A coaching approach to development
Sir John Whitmore first wrote Coaching for Performance in 1992 and is now in its 5th edition. Referencing Timothy Gallwey’s Inner Game, Whitmore defines coaching as ‘unlocking people’s potential to maximise their own performance’.
Central to the book is its focus on the now popular GROW model of coaching. This guides a coaching discussion through stages that involve the coachee defining a Goal examining their perceived Reality and Options, then discussing their Will to move towards their desired outcome.
Key elements to successful performance coaching include:
- trust
- the use of emotional intelligence – self awareness
- active listening
- open questions
- reflection
- paraphrasing and summarising
- clarifying
- being non-directive
- taking responsibility
This approach is valuable for anyone managing a team who wishes to find ways to improve individual performance through personal development. It is engaging and focuses on positivity, finding strengths and building on them.