort zones and are reluctant to change or do not see the need to. Based on the work of Martin M. Broadwell (1969), the following framework can help us understand how we learn and thereby change. Unconscious Incompetence “We don’t know what we don’t know.” This level relates to standing on safe ground in blissful ignorance, not realising that a new skill/behaviour is required. Conscious Incompetence “We know what we don’t know.” Something happens and the person realises that their way of doing things is not working. They might respond in one of two ways: Continue as they are Become open to new ways of learning/working Conscious Competence “We work at what we don’t know.” This level can be both very difficult and very satisfying. To increase competence we need to accept mistakes are likely to happen as part of the learning process. Being an effective learner means accepting and appreciating mistakes as a necessary part of a learning curve. This stage can be prolonged, depending on the complexity of the skill set. It requires patience and determination. Unconscious Competence “We don’t have to think about knowing it.” This is the outcome of practicing a new skill over a period of time. It is the level of flow, where the competence has become part of us. As learning is a dynamic process, it often won’t be linear, it can feel more like a roller coaster at times! A learning mindset Taking personal development seriously deserves to be at the top of our priorities, however it is often the thing that people put to the bottom of their ‘to-do list’ or see as the ‘task’ that should be done because it forms part of a performance review. By truly engaging in personal development there are many benefits linked to performance; most importantly the positive feeling of taking responsibility for your own development path. It is helpful to have choices when it comes to our development, to suit our needs and to fit in with our lifestyle. It is now known that if you can create many learning ‘experiences’, compared to attending lots of formal training courses, the learning will have more impact, you will have a richer experience and learn more quickly. With the world changing at a fast pace and technological influences demanding different capabilities, it is important to put your learning needs at the forefront of your priorities. A key thing that will make the difference when it comes to learning is for you to ‘own it’ and take responsibility for making some changes. This is all about ‘Mindset’. Steven Covey (2020) in his book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People’ explores ‘Sharpen the Saw’. Part of this habit is defined as `the mental self' which is all about building our formal education through reading, visualising, planning, writing, and maintaining a coherent programme of continuing personal development. We never stop learning but if we can capture it, reflect on it and do something with it, then we can truly take ownership for driving our development journey. The world-renowned psychologist, Carol Dweck (2006), proposed that everything in your life comes down to your mindset, of which there are only two types, Fixed and Growth. Whereas the former is underpinned by a belief that your abilities are fixed by your upbringing, genetics or intelligence, a Growth Mindset supports the belief that your abilities are the starting point from which to expand and develop through effort, perseverance and practise. Johari Window & SWOT Coaching/Feedback – Johari Window The Johari Window model is a simple and useful tool for illustrating and improving self-awareness and mutual understanding between individuals within a group. It can be looked at from many different angles and provides four basic forms of ‘The Self’. Known Self Blind Self This is what you don’t see in yourself, but What you and others see in you. This is the part see in you. You might see yourself as conf of you that you can share freely with others and new situations but others around you don most of the time you agree, and others agree that or vice versa. Sometimes people might n this view of you is accurate. you what they see because they don’t w offend, and they hold back the feedba Hidden Self Unknown Self This is what you see in yourself, but others don’t see. You might decide to hide or not to share This is what you and others cannot see s things that are very private about you. Maybe untapped potential and skills, behaviour you don’t want the information to be disclosed or have yet to be explored by you, and the feel vulnerable having fears or weaknesses around you. exposed or maybe you don’t want to blow your own trumpet because of your own modesty. We all have 3 perspectives: Sometimes there can be a misalignment between these three different perspectives resulting in a mismatch between the reality of how we are perceived/received by others and our own take on the situation. The aim of the Johari Window is to expand the Known Self window so it takes up more room, moving into the three other windowpanes. By increasing Known Self you are: Increasing your self-awareness and learning about the impact you have on others. Building your tolerance and acceptance of self and others Reducing the Blind Self area, which is achieved by giving and receiving feedback Reducing the Hidden Self area by disclosing information about yourself and building relationships based on trust  Expanding the Unknown Self area by taking some calculated risks, exploring development opportunities which stretch and unlock potential. Here is a short video from the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin exploring using the Johari window to increase Self Awareness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI7iSJ09o2k Personal SWOT Analysis An additional tool for evaluating and reflecting on the value you bring is a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is often used to define a company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, often to help organisations develop a full awareness of all the factors involved in making a business decision. But it is also a tried and tested personal development tool that can give you different perspectives, based on objectivity and logic. Whilst it appears simple, the richness comes from analysing and examining the information which can help to raise self-awareness enabling action and learning to take place. Coaching and Neuroscience The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons. These neurons connect to thousands of other neurons via synapses, forming a giant network. When we engage in learning or we put ourselves in new situations, new connections are made between neurons and new neural networks are formed.  Moving out of our comfort zone into the ‘learning or stretch zone’ is a good thing and should be encouraged. If learning feels uncomfortable at times, then the positive thing is at least you know you are learning! Neurons communicate with each other through electrical and chemical transmissions known as synaptic connections. Signals are sent out when the neuron reacts to stimulus, which could be reading a book, listening to a podcast, experiencing a new activity, or being part of a learning programme such as this. A new neural network is formed every time we learn something new and the more we do this throughout our lives the bigger the network of synaptic connections gets. This network is responsible for everything a person thinks, feels and remembers. How can an understanding of neuroscience help coaches and their clients? Understanding some of the key principles behind neuroscience can help us to become better coaches. By understanding how this science impacts learning we can create the best learning environment for our coaching clients. The process our brains undertake when we’re learning is as follows: What is neuroplasticity? At the neural cell level neuroplasticity encompasses several processes including the creation of new neurons, the reorganisation or removal of neural connections, and neurons connecting to each other via synapses. The strengthening or weakening of connections between neurons is called neuro or synaptic plasticity. This is one of the fundamental mechanisms involved in learning and memory. During infancy approximately 2/3rds of the neurons that we are born with die as part of a normal process of removal and pruning of neurons and synaptic connections. Neural connections that remain intact are typically explained by the saying “neurons that fire together, wire together”. So, we strengthen neural connections by repetition and weaken them by lack of use. In adult life, very few new neurons are generated in the nervous system. That’s OK - we don’t need new neurons for synaptic plasticity. What we do see in adult life is the formation of new synapses between existing neurons, or weakening and pruning of existing synapses. We can influence the formation of new synapses with intentional behaviour and this is the basis of learning and behavioural change. This short video provides an explanation of synaptic plasticity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g How can I apply this knowledge when I start coaching? Your coachees probably don’t need a detailed explanation of the brain or neuro and synaptic plasticity! However, it may be relevant for them to know that: Change is possible – Our brain can strengthen or weaken neural pathways and this means that we can unlearn old behaviours and relearn new behaviours – you can teach an old brain new tricks! Focus and repetition are important – Thoughts and behaviours that are regularly repeated and/or reinforced become habits. Some habits can form after only one repetition (particularly those associated with emotion) but generally learning new behaviours takes time. Think about this in the context of creating both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ habits. If we focus on problems and repeat negative thoughts – also called rumination - we are strengthening these neural pathways. Change takes effort – Existing neural pathways (of thoughts, behaviours, habits) take time to weaken and new neural pathways can take time to develop – we need repetition and positive reinforcement (reward) of new thoughts and behaviours to make them stick. You will need to persist at creating new thoughts and behaviours – and so will your coachees. You might encourage them to develop self- compassion to accept that change takes time, for example, and recognise that falling back into previous ways of behaving is not “failure”. Neuroplastic change occurs during periods when sensory input is minimised – Getting good quality sleep and/or taking part in meditation, mindfulness or deep relaxation will support neuroplasticity and therefore support change or learning new behaviours. We can only learn for as long as we can maintain focus – It is important to take regular breaks when learning new things, particularly when we find our focus diminishing. With practice we can improve the length of time that we can focus as the neurons that support this process are also plastic. Reflective Practice What is reflective practice? Throughout this lesson, we will share some thoughts on what reflective practice could look like as well as providing some reflective models to support you with your practice. The term ‘reflection’ will mean different things to each individual and how we reflect will happen in different ways. What we do know is that reflection is linked with complexity, and that it will be informed by our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Bowes and Jones (2006) emphasised this complexity when reminding us that any activity involving human interaction is innately complex. This level of complexity will make it challenging for coach practitioners to neatly apply theory to practice. Reflective practice, if meaningful, can provide an additional level of knowledge and understanding. This can help us to make sense of our experience and therefore support further growth and development. Donald Schön (1983,1987) considered different time phases when considering reflection. Firstly, he stated that we could reflect-in-action, essentially, calling on our knowledge and experience base while we are actually within an activity (or coaching session perhaps); this has sometimes been related to the idea of ‘thinking on our feet’. The second time phase is reflection-on-action, which makes use of our knowledge and experience to make sense of am event / situation after the event/activity has finished. Reflection for what? Where reflective practice forms part of a programme of study (commonly part of teaching, sport, counselling, nursing and coaching programmes), the participants on these programmes are expected to submit reflective accounts for ‘assessment’ purposes. Quite often, this can trigger a need to ‘conform’ or demonstrate an ‘acceptable’ level of reflection in order to pass an assignment or an activity. In addition, many professional bodies attached to the sectors identified above will require reflective accounts as part of the accreditation process. The challenge is to ensure that reflective practice remains meaningful to the practitioner and that they can develop meaningful approaches towards their reflective practice which promote learning and development. Ghaye (2010), shared that reflective practice was ‘looking back and making sense of your practice, learning from this and using this learning to affect your future action’ It is important to establish your own approach towards reflective practice which enables you to satisfy the requirements of assessment or accreditation while also ensuring that reflection continues to be a habitual part of your development as a coach. It is important to recognise that reflection is not just about taking some time out to have a think about something. We would encourage coach practitioners to not look at reflection so literally. The difference between ‘casual thinking’ and reflective practice’ is bringing the thinking to the forefront of the mind and making it a conscious process. Once you have done this you can utilise the insight to help you with just about every aspect of what you do. Here are some characteristics of effective reflection: bullet Seeing reflective practice as meaningful and valuable bullet Stepping back from the situation and ‘looking down’ bullet Seeking other people’s views and opinions bullet Considering your ‘whole self’: your thoughts, emotions and behaviours bullet Challenging your beliefs, values and assumptions bullet  The ability to ask questions of yourself bullet The ability to arrive at ways forward and to take action What could reflective practice look like? Journals – The use of a journal can be helpful in having somewhere to collect your thoughts. It can be useful to regularly read over recent accounts to see if reflective themes are emerging. Sometimes we can notice links in our reflections when we consider them over a period of time. Mind Maps – A creative approach to reflection which can help to bring interrelated factors together in an illustrative manner, which can then help to make links between practice and learning. Poetry and Music – There are so many creative ways in which we can practice our reflection; the key is that your reflective strategies are meaningful and stimulate learning and development. Audio recordings – The use of mobile devices with recording functions can help us to capture thoughts and feelings when they come to mind all of a sudden. These snippets of reflections can then be used at a later date. Can also be used to collect planned reflections. Action learning – The ability to share reflections with our peers can be hugely valuable, either in an unstructured or structured approach. Many reflective models encourage the use of alternative perspectives in support of our learning. Coach supervision – The use of a more experienced coach or supervisor can enhance or reflective practice through appropriate challenge and support Kolb’s Learning Cycle A key consideration when you have completed your ‘Reflective Practice’ is to think about how you learn and like to apply your learning. Some people will enjoy the practical elements, and as a contrast some will prefer theory and concepts. Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle presents 4 stages of learning, which can each be considered in turn. Being self-aware about how we like to learn will enable us to maximise our personal effectiveness. To also have an awareness of how others like to learn should be a key consideration so you can adapt and flex your style and approach to suit. Why not apply the cycle to something you have done or experienced recently? Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle Gibbs (1988) developed this reflective cycle as a way of providing structure to learning from experiences. The cycle offers a framework with 6 stages, which could be used to reflect on an isolated experience or perhaps a coaching relationship; in fact, Gibbs originally designed the model to be used on repeated experiences: bullet Description of the experience bullet Feelings and thoughts about the experience  bullet Evaluation of the experience, both positive and negative bullet Analysis to make sense of the situation bullet Conclusion about what you learned and what you could have done differently bullet Action Plan for how you could deal with similar situations in the future, or additions to your Personal Development Plan (PDP). Let’s explore Gibbs’ model from a practical perspective and look at the types of reflective questions you can ask yourself and of others at each of the 6 stages… Description – The aim of this stage is to describe the situation, scenario, event or activity in detail without drawing any initial conclusions. Here are some useful questions to help you with this phase of the process: What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who was involved? What did you do yourself? What did others do? What was the result of these actions? Feelings – This stage is all about acknowledging and accepting feelings that have been triggered by the situation or event. The aim here is not to judge or evaluate the feeling, it is bringing them to the forefront which is the most important objective for this phase. Here are some useful questions to help you with this phase of the process: What did you feel leading up to the event? What did you feel during and after the event? How do you feel when you look back on the situation? What do you think other people felt during the event? How did you think others will feel about it now? Evaluation – Here you have a chance to evaluate what worked and what didn’t work in the situation. Try to be as objective and honest as possible. It is important to evaluate both good and bad scenarios because there can be real depth of learning and reflection when things don’t always go to plan. Failure is part of learning. Here are some useful questions to help you with this phase of the process: What went well during this activity? Why was this? What didn’t go so well?  Why was that? What contribution did you make? What contributions did other people make? Analysis – This is the stage where you aim to ‘make sense’ of what has happened. If you can reflect on the situation that has happened, you can consider your thinking outcomes if you were to have the scenario again. Why did things go well? Why didn’t it go well? What sense can I make of the situation? What knowledge from either me or others can help me to understand? Conclusion – At this stage you are now ready to take a step back and view yourself from a distance using a different perspective. You can consider what else you could have done in the situation. What did I learn from this experience? How could this have been more positive for everyone? What do I need to do to make this more effective next time? What strengths will I take forward? What else could I have done? Action Plan – In the final stage, you are now ready to commit to using the reflective practice and put it into action. It’s about taking ownership and accountability for your learning so you can improve your personal effectiveness. This is a great opportunity to align these actions with your pdp. Brookfield’s ‘Four Lenses’ Reflective Model Brookfield (1995) developed the ‘Four Lenses’ model from within a teaching context, explaining that the goal was to increase awareness of practice from as many different vantage points as possible. These vantage points are: 1 1 Autobiographical lens 2 2 The student’s eyes (or the coachee’s in this case) 3 3 Our colleague's experiences (in this case our peers or perhaps our supervisor) 4 4 Theoretical literature (what does the research say) Brookfield explained that the autobiographical lens, or our own self-reflection forms the critical foundations of meaningful reflection. The coachee’s lens can be significant in supporting a coach to challenge their values, assumptions and perhaps self-judgement. It is important to carefully consider what feedback would be most useful from the coachee. It may not always require you to explicitly ask for feedback; instead putting yourself ‘in their shoes’ will support your reflections. Reaching out to peers or other forms of support can be hugely beneficial. There are a range of opportunities which range from informal/formal peer- based communities through to seeking support from your own Coach or Supervisor. The literature lens involves the continual development of knowledge through research and development. This can include readings on related topics or attending conferences or workshops. You can relate your reading to the three other lenses in order to get a full view. This will then help you to think of new steps to take and of how you can apply theory to your practice. Development Planning and PDP Personal Development Planning A Personal Development Plan (PDP) is an action plan for self-improvement that can demonstrate a level of credibility and commitment towards continuous development. It can also: 1 1 Enable a coach to benchmark themselves against what is a rapidly changing sector. With emerging research and developments in practice, what was once deemed good practice, may eventually become standard, average or even dated practice over time. 2 2 Support a sense of humility, promoting a principle of lifelong learning and being an ambassador for continuous development. 3 3 Inform the topics, themes and reflections you choose to share with Coach Mentors, Supervisors or as part of action learning sets. 4 4 Support the initial and ongoing accreditation requirements of professional bodies. Approaching your personal development plan Individuals will approach personal development plans in very different ways. It is crucial that your PDP is meaningful to you, enabling you to identify, track and review key areas for development which will have a positive impact on you as a coach.  The flow chart below presents personal development planning as a process. This requires you to consider your current position; approaching this in an open and honest way. Based on this information and where you would then like to be, you can begin to break your goals down, providing an indication of timescale. This guide will firstly provide you with some ways in which you can approach your personal development planning, before providing you with some examples of PDP templates which you could use. You may wish to develop your own template. It is important to ensure that personal development plans are informed by our own self-awareness and reflective practice. A PDP will include commitment to actions which support the development needs identified and then the resulting impact on thought and practice. The table below aims to provide a range of areas for consideration, while also posing relevant questions to assist you in identifying key areas and approaches to support your development as a coach. You will notice that the questions will encourage some reflective thinking; they are essentially coaching questions to support your PDP. 1. Knowledge – How you will expand your understanding in a range of important areas, including: Coaching Organisational context – what internal/external influences might be impacting on the coachees you work with. Some questions to ask yourself could be: What tools, techniques or coaching models do I want to add to my toolbox? How will I ensure that I understand them in sufficient depth to apply them safely and wisely? How will I integrate these within my practice? 2. Self-awareness – The better you know yourself the more confident you can be that your own issues are not contaminating the coaching relationship. Looking inward to develop greater understanding of your motivations, thoughts processes, ambitions, strengths and weaknesses, and personality traits is an essential element of being fit to practice. Some questions to ask yourself could be:  How can I develop my personal coaching philosophy? How can I become more authentic? When am I at my most/least effective as a coach? How do I know? Who holds up the mirror to me as a coach? What is my vision for the coach I want to be in one, two- and five-years’ time How will I know I am making progress? 3. Skills – The practicalities of being an effective coach – how you listen, question, give feedback, summarise, interpret, and generally support the coachee. Some questions to ask yourself could be: What skills do I most want to improve? What skills improvements in me would be of greatest benefit to my coachees?Skills might, for example, include listening/mindfulness, self- awareness, use of silence. How will I improve the quality of my reflections on my practice? How can I reduce my reliance on models, processes, tools and techniques? 4. Characteristics – Personal qualities that you wish to develop – for example curiosity, empathy, presence, authenticity. Some questions to ask yourself could be: How can I build my self-confidence as a coach? How much energy, time and other resources can I invest in making my vision happen? 5. Range of practice – Who can you work with and in what circumstances? How you can extend your portfolio by taking on coachees who will stretch you and/or who come from a very different cultural background. Some questions to ask yourself could be: Where can I find appropriate challenges to my assumptions about coaching and my role as a coach? In what ways do I want to stretch the boundaries of my coaching? What kind of coachees seem to gravitate to me and why? What kind of coachees do I not work with and why? 6. Context – How you will create better environments for your coaching, through for example, network development, and how you use your Coach Mentor and/or supervision. Some questions to ask yourself could be: What do I need from my Coach Mentor? What do I need from my peers (students/organisational coaches)? What resources are available to support my development as a coach (eg BPP materials, reading, social networks, internal networks/groups, action learning sets)? What can I do to increase the quantity and quality of the feedback I receive on my coaching? How can I extend my learning network? Who can I use as a role model of good practice? 7. Contribution to the profession – What will you put back into the world of coaching? Some questions to ask yourself could be: Who could benefit from your learning? How could you contribute to organisational coaching schemes and/or initiatives? How could you support other peer coaches? Adapted from Clutterbuck, Whitaker and Lucas (2016) SMART goals / objectives Many tools and methods exist to support objectives and goal setting and you will learn more about these in coming units. One of these, which you may already be familiar with is S.M.A.R.T, a mnemonic acronym. It was first referenced in 1981 by George T Doran and there have been a few adaptations since. The aim of SMART objectives is to ensure that they are clear to both the person reviewing the objectives as well as the person actioning them. A SMART objective or goal is one that is SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC or RELEVENT and TIMELY / TIMEBOUND. When thinking about creating and updating your PDP, please consider whether your objectives are SMART. Summary & Next Steps Summary –  Becoming personally effective, developing your self-awareness and becoming more consciously aware of the impact you make is the starting point and foundation for developing into an effective coach. The Johari Window is a simple and useful tool for illustrating and improving self-awareness, and mutual understanding between individuals within a group. SWOT is another tried and tested personal development tool that can give you different perspectives, based on objectivity and logic. It is important to establish your own approach towards reflective practice which enables you to satisfy the requirements of assessment or accreditation while also ensuring that reflection continues to be a habitual part of your development as a coach. A Personal Development Plan (PDP) is an action plan for self- improvement that can demonstrate a level of credibility and commitment towards continuous development. We never stop learning but if we can capture our learning, reflect on it and do something with it, then we can truly take ownership for driving our development journey. Individuals will approach personal development plans in very different ways. It is crucial that your PDP is meaningful to you, enabling you to identify, track and review key areas for development which will have a positive impact on you as a coach. Understanding some of the key principles behind neuroscience can help us to become better coaches. Our brain can strengthen or weaken neural pathways and this means that we can unlearn old behaviours/thinking patterns and create ones. The Self Evaluation activity you completed in unit 1 resulted in the very beginnings of a coaching PDP. You will build this further at the end of this module, and will keep developing it throughout the course of your coaching programme. Module 1 Unit 3 Ethics in workplace coaching Much of the learning content in coaching programmes will focus on knowledge and skills practice. To be an effective coach, it is vital that we are also an ethical coach practitioner. This commitment towards ethical practice is not just considered as part of a programme but should be felt as a ‘golden thread’ running through our ongoing practice as a coach. This commitment aims to continuously develop our own coaching practice and the coaching community as a whole. It obviously aims to support the coachees but will also have an impact on their wider system, whether that be professional, personal, or both. Ethics in workplace coaching is about our conduct as professional coaches. The key professional coaching bodies, the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), the International Coach Federation (ICF), and the Association of Coaching (AC) each have their own set of ethical guidelines for their members, which are very similar and generally cover the key area such as:  Context – the coaching is the right intervention and it’s relevant and appropriate to the coachee  Boundary Management – coaches should have a clear understanding of their professional boundaries and limitations. They recognise when it's appropriate to refer clients to other professionals or specialists for issues outside their expertise   Competence – the coach is fully competent and partaking in ongoing professional development  Professionalism – coaches should adhere to professional standards and guidelines established by coaching organisations or governing bodies. They should continuously develop their coaching skills and stay up-to-date with the latest industry practices.  Responsibility to society – avoiding discrimination and maintaining fairness and equality  Integrity – maintaining honesty, trustworthiness, and a commitment to acting in the best interests of the client. As well as being a key aspect of ethics, integrity is essential for building trust and fostering a strong coaching relationship. It ensures that coaches uphold high ethical standards and act in the best interests of their coachees, promoting growth, and facilitating positive change. Here are some key aspects of integrity in coaching:  Honesty and Authenticity - coaches should be truthful and transparent in their interactions with clients. They should represent themselves accurately and avoid any form of deception.  Confidentiality - coaches must respect coachee confidentiality and maintain the privacy of all information shared during coaching sessions, unless there is a legal or ethical obligation to disclose certain information.   Client Focus - coaches prioritise the needs, goals, and well-being of their coachees. They avoid conflicts of interest and ensure that their actions and recommendations are aligned with the client's best interests.  Respect and Non-judgement – coaches treat coachees with respect, empathy, and acceptance. They create a safe and non-judgmental space where clients can freely express themselves without fear of criticism or bias.  Accountability – coaches take responsibility for their actions and acknowledge their limitations. They are open to feedback, willing to learn from their mistakes, and make appropriate amends if needed. Professional coaches who take their coaching responsibilities seriously will willingly adhere to the above Ethical guidelines. Ethical Dilemmas At times there will be situations that arise that create ethical dilemmas for the coach, and it may be unclear as to how best to react whilst maintaining ethical professionalism. Irrespective of where a coach is in their development journey, ethical dilemmas will present themselves and these can occur at all stages of a coaching relationship. These ethical dilemmas will range from those that are deemed minor to those that can have significant consequences. This is where coaching supervision can be invaluable – a coaching supervisor will help a coach work through their dilemma and find the best way forward for both the coach and coachee. De Jong (2006) shares that practically, ethical principles focus on ‘helping’ our coachees, ensuring that we are focusing on their needs and agendas, while maintaining an environment which has confidentiality, trust, openness and honesty at its core. The following scenarios are adapted from those on the Association for Coaching website and their Ethical Supervision resources. The scenarios we are going to ask you to consider are based on real issues that coaches have taken to supervision. As you read through the scenarios consider the following question:  What are your immediate responses as a human: 1. What might be the conscious and unconscious cause of those responses? 2. Are any of your values being triggered? 3. What questions are you drawn to asking? 4. What might the motivations be behind them? 5. What self work might you want to do as a result?  What are your immediate responses as a professional coach in training: 1. What are your main ethical concerns? 2. What further questions would you like to ask? 3. What are your immediate considerations/actions? Also consider the coaching principles/perspectives specific to the case below each scenario. You are an internal coach who is part of a small coach bank. Your coachee tells a long story about feeling abused as an employee, and believes the offer of internal coaching is a ‘sticking plaster’. The public perception is that the organisation is progressive, 'nice', caring and with great values; underneath this there are many 'injuries' caused by 'no-one speaking truth to power' and bullying behaviours by senior people in the organisation. It materialises that many other coachees feel the same and are showing signs of extreme stress and, as is typical in such circumstances, they are making poor decisions for themselves, their teams and the organisation. Principles/perspectives  What is your contract with the coachee and the organisation?  What role could you adopt as the coach?  What other support might be available to you as an internal coach and the Employee?  How best can you support the employee? You are a relatively newly qualified and accredited coach. Having coached a manager in an organisation for three months, you have been asked by the manager to coach the line reports because their performance is drifting and they could benefit from coaching You are very excited, believing that it means the manager is very pleased with their coaching sessions. You have written to the four employees (at the manager’s request) and have had a positive response from two of them and no reply from the other two. You are unsure how to go forward, and especially how to follow up with the two who have not responded Principles/Perspectives  Consider the complexities of coaching a leader and their line reports at the same time.  Consider the thee-way or multi-way contracting and confidentiality agreements  What are the learning points for this new coach from this situation? Confidentiality and Data Protection In workplace coaching it is important that there is a clear set of confidentiality boundaries agreed at the outset by the coach, coachee, sponsor, and any other specific stakeholders e.g. line manager, HR/L&D. These boundaries will form part of the coaching contract. The content of coaching sessions/conversations should remain between the coach and coachee, unless it has been agreed at the outset to share specific information with specific people, for example sharing a brief overview of progress with the line manager. The coach may also decide to take something from a coaching session to their coaching supervisor for support – in which case, the coachee should be made aware of the existence and purpose of coaching supervision at the contracting stage. You also need to give thought to data handling and be aware of the relevant legislation. 1. 1 The General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR) 2. 2 The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) Principle 3 – personal information must be adequate, relevant and not excessive. Principle 4 – personal information must be accurate and up to date. Principle 5 – personal information must not be kept for longer than necessary. The GDPR is a European data protection law that gives individuals more control over their personal information. The key elements of GDPR can be summarised as follows: You need consent to hold any personal data that you hold and must ensure that the data you seek is proportionate to the need as set out in the DPA. You need to explain what you will do with this data and this explanation must be a fundamental part of seeking consent. Do not use the data for any other purpose other than that which has been consented to. In thinking about GDPR, there are some simple questions you can ask yourself: 1. What personal data do I hold? 2. 2 What do I use the data for? 3. 3 Is the data appropriate to the need? 4. 4 How is this data stored so that it is secure, not at risk of being stolen and do I have processes and procedures in place to ensure that personal data cannot be accidentally modified or deleted (a current Data Protection Act requirement)? 5. 5 How long do I need to hold it for? 6. 6 Do I have the data owners’ permission to use it in the way that I do? 7. 7 What are the organisational guidelines and what is your organisational GDPR policy around data handling? As coaches who will be holding sensitive information, you should be aware of the principles of the above. You should also be aware of sources of further information such as the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and the Gov.uk website, as well as the Legislation.gov.uk website which details the acts in their entirety. Legislation.gov. ICO website(opens in a Data Protection Act website(opens in a new tab) tab) Legislation.gov. Gov.uk website(opens in GDPR website(opens in a a new tab) tab) Note If you work as a coach, mentor or coach supervisor in an organisation, then your organisation should be taking steps to ensure GDPR compliance. What are the organisational guidelines and what is your organisational GDPR policy around data handling? You may wish to check what your organisation’s plans are and how they might specifically impact you. Safeguarding Coaches also need to be aware of both the importance of sharing information and the legal and ethical justifications for doing so where disclosure of confidential information may be in the individual's and public interest. It is important to explain why information considered confidential may need to be shared and it is considered ethical to gather consent for this at the earliest opportunity in the relationship, whilst also applying safeguarding principles in relation to consent, confidentiality and capacity as outlined in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Care Act 2014(opens in a new tab). Ethical Frameworks & Professional Charter Lane (2011) argues that one key characteristic of professional practice is aligning their practice with an ethical framework. Ethical frameworks describe the core values, ethical principles and ethical standards of behaviour of coaching professionals. Every coach has a duty of care to ensure the good reputation of the coaching profession. Lane (2011), continues by stressing that any framework should have, as a minimum 3 critical areas: 1. The purpose 2. 2 The perspective 3. 3 The process Global Code of Ethics Developed by a wide range of professional bodies, this code of ethics considers Coaching, Mentoring and Supervision.  View their website - https://www.globalcodeofethics.org/(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)  Download PDF ICF Developed by the International Coaching Federation, and which ‘describes the ICF core values, ethical principles and ethical standards of behaviour for all ICF Professionals’ (ICF, 2020)  View their website - https://coachingfederation.org/(opens in a new tab)  Download PDF Professional Charter for Coaching, Mentoring, and Supervision of Coaches, Mentors and Supervisors In July 2022, 8 of the professional organisations associated with coaching, mentoring and supervision co-signed the professional charter; demonstrating their commitment to promoting and ensuring good practice. This charter presents a benchmark for ethics and professional conduct and has been considered as the basis for the development of self- regulation. The Charter provides guidelines for practitioners on:  Competencies and capabilities  Training and education  Continuous personal and professional development  Ethical standards It is intended that clients are made aware of this charter, to promote high level of confidence in the quality of coaching, mentoring and supervision.  View their website - (opens in a new tab)https://www.emccglobal.org/(opens in a new tab)  Download PDF(opens in a new tab) Exploring Coaching Competencies During your webinar you will be introduced to the coaching competency frameworks developed by EMCC, ICF and AC which sets out each Body’s expectations for how to maintain best practice in coaching. The purpose of a competency framework is to provide a description of the skills and competencies used by a coach, at different levels of their development so they can better understand their development and training needs. You can explore the competency frameworks of the different coaching bodies in the links below. Some coaches will use elements of the competency frameworks to develop their PDP (Personal Development Plan). You might want to consider this when you draft yours later in the programme as part of your portfolio. You will also find a document which provides a comparison of competencies and accreditation requirements across the ICF, EMCC and AC. ICF Coaching competencies for All Coaches 1. Meeting ethical, legal and professional guidelines 2. Establishing the coaching agreement and outcomes 3. Establishing a trust-based relationship with the client 4. Managing self and maintaining coaching presence 5. Communicating effectively 6. Raising awareness and insight 7. Designing strategies and actions 8. Maintaining forward momentum and evaluation 9. Undertaking continuous coach development Association for Coaching https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.associationforcoaching.com/ resource/resmgr/Accreditation/Accred_General/Coaching _Competency_Framewor.pdf EMCC https://learn.bpp.com/pluginfile.php/801437/mod_resou rce/content/1/EMCC-competences-framework-v2-EN.pdf ICF https://coachfederation.org/credentials-and- standards/core-competencies Comparison https://learn.bpp.com/pluginfile.php/801438/mod_resou rce/content/1/AC_ICF_EMCC_Comparison.pdf Professional Reflection Consider the ethical code as an opportunity for growth, not restriction (where possible) 03:23 1 When considering a code of ethics, look out for any invitations to use such a document as an opportunity for growth. The Global Coaching and Mentoring Alliance (GCMA) shares the purpose of the Code of Ethics as ‘a guidance document rather than a legally binding one that in detail ‘spells’ out what a member can and cannot do’ (GCMA, 2018). Whilst there are instances where more explicit guidelines would be of benefit, I welcome the opportunities for practitioners like myself, to use such a code for ‘development and growth in the profession.’ Hawkins and Smith (2006:248) warn against ethics becoming ‘like the dogmas of an ossified religion,’ where they are fixed and unchangeable. Instead, they promote a more enhancement led interpretation and application in service of improved ‘craft and practice.’ I cannot help but think that the continued emergence of practice and research within coaching, alongside the ethics of coaching, can act as enablers for the coaching profession, whereby practitioners do not feel fixed and limited in terms of their practice. I feel that this respects the professionalism to consider the ‘consensus’ judgement about the right thing to do at a particular point in time (Lowman, 2012). ) I certainly see the Code of Ethics as a scaffold within which to operate. I feel this is where a ‘communities of practice’ approach is so important, not just for networking or skills based CPD, but also in contributing towards the consideration, interpretation, application and review of ethical principles and practice. What contribution could you make to your community of practice when considering ethics? Team coaching is developing significant interest now and I wonder how long it will be before the GCoE is reviewed to reflect these developments. All of sudden, and as part of that coaching community, we may have the opportunities to support the authorship of such developments. 2 Take your time: Create space for critical reflection 02:49 It’s too easy to scan through a document like a code of ethics, saying to yourself ‘yeah, do that, got that, no problems there,’ when there could be opportunities for some deeper critical reflection with regards to alignment with a code of ethics and how this could impact on your practice. I just want to share one example of where I have benefited from such an approach. In much of the research around ethical practice in coaching, the terms ‘honesty’ and ‘trustworthiness’ are presented as key factors associated with ‘integrity’. I am sure that few ethical codes will refrain from using the term ‘integrity’. ‘Honesty’ is a regular term used as part of the Global Code of Ethics (GCoE) for Coaching and Mentoring although there is no mention of ‘trustworthiness’. While this is far from a criticism of this particular document, the absence of ‘trustworthiness’ questions the extent to which we support the relational aspect of coaching, where we then become ‘trustworthy’ in the eyes of the coachee. While I consider myself extremely ‘honest’, what is this worth, unless in return I am ‘trusted’. I’m certainly not suggesting (through experience) that people do not trust me. What I am thinking is that clarity of information (provided by me) and expectations could affect another persons’ perception of what they have been told. The perceptions of ‘not being completely honest’ could be ‘as a result of unwise or unclear commitments’ (American Psychological Association, 2002:1062). I could have easily scanned over the term ‘integrity’, saying to myself ‘yep, covered that, nothing to consider here’, but I’m glad I didn’t! This really got me thinking about the various forms of communication, because despite the most positive of intentions, any level of uncertainty or lack of clarity with the client could lead to possible question marks over my ‘integrity'. Could this insight be of any use to you, your practice and your coachees, particularly when contracting with them? Are there any other key words or expectations with the Code of Ethics, which could open up some critical reflection for you? 1. Create a ‘to do’ list 03:05 Whilst having confidence in my ethical practice across both the education and coaching professions, more detailed considerations of the GCOE certainly helps me to refine and develop my coaching practice. My personal experience has enabled me to focus my attention on the need to identify the very explicit and tangible requirements which need to be in place with each coaching and mentoring relationship. These are included in the table above as way of an example. Hawkins & Smith (2006:251) would perhaps consider these as the ‘conforming’ rules, although I fully understand that these alone do not prove alignment with the ethical code from a quality perspective, and that a commitment towards their ongoing review and revision would be required. However, they are designed to demonstrate the existence of expected policies, procedures and documentation in service of both yourself and your clients. So, you can start to see the creation of a ‘to do’ list emerging from what are tangible and measurable expectations within a profession. As you can see, some of these examples are so simple but can make a difference to your professional practice. What would your ‘to do’ list look like if you were to complete a similar exercise? Summary –  To be an effective coach, it is also vital to be an ethical coach practitioner. This commitment towards ethical practice is not just considered as part of a programme but should be felt as a ‘golden thread’ running through your ongoing practice as a coach.  Irrespective of where a coach is in their development journey, ethical dilemmas will present themselves and these can occur at all stages of a coaching relationship. These ethical dilemmas will range from those that are deemed minor to those that can have significant consequences.  In July 2022, 8 of the professional organisations associated with coaching, mentoring and supervision co-signed the professional charter; demonstrating their commitment to promoting and ensuring good practice. This charter presents a benchmark for ethics and professional conduct and has been considered as the basis for the development of self-regulation.  It is important to establish your own approach towards reflective practice which enables you to satisfy the requirements of assessment or accreditation while also ensuring that reflection continues to be a habitual part of your development as a coach. Effective Communication Completed 5 / 6 In this unit you will explore and experience effective methods of communication from the perspective of a professional coach. You will examine different elements of coaching communication and consider rapport building and relationship management. You will also look at the three basic functions of supervision and why it is important to have supervision as a coach. By the end if this unit you will be able to Explore the different elements of communication and describe how they can inform your coaching practice and what impact they can have on a coaching conversation. Begin to integrate these elements into your conversations. Experiment with the different ways we communicate to build rapport and trust, and evaluate how this impacts the coaching relationship. Look at human behaviour, communication and relationships through the lens of specific models. The Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours covered in this activity are: K6: Coaching theory, including maintaining good practice coaching protocols and a code of conduct within the coaching process (including "unconditional positive regard", non-judgmentalism and non- directiveness). K7: Methods of communication including verbal / non-verbal / building rapport / matching and mirroring. Listening skills, including levels of listening. Theories of relationship management, including transactional analysis, power dynamics, and stakeholder management theories. S6: Rapport/trust building and maintenance, including recognition of the personal values, emotional state(s) and response of those receiving coaching, validating their understanding of themselves and their circumstances, dealing with difficult coaching relationships and ensuring non-dependence on the coach. S9: Questioning techniques to raise the self-awareness of those receiving coaching, including asking open questions, broaching challenging subject areas (e.g., emotional state, characteristics of wider systems) and questioning untrue, limiting assumptions.  S11: Demonstrates emotional intelligence, including demonstrating empathy and genuine support for those receiving coaching ("unconditional positive regard"),and adapting language and behaviour in response to the whole person of those receiving coaching. B4: Is spontaneous, open and flexible, demonstrating respect and engendering trust. Lesson 2 of 7 Communication Professional coaches need to be excellent communicators, and that is what this unit is all about. In this document we will breakdown each aspect of effective communication, enabling you to consider your areas for development on your journey to becoming a professional coach. Listening Really listening to someone shows that you respect their contribution and are willing to give your time. It makes a powerful statement about you, your intent and how you value others. What do active listeners do? What do active listeners do? bullet Clear their heads. They don’t get lost in their own thoughts. They stay in the moment. bullet Bring a total commitment to listening – this needs a focused attention, as we think quicker than we talk. bullet Don’t judge or make assumptions. bullet Confirm their attention and availability, showing interest both verbally and non-verbally. bullet Seek information, identifying what is said and what isn’t.  bullet Confirm understanding, paraphrasing and reflecting back. Improving your listening Nancy Kline (1999) detailed in her book, ‘Time to Think’, ten components necessary for a thinking environment. When reading the below consider - Which ones resonate with you? Which ones come easily to you? Which ones do you struggle with? 1 1 Attention - listening with respect, interest and fascination 2 2 Equality - treating each other as thinking peers, by taking turns in speaking and by maintaining boundaries, such as personal space 3 3 Ease – giving the other person the sense that you have time for them 4 4 Appreciation - typically a five to one ratio of appreciation to criticism 5 5 Encouragement – not feeling you have to compete with them for air- time; using body language that encourages the other person to talk  6 6 Feelings - Recognising the place of emotion and expressing emotion as a key part of the conversational exchange; using emotional release to maintain the quality of thinking 7 7 Information - Enquiring sufficiently to understand the issue from the other person’s perspective 8 8 Difference - Using difference as a positive factor and source of interest 9 9 Incisive questions™ – to challenge assumptions that block the quality of thinking ideas; keeping the focus on questioning rather than on speaking 10 10 Place - Creating a physical environment that reinforces mutual regard Communication Communication is not just about sharing information; it’s about understanding the intention and feeling behind it. It’s about delivering your question clearly whilst listening to get the full meaning of the reply, leaving the other person feeling heard and understood. Whilst we can communicate via various mediums, our words, how we sound, how we look and deliver what we say, all have an impact on how the message is received. Think about when you have been talking to someone, you could tell if their attention was drifting by their body language, their responses, their tone of voice. You will certainly remember how this made you feel and potentially react. But what about what they were seeing and hearing? What did it look like from their side, after all, communication is two-way? Coaching may be undertaken face to face, online, or sometimes over the phone. Regardless of the medium used, you need to consider how effective the communication is. Whilst Mehrabian’s (1971) communication rule has been in existence for quite a while, it’s relevance and value has not diminished: Whilst this cannot be an exact science, we can see that when communicating, the words account for only a very small amount of its effectiveness 7%. 38% is down to how you say the words: your voice, tone, speed etc, whilst 55% comes down to what you are saying via your body language. As the quotation states above, people will tend to believe the body language above all else, so it is absolutely key that your words, how you say them, and your body language support each other and are aligned when you communicate. The non-verbal elements are particularly important for communicating feelings and attitude, especially when they are incongruent: if words and body language disagree, one tends to believe the body language. Albert Mehrabian Coaches need to be aware of all these elements of communication, both in themselves and the coachee. How you react tells others if you care enough to listen and whether you are being truthful. If what you say aligns to how you are saying it, clarity and trust increases. If it doesn’t then, clarity and trust decreases. Think about your own body language and when it changes. If we are uncomfortable our brain tells us to protect our bodies, our vital organs, so we may fold our arms, hunch our shoulders, make ourselves smaller, turn our torso away from the individual/threat. For example, arms and hands tend to be a bit of a give-away. Arms in the air (think of someone winning a race, scoring a goal etc.) tends to indicate joy, excitement, positivity. Restricted arm movement down by your sides tends to suggest feeling threatened and trying to draw attention away from yourself. Holding your hands up and enabling others to see your palms can suggest nothing to hide and being up front. Hiding your hands when talking may leave others questioning your sincerity. These examples are not to be taken as definitive but much research has taken place to suggest the above has some credibility. How we move, our facial expression and the non-verbal qualities of how we talk will all have an impact on how others see us. Non-verbal communication requires full in the moment attention. If you’re planning what you’re going to say, or your mind is elsewhere, you will undoubtedly miss elements of non-verbal information and not fully perceive the subtleties of what’s being communicated. In coaching it is vital to be fully present. Lesson 3 of 7 Rapport and Relationships Rapport Building rapport is the first key ingredient to creating a meaningful relationship. Investing time to get to know individuals, establish common ground, share personal stories, and start to consider how you can best work together, is time well spent. It is a foundation skill essential to effective coaching. Mirroring and matching are social behaviours that can occur at a sub-conscious level. Mirroring is when one person reflects the verbal or non-verbal behaviours of another, whereas matching conveys a similar message but may not be an exact reflection, and instead it is a general overall picture of the individual. For example: when people spend time with friends, they often act and even sound the same. It’s often described as ‘chemistry’, but this is about mirroring and matching, copying others’ body language and phraseology, building and maintaining that rapport. These techniques are consciously used in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, an interpersonal communication model based on neuroscience research, created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970s, the underlying theory being that you feel most comfortable and best understood around those who are like you. The more someone believes you are like them, the easier it is to develop trust and rapport at the unconscious level. This mimicry is the basis of NLP learning. It is connected to the ‘as-if’ pattern, known as ‘fake it till you make it’. Try it out Techniques to try to support building rapport: 1. Try noticing the mirroring of body language e.g. posture, gestures, facial expressions, either between yourself and another person or by observing two other people 2. Try matching your speech patterns e.g. tone, speed, volume, to someone you are in conversation with 3. Stretch/Challenge - Try matching your language e.g. simple, direct words, technical language, to someone you are in conversation with. You could try matching sensory words, e.g. Visual - see, look, view, clear, bright, focused, short-sighted, an eyeful, picture this, hazy. Auditory - sound, hear, tell, listen, resonate, clear as a bell, loud-and-clear. Kinesthetic/Feeling - touch, feel, grasp, fuzzy, hard, concrete, sharp as a tack, solid, unfeeling, heated debate, get in touch with, make contact, hand-in-hand. Auditory Digital - think, know, learn, process, decide, consider, understand, experience, motivate, learn, figure it out, make sense of, pay attention to, word-for-word, conceive. Please be aware this behaviour and activity must be authentic. When forced/fabricated it can have a detrimental effect and risks being seen as disingenuous. When we ‘speak the same language’, we have a more solid foundation on which to build trust. Trust The most successful coaching conversations occur when there is openness and authenticity and trust has been gained. In order for this to happen, all involved must be fully committed to the process and feel that conversations will be kept confidential. In his book, Games People Play, Berne (1964), shared a model based on the different ways people spend their time, known as time structuring. This captures a progressive build towards a trusting relationship, where conversations begin with polite pleasantries, move on to rational discussions, then begin to include exploring emotions and feelings, which can lead to real rapport. The model below illustrates this: In a coaching relationship, this requires disclosure on the part of the coachee, usually accompanied by a sense of vulnerability and risk, and so sometimes there can be an initial reluctance to share. Confidentiality and contracting are key factors in successfully managing trust within the coaching relationship, alongside building rapport. Consider the following quote: The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. Ernest Hemingway Other elements to consider when building rapport: Focus – Focus on being fully attentive, using active listening skills during conversations, listening and responding without judgement and intent. Empathy – Both parties need to feel that the other person genuinely understands their perspective and shows care and consideration regardless of individual views. “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude” John C Maxwell (2007) Congruence – Expectations for the relationship need to match, derived from a common understanding and agreement about what is required from the relationship. Empowerment – A coaching relationship should enable the coachee to release their potential. When people have similar backgrounds or cultures to ourselves, we tend to assume that they share the same values and when they have different backgrounds and cultures, we tend to assume they have different values. We need to learn to look past our assumptions, being curious to a deeper level, enabling us to explore each other’s values. Troubleshooting Sometimes the rapport and chemistry between two people is just not there. Acknowledging that a pairing is not going to work is not a reflection on either person, but is a sign that they have been honest with each other and have an informed awareness. Some practical ways you could try to build rapport and chemistry where it’s lacking: Talk to each other about what you are passionate about. People are passionate about things that are close to their core values. bullet Share what you both feel you like to be valued for by others; and what you most value in other people. bullet Share your vision of the person you want to become in X years’ time. Some questions that can help this conversation include: What makes you feel authentic? What makes you most frustrated with yourself and other people? What makes you feel good about yourself and other people? Another way to increase your coaching rapport is to use the elements discussed above (trust, focus, empathy, congruence, empowerment), discussing openly how to address what seems to be missing. It is worth exploring a bit more about empathy in the coaching relationship: Empathy is considered an important attribute of a good coach. However, paradoxically coaches need to be mindful of empathic overload which can make coaching more difficult for them. A way of managing this is to focus on compassion, rather than empathy: Empathy is about feeling with another, and so takes you to share their space. Compassion is about feeling for another and leads to the desire to support action to help them to improve their situation. Developing compassion can supported by: Widening the scope of who we are compassionate towards.  Learning to be more self-compassionate, developing emotional strength and resilience. Creating an environment where we can be compassionate towards others and ourselves. This thinking can be related to Daniel Goleman’s (1996) work on Emotional Intelligence, which Module 2 will cover in detail. Reflective Exercise Widening your scope: Focusing on those you have less in common with, consider how you can be more curious about others to increase your unders