Total Success

A different type of training

 

For more information:

 email us: tsuccess@dircon.co.uk

call us on (+44) 020 8269 1177 or fax us on (+44) 020 8305 0555

 

NEWSLETTER: Coaching for Managers

Giving Praise

What is a coach? In order for managers to work effectively as coaches they must be able to identify clearly what is meant by the term and where it fits in relation to management and other development activities. Probably the most common role model most people have of a coach probably comes from the world of sport. The typical image of a “Sports Coach" can bring to mind descriptions such as; loud, hectoring, cruel and rude.  This fictional image of the track-suited figure, wearing a baseball hat, chewing gum and smoking a large cigar is the opposite to the more effective image of coaching we will be exploring in this course. If you were to list some of the positive definitions you would use to define what coaching is about, you would hopefully come up with some of the following answers; communicate, educate, improve, inspire, prepare, support and motivate.  This range of ideas, rather than the tyrannical approaches described earlier, holds the key to being an effective coach at work.

The modern manager knows that coaching is a key element of team development. No longer is management about telling people what to do; effective leaders understand how coaching and development is vital to business success.

 

Our ‘Coaching for Managers’ one-day course will show delegates tried and tested methods about 1-2-1 training; executive coaching and how to develop people in order to improve productivity and motivation. We explain through discussion, role-play and case study how to coach staff to achieve the impossible in terms of team development and business performance.

 

It will also show them how to plan, prepare and implement a coaching programme for induction courses and how to evaluate its success. It also looks at the relationship between coaching, mentoring and training.

 

Becoming an effective coach is not just a set skills, but a belief that staff development is an integral part of building confidence, trust and motivation in the workplace.

Management Skills, The New Manager , Appraisal skills and Time Management are some of the courses trained by Total Success Training in London and throughout the UK. We have over 18 years experience training people on strategies to improve productivity and enhance self development.

The modern manager needs to know how to develop people. This course shows how to plan, prepare and implement coaching and how to evaluate its success. It also looks at the relationship between coaching, mentoring and training.

Management Skills, The New Manager , Appraisal skills and Time Management are some of the courses trained by Total Success Training in London and throughout the UK. We have over 18 years experience training people on strategies to improve productivity and enhance self development.

CLICK ON COURSES FOR FULL OPEN COURSE AGENDAS

Appraisal skills (one day) - updated to include new legislation

Assertiveness Skills (one day)

Assertiveness and managing conflict (one day)

Coaching for managers (one day)

Customer Service and Customer Care (one day)

Correcting poor performance and disciplinary procedures (one day) - updated to cover current legislation

Dealing with difficult people (one day)

Interviewing skills (one day) - updated to cover current legislation

Introduction to selling (one day)

Leadership and team building (one day)

Letter and report writing (one day) - updates include writing e-mails

Negotiation skills (one day)

Presentation skills (two days)

PowerPoint Presentation skills (one day)

Advanced Presentation skills (one day)

Project planning for non-project managers (one day)

Stress Management (one day)

Telesales and Telemarketing (one day)

Telephone skills and customer care (one day)

Time Management (one day) 

Time management working with Microsoft Outlook (one day)

Time management working with Microsoft Outlook 2007 (one day) 

Management Training / New Manager (two days)

Training the trainer (one day)

We provide many free articles packed with valuable information about the topics we train. Our newsletter page contains many more. Here are some of our more recent articles

Presentation tips

Overcoming presentation fear

How to structure a presentation

Interviewing Skills

Good work through praise

Time management tips

Time management skills

Managing your e-mail

Time management and working from home

Assertiveness Self Assertion Analysis

Self Assertion Analysis

Becoming More Assertive

Dealing with difficult people

Customer Service on the telephone

Telephone skills and Customer Care

Managing your stress

Organisational stress management

Practical appraisal skills

Planning an appraisal and setting objectives

Giving feedback in an appraisal

The power of attitude in selling

Opening the call effectively

PowerPoint presentation tips and techniques

Using visual aids in PowerPoint presentations

How to use transitions in PowerPoint presentations

Praising Individuals

There are several Golden Rules to observe:

·         Make sure that you do it. Be timely and don't blame pressures of work for missing the opportunity

·         Giving praise as soon as possible after the completion of the task or assignment adds immediacy and reinforces the importance of your message

·         Don't overdo it. Make sure you don't devalue the currency by doing it too often or too easily

·         Always be genuine and sincere. Adjust what you say, and how you say it to the individual

·         Put yourself in their shoes - how would YOU like to be treated in this situation?

The key steps

As with most things in life there is a series of steps which seems to give the best results. You may find the following useful:

1.   Refer to a specific piece of work/project or behaviour.

2.   Say what you particularly liked and why it had an impact on you.

3.   Let them know the wider impact/consequences of their actions

4.   Express your confidence that they can do it again with the same level of success

5.   Follow through with a request or onto a negative area

6.   Close on an uplifting and motivating note

Let's walk through each step in a little more detail

1. Refer to a specific piece of work or project or behaviour

For any form of praise to be seen as credible and not just flattery you must discuss a specific piece of work

or project. This also ensures you are both talking about the same issues. Remember to praise the action or result - not the person.

Let's imagine you're recognising someone's efforts - the conversation could start like this:

"Sam, can you spare a few minutes to talk about the project you've just completed?"

2. Say what you particularly liked and why it had an impact on you

Most people who attempt to deliver a compliment fail because they only give part of the message - they tell

the other person what they like but don't say why they like it.

The power of a compliment depends on sincerity - only telling them what you like sounds like flattery. So

never tell someone what you like without telling them why you like it. This also establishes your position as leader as you let your staff know what they can do to please you.

For most people the sound of their name is the most beautiful sound, so use it whenever you're giving a compliment to someone. It also demonstrates that you are addressing them personally. Use the person's

name just before the key part of your message - it will guarantee their interest for what follows.

3. Let them know the wider impact/consequences of their actions

If they know how positive or consequential their actions were it helps to imbed into them the value of their

work, behaviour or results.

‘marketing thought it was great too as it saves them time on mailouts’

‘shows a great example to the rest of the team, well done’

4. Express your confidence that they can do it again with the same level of success

Help them to develop the confidence that they can do it again - that it wasn't a 'one off'.

"Seeing the confident way you handled this project leaves me feeling very comfortable about your work with

the new team."

5. Follow through with a request or link to a negative  

The follow-through demonstrates your genuine interest in what they have done, so minimising the possibility

of your comments appearing superficial. It also helps to prevent them from dismissing the praise lightly.

"Would you be prepared to give a short presentation to the managing board on how you approached the project?"

It also works if you have a negative area to discuss as it allows you to link a positive to a negative.

“…….. that’s why I like to get all of your performance to this standard….”

“…….. that brings me onto your attention to detail. I know you like to work fast and that’s great but sometimes

 you forget to send all the documentation in your haste…..”

6. Close on an uplifting and motivating note

By closing on an uplifting and motivating note you ensure that the other person leaves feeling really good

about themselves. This is particularly important if you have discussed ways in which the project could have

been handled even better.

"Overall the team is doing really well and we are meeting all our targets. Things are looking good for all of us. Thanks for all your efforts, Sam."

"I particularly like the way you got to the root cause of the problem. 1 must be honest, Sam, and tell you that

it gave me an insight into the problem 1 hadn't seen before."

What if it's only been a partial success?

Let's be honest - not every project will be a complete success. So how can we recognise someone's efforts

in this situation? Clearly we want to strike the right balance - to be encouraging whilst not devaluing the

praise we give.

We want to use the successful parts of the project as an opportunity to improve the person's self-esteem and build up their confidence to do better next time. On the other hand we must avoid leaving the impression that partial success is acceptable

This is where careful use of balanced praise is so essential. Open the discussion concentrating on what's

gone well so that the other person can see that you have been pleased with some or most aspects of the

project or task. Once you can sense that they are feeling relaxed you can move on to the areas which were

not so successful. You can steer the discussion by using questions like:

"So that's all gone well. With the benefit of hindsight are there any aspects which you think could have gone better?"

"When you think ahead to the next time this comes up, do you see any opportunities to do it more effectively?"

Once you have acceptance that things could be done differently you can then move into a positive coaching

role. Close the discussions by reinforcing your confidence in their abilities, based on the parts which had

gone well. Remember

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

Where to do it?

So now we know what should be done - where should all this be happening? The following guidelines may be useful:

·         Whenever possible give praise in public, bearing in mind the individual's preferences and wishes

·         Consider publicising particular achievements using 'Employee of the month' type promotion in prominent places

·         If public praise would be counter-productive, because of a possible adverse reaction, then praise in private or a limited gathering

·         Any discussions about adverse performance must be held in private

What else can we do?

There are of course many other ways public recognition for individual effort can be given. Irrespective of the actual method adopted, many of the underlying guidelines remain the same.

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