RT2C W7 Wald

Week 7 Discussion:

Discussion: Factors that Influence a Coaching Relationship

Consider the following factors we discussed this week that can affect a coaching relationship: rapport, communication, mood, and compassion. It is important to develop rapport when working with a coachee in order to build a trusting relationship. Frequent communication between a coach and coachee is critical for a successful coaching experience. Mood can positively or negatively affect a coaching conversation and a coaching relationship. For this reason, a coach has to develop an awareness of the mood of an organization and how it influences the coachee. Finally, compassion is often necessary in coaching situations. A coach must determine when and to what extent compassion is necessary. An effective coach can use a combination of these factors as necessary throughout the coaching experience.

To prepare for this response ,

Review this week’s Learning Resources, especially:

· Week 7 – Lecture - “See Word doc”

· Confrontation model of conversation – “See pdf.”

· Developing Sustainable - See pdf”

· Primal Leadership – “See pdf”

Assignment:

Respond to at least two of your peers’ postings in one or more of the following ways:  

· Explain why you agree or disagree with your colleague’s discussion about the effect mood has on the coaching environment.

· Consider your colleague’s discussion about compassion. Do you feel that it is possible to be too compassionate?

· Why or why not?

· APA citing

· No plagiarism

1st Colleague – Natasha Mills

Natasha Mills 

Factors that Influence a Coaching Relationship

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Successful coaching is a result of the corroboration of different factors. Some of the most critical factors include the rapport between the coach and coachee, the nature of communication during the coaching process, the mood, and the level of compassion shown. The ability of the coach to balance these factors creates a coaching-friendly climate or culture that leads to the realization of the desired change. “People in a coaching-friendly culture naturally and informally reflect on their actions, discuss their problems and goals, and ask for and receive feedback and advice” (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017, p.89). The rapport, communication, mood, and compassion displayed during coaching provide room for the necessary actions, discussion of goals and problems, as well as seeking and provision of feedback.

A rapport simply refers to the relationship between the coach and coachee. It is critical to the coaching process because it determines the flow of all the other factors, such as communication, mood, and compassion. For instance, a good rapport between the coach and coachee leads to openness and trust, which are fundamental elements in the creation of a coaching-friendly culture (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). By trusting the coach and being open, the coachee is able to share his/her goals and inhibiting problems, helping the coaching manager to know how to assist with the ultimate objective in mind. The coaching manager will know the measure of compassion needed, the mood to adopt, and the feedback that would be effective for the improvement of the coachee’s performance.

Communication is also crucial in a coaching relationship. One can argue that communication is the foundation of coaching since it provides an avenue for the coach and coachee to know the right actions to take to achieve the goals to which they are committed. During coaching, communication mainly takes the form of feedback, where the coachee seeks it, and the coach provides it. Coaching managers use feedback to focus on what is truly important and useful to the coachee’s realization of change (Hunt & Weintraub, 2017). Therefore, communication enables coaches and coachees to develop a shared understanding of the courses of action to take to accomplish the goals. Good communication during coaching helps coachees improve their performance accordingly by enabling the establishment of positive relationships characterized by trust, openness, and a lack of defensiveness.

Mood, particularly that of the coaching manage, also influences the coaching environment significantly. Goleman et al. (2001) argue that the emotional style of a leader affects the behaviors and mood of followers in immense ways. They refer to this dynamic as mood contagion. Thus, a coaching manager should assess his/her emotional style and determine how they might affect the resulting relationship, as well as the realization of the set goals. A positive mood will create a positive coaching environment and vice versa. “…a leader’s emotional intelligence creates a certain culture or work environment” (Goleman et al., 2001, p.2). Hence, a positive mood will result in a productive coachee because it will foster the adoption of positive performance-driven behaviors. Simply put, a positive mood, primarily on the coach’s side, influences the coach to adopt a positive perspective, which causes a ripple effect and makes the coachee to acquire a positive perspective as well. This leads to an overall positive coaching climate or relationship.

Boyatzis et al. (2006) identify compassion as one of the stress relieving factors for leaders. “…we believe coaching with compassion elicits a dramatically different neural circuitry and hormonal process than other types of coaching, mentoring, or helping behavior” (Boyatzis et al., 2006, p.12). From this perspective, it is logical to argue that compassion is necessary for the coaching environment because by reducing the stress levels of the coaching manager, it leads to a positive mood, good communication, and a good rapport during the coaching process. All these factors are interrelated and work together to create a coaching-friendly climate that sets the coach and coachee up for successful outcomes.

Boyatzis, R. E., Smith, M. L., & Blaize, N. (2006). Developing sustainable leaders through coaching and compassion. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 5(1), 8-24.

Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2001). Primal leadership: The hidden driver of great performance. Discovering Leadership, 1-11.

Hunt, J. M., & Weintraub, J. R. (2017). The coaching manager: Developing top talent in business (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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2nd Colleague – Maria Helwig

RE: Discussion - Week 7

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Factors of Coaching

Coaching and individual can require a lot of work from both the coach and coachee.  It’s important that the coach take the time to build a rapport with the coachee, so they can better understand the right approach that will work for the coachee.  There is not a “one size fits all” approach to coaching; each individual is different resulting in different coaching methods needing to be used.  However, I have seen great success in coaching individuals, and I believe they were successful because I had a good rapport with them. I have never tried to coach someone without getting to know them first. I get to know who they are as an individual both personally and professionally. I take the time to get to know how they learn best, what their goals in life are, and what they need from me in order to be successful.  There is trust. This trust and rapport helps coachee’s be more receptive to discussions we have. There is also excellent communication between us.

Communication is key when coaching someone.  As a coach, I make sure to meet with my coachee on a regular schedule that works for them.  I also make sure to touch base multiple times between formal coaching sessions. These check-ups are to make sure the coachee knows I am here at all times, not just in a formalized session.  When we do meet, I spend a lot of time listening; that is a crucial communication skill. I like to hear the coachee explain how they think they are progressing and why and give them the opportunity to problem-solve with me there as a sounding board.  Using this approach, I have actually guided many individuals out of my clinic and into positions where they are thriving! Sometimes individuals are in roles that aren’t meant for them, and through coaching sessions, we work to find what is right.  Without communicating, and frequently, the same outcome may not be achieved.

Once you have a great communication plan and rapport built with your coachee, you need to be mindful of mood. It’s interesting, I have become very good at reading individual’s moods as I mature as a leader. I am in tune with what environmental factors may trigger certain individuals, and can even pick up on someone having a bad day pretty quickly. If an organization’s mood is hectic and unstable, it can have a direct effect on individuals having to operate in that type of setting.  When I first came to the clinic I am in now, the mood was one of fear and hesitance.  All the staff were afraid to make mistakes or do something wrong for fear of getting yelled at. They tip-toed around their supervisor and did everything they could to not upset her. The staff also were not a team, but rather, every man for themselves. I did not want that mood and I have worked very hard over the past two years to completely change that mindset. Changing the mood of the organization has changed the mood of the staff, and we are closer than ever as at team.

Lastly, compassion is also important in the coaching environment. I have had to coach, and sometimes terminate, a lot of employees over my career. However, even in the uncomfortable setting of terminating an individual, if you lead with compassion, the experience for both parties ends up being one of understanding with less negative emotions (obviously there are exceptions).  I remember recently I had an employee who was with our clinic for two years, and she still was not grasping the position and could not keep up with the pace. Wonderful human being on a personal level, and she wanted to do a great job and continue to work for our organization. After about nine months of coaching sessions and trying to get her to the level she needed to be at, I had to sit down and tell her it was not going to work. Was she heartbroken, absolutely. But she understood that I did everything I could to help her improve, and the job just wasn’t for her skill level. We worked together, and she was able to transition into a role within the organization that better aligned with her skills. It was me coaching with compassion by helping her with her development. Coaching with compassion involves empathy, caring for the other person, and a willingness to act in response to a person’s feelings (Boyatzis et al., 2006). I followed this approach when coaching the employee, and she now is in a role that makes her happy, and she is able to work to her full potential.

 

 

References

Boyatzis, R. E., Smith, M. L., & Blaize, N. (2006). Developing sustainable leaders through coaching and compassion. Academy of management learning and education, 5(1), 8–24.

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