Do you remember your first shot?  You were reassured; “it will only sting a little bit”.  Feedback is sometimes like that.

Here are three strategies to develop your coaching muscle:

STRATEGY #1: Work with a coach mentor

STRATEGY #2: Ask For & Receive Feedback

STRATEGY #3: Learn with and from other coaches

I’ve discovered that the feedback I receive is mostly appreciated – usually helpful.

I remember the feedback on my coaching through a formal, written assessment – from two experienced assessors. The introduction to the report was brutal. So harsh, that I put the report down. Weeks later when I picked-up the document again; I found their recommendations extremely helpful. However, I had some questions.

During my internal struggle to gain perspective, I missed the window of opportunity for inquiry to engage the assessors. Lesson learned!  If you are going to ask for feedback, be open to criticism.

Be prepared to accept what is genuinely helpful and reject feedback that does not accurately represent your experience and reality. Incidentally, this is a skill called “Self-Assessing” that is measured in the Online 360-degree Coach Assessment that I mention below.

There exists countless ways to receive feedback on your coaching. You can receive informal or formal feedback. In person, real-time or written. I have used and found each mode helpful.

I tend to lean on two types of feedback:

  • Real-time observation:  

Small group, triads and 1-1 coaching sessions provide an opportunity for real-time feedback. The “fish-bowl” of group coaching gives participants opportunities to practice their coaching with timely feedback from individual of the group as well as a competent assessor. In addition, when asked in a 1-1 coaching session, feedback can requested to give you a sense of how you are helping the other person through listening and asking questions (for instance).

  • Qualitative Assessment:

Using a 90-degree, 180 or Online 360-degree Coach Assessment; coaches solicit feedback from people they have coached. Multiple people are asked to assess the leader using the Online Coach Assessment 360-degree how she/he demonstrated the essential skills of coaching. The result is a clarifying experience.

The combination of soft + hard data; group + individual; real-time + deferred; makes for a robust experience to develop your coaching excellence.

InFocus is excited to give you an opportunity to sharpen your coaching effectiveness. The launch of the first Developing Coaching Excellence Collective is September 2018. This is uniquely designed to assist leaders who coach disciplemakers and church planter/multiplication leaders.

Since certification is a priority for some, the 10 hours of the Developing Coaching Excellence Collective are applicable to the International Coach FederationCoach Mentor Requirement for the:

  • Associate Certified Coach – ACC
  • Professional Certified Coach – PCC
  • Master Certified Coach – MCC.

If this is a need you have and would like more information, please contact me direct – click InFocus.

Here are a couple of related resources:

MANAGING POOR PERFORMANCE STORYBOARD

MANAGING POOR PERFORMANCE: COACHING GUIDE WITH STORYBOARD

POOR PERFORMANCE HANDLING STYLE MINI-PROFILE

MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS PROFILE – SELF

MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS PROFILE – 180

MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS PROFILE – 360

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