Coaching for Leadership

Contents

Introduction

How can you organise more efficiently and effectively? Coaching is a leadership practice that is essential to ensure the success of your campaigns – from the initial stages of a campaign strategy and managing your team, to building the right work processes and mapping your biggest challenges.

Here is an introduction to coaching from a session held at the FWD+Organise Conference in 2024 in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. This session explored best practice approaches based on the works of Marshall Ganz and the Leading Change Network. Learn more about coaching using the Marshall Ganz approach.

Leadership is enabling others to achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty. Coaching enables others. – Marshall Ganz

Coaching 101

Coaching is different from managing or mentoring. Whilst Managing focuses on performance and accountability and Mentoring focuses on guidance and providing perspective – Coaching focuses on facilitation of self-discovery and personal growth.

Coaching is about asking thought-provoking questions that encourage individuals to reflect on their challenges and find their own solutions.

A table comparing Managing, Mentoring & Coaching.
Managing - Focus: Ensures performance and accountablity; Approach: Tracks work progress, resolves bottlenecks, and holds team members accountable for their output.
Mentoring - Focus: Provides guidance and perspective; Approach: Offers advice and shares experiences to help individuals make informed decisions and accelerate their growth.
Coaching - Focus: Facilitates self discovery and personal growth; Approach: Asks thought-provoking questions that encourage individuals to reflect on their challenges and find their own solutions.

The ABCD’s of Effective Coaching

Effective Coaching is:

A – Asking questions; active listening skills
B – Being supporting and understanding
C – Challenging assumptions
D – Demonstrating empathy and patience when coachee is faced with difficulties
E – Explore and help make sense of challenges and successes
F – Facilitation self-discovery and growth

Effective Coaching is not:

Pre-determing answers before hearing challenges
False praise or focusing only on strengths
Telling the coachee what to do

Steps of Coaching

Coaching requires learning how to use four methods to implement 5 steps.

The four methods are: asking questions, listening (head and heart), supporting, and challenging and the 5 steps are:

Step 1: Observe
What do I see and hear?
Step 2: Diagnose
Why is the problem a problem?
What am I coaching for?
Step 3: Intervene
What do I (the coach) do?
Step 4: Debrief
What did the coachee learn?
Step 5: Monitor
How can I continue to support the coachee?

3 Main Elements of Coaching

There are 3 main elements of coaching:

Motivational (heart) coaching is intended to enhance effort.
Educational (hands) coaching is intended to help acquire information or skills
Strategic (head) coaching is intended to help evaluate how to use resources to achieve outcomes.

Coaching Practice

Instructions, worksheet and reflection questions for practicing the coaching process.

Instructions

In a group of 3 have participants take turns being the Coach, Coachee and Observer.

(3 rounds of 7 minutes coaching session + 2 mins Debrief with Observer)

Coach
Ask open-ended questions to help the coachee reflect and identify their own solutions to a recent/current leadership challenge or issue. Your goal is to empower the coachee to feel prepared, adaptable, and confident in addressing their challenge.
Coachee
Share a leadership challenge and use the questions from your coach to explore ways forward.
Observer
Use the table in the Coaching for Leadership worksheet to jot down your observations and identify which questions helped in addressing the challenge/s.

Coaching for Leadership Worksheet

Use the worksheet to capture which element/s of coaching were used and any other observations.

Coaching For Leadership Worksheet – Kaz Uy & Neha Mahdok Download

Reflection Questions

Reflection questions after coaching practice:

What did you notice during this coaching exercise?
How did it feel to be in your assigned role (coach, coachee, or observer)?
What specific techniques or questions did the coach use that were particularly effective?
What did you find most challenging about coaching?
How do you think coaching can improve your leadership effectiveness?

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