Month: April 2024

Use performance reviews to develop as a leadership coach by creating an intentional dialogue that encourages change and growth.

The Value of Performance Reviews

Performance reviews provide a structured approach to understanding an individual’s strengths, areas for improvement, and growth potential. In the context of leadership coaching, performance reviews serve as a mirror, reflecting the leader’s current abilities and areas that require attention.

In my opinion, performance reviews are one of the most overlooked and underrated opportunities to act as a leadership coach.  By definition, performance reviews create an intentional dialogue that assesses the current state and encourages change and growth.  It has continued to surprise me that some leaders never conduct performance reviews and even more don’t put the time and effort in to make them effective coaching engagements.

What holds us back from acting as a Leadership Coach?

So why don’t some leaders take the time to act as a leadership coach and execute performance reviews? Because it’s hard.  It takes time and thought.  It takes the discipline of being clear about the goals and the flexibility to adjust with changes in scope and context.  And it takes the courage to be honest about how team members are doing both in writing and verbally.  In short, it takes emotional intelligence, a growth mindset, and energy…all of which seem to be in short supply these days.

Improve your skills as a Leadership Coach

As a leadership coach, how can you make the performance review process easier and more fulfilling for both you and the team member?  Here are a few ideas:

Ensure team members have clear goals

Heck, ask your team members to take the lead on setting their goals!  What an amazing sense of accountability and ownership they could have for their performance.

Don’t wait to document or talk about performance until the annual performance review

Use goals in your 1:1s, or at a minimum conduct a mid-year check-in.  It is hard to remember all of the amazing things that have happened for a whole year. Stay on top of achievements and course corrections and you’re bound to have a more accurate assessment of performance at the end of the year.

Gather input from your team members in the form of a self-review

Have your team members assess themselves against their goals.  Which goals went well and what could have gone better?  What did you learn?  How are you using that learning? I think you’ll find this to be a time saver as most of what team members document should be usable in their review (if they are relatively self-aware).  It can also give you an indication of how far apart you are on performance assessments to help you prepare for the conversation.

Collect feedback from peers, other leaders, and team members and take it seriously

If you take the time to collect feedback, use it to share real examples of where the team members crushed it and where they didn’t.  And share the feedback (anonymously, if promised) with your team members.

Set aside time to document performance

Document each goal, how the team member assessed themselves against the goal, and how you as their leadership coach assessed them so that you can see where you have alignment and where you don’t.  Document where both the achievements and gaps are based on all of the inputs.  Send the document to the team member in advance of the meeting (at least 24 hours).

Get in the mindset of a Leadership Coach during the conversation

Use the document as a backdrop for the conversation.  Ask the team member to take the lead.  What are you most proud of this period?  What surprised you?  Where would you like to focus? Where would you like to go next? Ask lots of questions.  Give the team member a sense of ownership for their performance and their future.  This approach can build trust, increase transparency, and promote a culture of continuous learning.

Conclusion

Performance reviews are a critical component of leadership coaching. They provide a structured approach to assessing performance, fostering open communication, and informing the future direction. Ensure you have clear goals, make it a habit to assess performance all year (not just once a year), gather input from the team member and their stakeholders and use it in your assessment, take the time to prepare, and be in the mindset of a leadership coach during the conversation. By integrating performance reviews into leadership coaching, organizations can develop effective leaders who are equipped to meet their objectives and lead their teams to success.

Do you want to learn more about leadership coaching and how to use the performance review process to improve as a leadership coach?  Reach out!  I’d love to connect.

Professional coaching and basketball coaching…what do they have in common?  At first glance, being a professional coach and coaching a 4th-grade basketball team might seem worlds apart. However, when you dive deeper, you may find that these two coaching roles share more in common than you might think. I have recently concluded my first experience coaching my son’s 4th-grade basketball team. That experience has caused me to reflect on how these two types of coaching are similar and share some strategies I used with the team.

Building Trust

Whether you’re a professional coach guiding an executive or a basketball coach training young athletes, building trust is paramount. Coaches must create a safe environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing their challenges, fears, and aspirations. Trust is built over time and that was challenging with the basketball team because of the relatively short season.  The kids not only had to trust their coaches, but they also had to trust each other.  When there was a lack of trust, things simply didn’t work well.  For example, we didn’t have as many assists, we had frustration from kids who weren’t getting the ball, and we had kids not passing the ball because they were worried it would result in a turnover.  How did we build trust?  By encouraging the pass, by building ball-handling skills, and by setting clear expectations about teamwork.  By the end of the season we were playing like a well-oiled machine and the foundation of our success was trust.

Setting Goals

Both types of coaches work with their coachees to set clear, achievable goals. As a professional coach, this might involve career advancement or personal development goals. As a 4th-grade basketball coach, it was about helping the kids set goals to master a skill or improve teamwork. We took time at the beginning of most practices to have each team member share a goal for the practice or the upcoming tournament.  Some of the kids were more willing to share than others, but each had the opportunity to both share and listen.  I saw growth in the kids’ confidence throughout the season by building this expectation and holding them accountable for their goals.

Developing Skills

As a professional coach, I help my clients develop skills that are crucial for their professional growth, such as leadership, communication, or strategic thinking. Similarly, as a basketball coach, I focused on teaching my players fundamental skills like ball handling, passing, movement without the ball, defense, and rebounding. For young athletes, learning the fundamentals is critical for success in both the short and long term. Motivating the kids to focus on the “boring stuff” was difficult at times, but creating friendly team-based competition helped.  By the end of the season, the kids shared their gratitude with me for not only a successful season but also for the improvements they had made in their fundamental skills.  It made me proud!

Providing Feedback

Feedback is a critical component of coaching. As a professional coach, it is my job to provide constructive feedback to help my clients improve. Similarly, as a basketball coach, I provided feedback to the players. For 4^th graders, I found that providing this feedback immediately at practice or in the game was the most successful approach.  It allowed them to put the past behind them and immediately try again.  Kids are generally incredibly willing to try and fail and try again.  They haven’t fallen into the bad habits (and deep ruts) that adults have.  I found the kids’ passion to improve inspiring.

Encouraging Growth

Both professional coaches and 4th-grade basketball coaches foster a growth mindset. I encourage my coachees to view challenges as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than as insurmountable obstacles. With the basketball team, I made a significant effort to balance constructive criticism with positive reinforcement at each opportunity. The times when I saw the most growth came when we were behind during our games.  In those moments, the mental game was what needed attention, not the physical one.  Fostering the mental growth with 4^th graders who are still maturing emotionally was challenging, but so rewarding to see.

Celebrating Success

Finally, both types of coaches celebrate the successes of their coachees. Whether it’s a promotion at work or a win on the basketball court, coaches recognize and celebrate these achievements, reinforcing the positive behaviors that led to success. In basketball, we were very diligent about celebrating success and luckily we had a very successful season.  At the end of each game, we gave one kid “the chain” which he could wear around his neck until the next game.  It was given by the coaches and was a point of pride for the kids.  We collected the stats from the games and shared those with the kids at the beginning of the practice following the tournaments.  I would share the “highlight reel” calling out the kids that led us in rebounding, assists, steals, shooting percentage, etc.  It gave the kids a chance to be recognized and also motivated them to get on that leaderboard in the next tournament.  We finished our season with a team party and gave awards recognizing what each player uniquely brought to the team.  It’s a day I’ll never forget.

Conclusion

While the contexts and how the coaching is delivered may differ, the core principles of professional coaching and basketball coaching remain similar. Whether you’re a professional coach, a 4th-grade basketball coach or both, your role involves building trust, setting goals, developing skills, providing feedback, encouraging growth, and celebrating success. These shared elements highlight the universal nature of coaching and its power to drive personal and professional growth.  If you want to learn more about coaching (in any context), please contact me.  I’d love to connect!

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a cornerstone for effective coaching, which has emerged as a critical tool for fostering growth, enhancing performance, and facilitating transformative change. Among the variety of competencies and skills that a coach must possess,

Understanding Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively in oneself and others. It encompasses several key skills, including self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. In the context of coaching, these components of EI are not just beneficial; they are essential for creating a resonant relationship between the coach and the coachee, which in turn, significantly impacts the coaching outcomes.

Have you ever met someone and wondered if they understood you?  Were they listening to what you were saying or did you feel dismissed or even undervalued?  This is an example of a lack of Emotional Intelligence.  If you were treated this way, it probably didn’t make you want to continue to engage in conversation.  And it could have even triggered you or evoked emotions of frustration or anger.  The first step in becoming a more emotionally intelligent individual yourself is to recognize when it is missing – in yourself or others.  Then, acknowledge the feelings and thoughts that a lack of EQ can create.  Finally, work to fix it.

Emotional Intelligence in Coaching: The Why and How

Building Trust and Rapport

At the heart of a successful coaching relationship lies trust. Coaches with high EQ are adept at creating a safe and supportive environment where coachees feel valued and understood. This is achieved through genuine empathy and active listening, allowing the coachee to open up and engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations.

Enhancing Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is both a component of EQ and a goal of coaching. Coaches use their EQ to hold up a mirror to their coachees, helping them gain insights into their own emotions, triggers, and patterns. This reflective process is pivotal for personal growth and development.

Facilitating Emotional Regulation

Coaching often involves navigating through change, challenges, and at times, emotional turmoil. A coach with high emotional intelligence can guide coachees in managing their emotions effectively, turning potential obstacles into stepping stones for resilience and growth.

Motivating and Inspiring

A key element of coaching is to motivate and inspire action towards goals. Coaches with high EQ tap into what truly drives their coachees at an emotional level, fostering intrinsic motivation and commitment to their goals.

Navigating Social Complexities

Coaching doesn’t occur in a vacuum but within the complex web of an individual’s personal and professional relationships. Coaches with strong social skills can advise on managing and enhancing these relationships, crucial for achieving success and fulfillment.

What to Look for in a Coach

As you begin to seek out a coach, pay attention to how they are showing up.  Are they creating a safe and supportive environment?  Do you feel valued and understood?  Are they showing empathy so that you can gain insights into your emotions, triggers, and patterns?  Are they helping you turn obstacles into opportunities for growth?  Do you feel motivated and inspired to take action?  If you answered yes to all of these questions then you may have found a coach that is right for you.  If you answered no to any of these, keep looking.

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in Coaching

Developing EQ is an ongoing journey, not only for individuals seeking coaching (or being coached) but also for coaches themselves. Continuous self-reflection, seeking feedback, engaging in emotional intelligence training, and practicing mindfulness are among the strategies that enhance a coach’s EQ. If your coach doesn’t take an active interest in their personal development that can be a red flag.  The best coaches invest in themselves and ask for feedback consistently.  They listen intently and ensure the conversation is heading in a productive direction for the coachee.  They are present and engaged always.

Conclusion

The relationship between emotional intelligence and effective coaching is undeniable. As the corporate landscape continues to evolve, the demand for coaching that transcends traditional methodologies to include a deep understanding and application of emotional intelligence is increasing. For coaches, the journey towards mastering EQ is both a personal and professional mandate; for organizations and individuals alike, selecting coaches who exemplify high emotional intelligence is a critical step toward achieving lasting success and transformation.

If you want to learn more about how to find a coach that can support your growth, please reach out!

 

Knowing yourself includes being aware of your values, who influences you, past patterns of behavior, and what inspires you. When you think about your future, how often do you think about your past or your present?  Paying attention to where you are now and where you came from can help guide you on your path forward.

Knowing yourself and what you value

Have you ever wondered… What do I truly value? Why do I value this and not that? How am I making decisions?  What influences me? What bores or excites me? Who am I when I’m performing at my best?  If you have, congratulations on being a thoughtful and introspective human being!  If you have not, read on…

When I was working in corporate America, my head was down, grinding, running on the never-ending hamster wheel.  I never prioritized myself.  My time was promised to others – my boss, my family, my household obligations.  Maybe I liked not having to think about me.  Maybe I appreciated the distraction of daily life and not having to truly think about who I am and how I was spending my time and ultimately my life.  That all changed when I didn’t have that corporate job anymore…it forced me to get real about myself, who I am, and what I value, and I started dreaming about how to get more of THAT in my life.

I think many of us in our daily hustle and bustle don’t take the time to think about what we value, yet it can unlock so much of who we truly are and catapult us to where we truly want to be.

Who influences you?

When you do start to contemplate who you are and what you value, you may start to think about the people who are important in your life, especially those from your past.  You might identify a few of your relatives and family members with whom you have characteristics in common.  You might start to recognize behaviors and quirks from a parent or other relative and celebrate “That’s where I got that!” and there may be others that you’d rather not admit to. But it all helps tell the story of you!

It doesn’t have to be only relatives that you see in yourself.  It can be a coach, a friend, a boss, a colleague, or all of the above.  What was it about them and your relationship that shaped you?  How has their influence shown up in your life?  What elements of those individuals do you strive to bring to others?  What characteristics do you see that you actively avoid?

I have been fortunate to have been surrounded by a pretty awesome family, amazing and supportive colleagues, brilliant coaches, and wonderfully patient friends.  When I think about those individuals and their influences on me and my life I feel gratitude.  Have the people in my life all been wonderful?  No, and I don’t think that is possible.  Is it important to think about those less favorable characteristics?  Yes!  How else will you be able to recognize unsavory behaviors and characteristics in yourself so that you can continue to grow and evolve into the person you were meant to be?

Knowing yourself and how you were influenced and by whom can be a tremendous gift you give yourself and others.  Simply put, knowing yourself can provide the clarity you need to move forward.

What are your patterns?

When you think about your life, what are the patterns that you notice?  How often do you change jobs or move house?  Who are the types of people that you get along with best that you gravitate toward? What types of environments are you in when you are performing at your best or at your worst?  What time of day, week or year do you feel the most or the least productive or happy?

Once you have reflected and discovered these patterns, you can dig deeper to discover the “Why” behind the pattern.  Ask yourself, “Why do I change jobs every 2 years?”  “Why do I surround myself with these type A people and avoid the type Bs?”  “What is it about this environment that causes me to feel so great while another makes me feel crappy?”  Why is it that I produce more results or feel more joy in the winter than in the summer?”

You likely have patterns that are very helpful in making the right decisions while others are not.  Knowing your patterns can help you stay ahead of decisions and avoid those that aren’t leading you in the right direction.

What inspires you?

When it comes down to it, life is short.  Am I right?  In the blink of an eye, your career has passed its peak and you begin to take steps to settle into the kind of work you love versus the kind that may bring you the biggest paycheck.  Your kids are grown, and you have more time for yourself.  Many of your dreams have become reality and it’s time for new dreams.

If this resonates with you, it might be time to take stock in what inspires you!  Who do you need in your life right now?  How do you want to spend your time?  What type of support do you need to make your dreams into reality?  What kind of environment do you wish to be in?

There is no “perfect time” to make a change toward inspiration.  There will always be patterns, habits, excuses, inertia, or all of the above that make it difficult for us to move forward.  Sometimes life happens to us and we have to deal with it in the moment, but many times (and I would argue more often than not) we have more control than we realize.  Are you being realistic about the risks of continuing your path versus making change toward a more inspired one?  How it might feel to jump out of bed looking forward to each day versus doing what you’ve always done?  What is the worst thing that can happen if you make a change….or the worst thing that can happen if you don’t?  What might it feel like to truly be inspired by your life?

Knowing yourself and how to live the life you desire

That sounds pretty good, right?  But how do you make that happen for yourself?  Here are a few steps you could take:

• Breathe. Be in the moment. Put your brain on pause for a few deep breaths.
• Find gratitude. Your gratitude does not have to be something big.  Are you grateful for the air in your lungs?  The sun in the sky?  Food on your table?  Love in your life?
• Identify where you are right now. What does it feel like?  What does it sound like?  What does it look like?
• Name what you truly value. How often are you living those values?  Could you make a change that helps you live them more?  What is getting in your way?
• Identify where you want to be. What does it feel like?  What does it sound like?  What does it look like?

Once you have taken these steps, decide how far away you are from where you want to be.  Do you already have some of it?  How much?  What is missing?  What would need to change to get closer?  Do you believe it’s possible to get to that life?  What would make it possible?

If knowing yourself feels like a path you want to be on, but it is too daunting to do on your own, a coach can help.  Reach out for a 30-minute consultation and see if a professional coach can help you live the life you desire!

How do I know coaches empower change?  Because I experienced it first-hand.  I spent 26 years in Corporate America.  Like many of you, I was grinding away and seeking that next role or promotion. Ultimately, I found myself squeezing in personal and family obligations at all hours and costs. And, I was feeling guilty that it was never enough.

It took the support of an amazing professional coach to help me realize that I can change.  I knew that I had to change for the sake of myself and my family. I realized that pursuing my dream of a balanced and happy life was worth the risk of not only leaving the comfort of what I had always known but also changing my professional identity.  Finally, I learned that I had enough and that I was enough.  I realized that I could be happy, fulfilled, and financially independent doing what I LOVE to do…and that is helping OTHERS pursue their passions.

Who Needs a Coach?

Ever met a sports team without a coach? Me neither.  Life is a team sport, but we seem to be out there in some kind of “every person for themselves” type of environment. It’s madness.  People need people.  Each of us needs support and the dedicated time to reflect, to dream, to grow, and to change.  Today, multi-tasking is not only expected but rewarded and unfortunately this necessary time and space for reflection does not occur naturally. You need to prioritize and not compromise that time.  That is where a coach comes in – coaches empower change.

The value of having a professional coach is similar regardless of whether you are a leader looking to advance to an executive role, an employee looking to make a career move, or an individual working toward a change of any kind.  Individuals who receive coaching find greater fulfillment for themselves and are of greater value to their organizations as well.  Coaches empower change.

Role of a Coach

Coaches empower change and create an opportunity to engage in focused conversations that enable and support key development areas.  A coach creates space for the “coachee” to be introspective and contemplative.  Great coaches ask great questions and listen intently to what is being said (and how it is being said) as well as what is not being said.  A coach does not provide the coachee with the answer.  Rather, they create an environment in which the coachee creates their answers.  That way, the answers are grounded in the values of the coachee and ultimately connect what an individual truly wants with what they are willing to risk to get it.

With the support of a coach, the coachee explores obstacles, builds a plan, is held accountable, and is enabled to make the change they wish to make. The coach is there to listen, inquire, and challenge existing mental frameworks. They encourage new thinking and possibilities.  And they stimulate the coachee’s imagination and empower and validate the coachee. Together, the coach and coachee focus on self-discovery, goal setting, and taking action. The best coach/coachee relationships are grounded in trust, accountability, and vulnerability. Two of the most impactful types of coaching are Career Coaching and Leadership Coaching.

Career and Leadership Coaching

Career coaching provides numerous benefits to individuals at various stages of their professional journey.  Coaches help the coachee figure out what they truly want to do and understand what is preventing them from achieving it.  They help the coachee endure the ups and downs of pursuing their career goals.  Career coaching is an investment in both personal and professional growth.

Leadership coaching can greatly benefit leaders and their organizations.  Today, leaders must be better equipped to address real anxieties in the workplace.  Leadership is no longer just about managing and guiding the work, setting the strategy, executing, measuring, and optimizing.  Importantly, leadership responsibilities are far greater in the current environment where individuals need personal and professional support to truly grow.  They do this by being empowered and allowed to learn from their mistakes. Therefore, the leader’s capacity and skillset must also shift to support this new way of working. As a result, companies are moving toward a coaching model where leaders are trained to facilitate problem-solving through asking questions and offering support vs giving orders and making judgments.   Leadership coaching can make a good leader exceptional—as long as the leader is willing to put in the effort needed.  Coaches empower change.

Coaches Empower Change – What are you waiting for?

Don’t spend months, years, or even decades ‘squeezing in’ the people and opportunities that are most important to who you are and who you want to become.  Don’t let fear win. Explore, dream, and write the next chapter of life that will bring you the happiness and fulfillment you want and deserve. What are you waiting for?  Let’s chat! We may be able to help you get out of your way and reach your full potential.