Coaching for Managers training courses - UK: Free Newsletter, Podcast, training materials

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 Setting Objectives 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. Course Dates 2010: 26th Feb // 17th Mar // 7th May // 30th June // 6th Aug // 3rd Sept // 7th Oct // 2nd Nov BOOK NOW
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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) 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 Sales Course / 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		SETTING OBJECTIVES Have you ever experienced the "The annual ordeal". This is how the performance appraisal scheme is viewed in many organisations. If your organisations has an appraisal system, the setting of objectives should be a major part. (in the UK 85% of organisations have objective setting as a feature.) In the space below think of at least five potential benefits of objective setting and five problems experienced in setting objectives in your system. Potential benefits ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ Problems ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ BENEFITS FROM SETTING OBJECTIVES • Gives a sense of direction • Helps focus attention • Achievement aids motivation • Provides a measure of performance • Success can be measured objectively • Increases pride and job satisfaction • Individual can see where they fit-in to organisation • People are clearer about what is expected of them • Gives an opportunity to sit down with the manager to discuss progress Why then, with all these benefits, do so many schemes run into difficulties? DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH SETTING OBJECTIVES • They tend to be imposed from the top • There is little or no involvement of the individual • Achievement is largely dependent on the performance of others, over whom they have no control • It becomes a one-off paperwork exercise, once set, they never see the light of day • Impossible targets are such that they have no chance of being achieved • There is no link between achievement and actual reward • No feedback on how well an individual is performing • Difficult to measure what an individual does • They're inflexible and can't cover what's really happening • They try to put some order on to a chaotic world and fail With this range of problems connected with objectives, it is no wonder that many people give up on them until they have to find excuses to justify what's happened at the end of the reporting year. Yet it has been repeatedly shown by research, and top performers in both the business and the sporting world have written, that a systematic approach to setting objectives and working to achieve them is a highly effective means of improving both confidence and competence. The point is, objective setting is a skill but, like all skills, we are not born able to do it automatically. There is an art to objective setting which we need to master if we want to develop as effective coaches and managers. THE GROUND RULES Having identified what is wrong in most organisations with objective setting, you are one step closer to putting it right. Coaching supports our definition of the role of the manager by using day-to-day work as a learning experience, to guide the performance improvement of each individual. Objectives are also primarily concerned with performance improvement, so there is a natural link between the responsibility of managers to coach and their ability to steer staff towards worthwhile objectives. Effective objectives will help to define what the job holder will be able to do at the end of any coaching assignment. Having specified what the outcome should be, managers will be able to check on progress and at the end of the assignment will be able to identify any gap that still exists between current and desired performance. What do you think are the criteria for effective objectives? List at least five recommendations for setting effective objectives. A good starting phrase for each answer is “Objectives should……….. ....................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ OBJECTIVE SETTING GROUND RULES Objectives should: • Extend the personal abilities of the job holder • Give job holders freedom of action and approach • Have an agreed measurable outcome • Have been agreed by job holder and manager • Cover a short time-span not long-term • Be compatible with objectives of others in the team and organisation • Relate to important issues for the job holder's role and their development • Be realistic in terms of both their own abilities and the requirements of the organisation Reflect the resources available within the organisation • Be reviewed on a regular basis • Emphasise individual's performance over team objectives • Challenge but be achievable • Be to an agreed time scale In order to set solid objectives you should follow a criteria which enable both you and the job holder understand how the objective should be carried out. Using the acronym SMART will allow you to do this. SPECIFIC MEASURABLE AGREED REALISTIC TIME BOUND SETTING SMART OBJECTIVES SPECIFIC State very clearly what you aim to achieve. The objective should set out what you intend to achieve in the most detailed level you can. It is not a list of tasks or activities but what you want to achieve by doing those tasks. MEASURABLE What is the appropriate way to measure the specific performances you have identified in step 1? How can you assess objectively what change has taken place in terms of quantity, quality, cost or resources used? AGREED Discuss the benefits of setting and pursuing your objective. Voice any objections or questions you may have and make sure you are committed to its achievement. Remember it will be your responsibility so participate actively in setting them at a precise level. REALISTIC They should be set within the power and effort of the job holder to achieve them. This means that you should have available the necessary authority and resources to achieve your objective. They should be set at a level that you are going to find challenging and are within your capability. TIME BOUND Always set a realistic target date for completing your objective. This should be short-term rather than long-term. Too many events and conditions are unknown and will cause it to be ineffective. Break down your objective into a series of short manageable steps which will help you check progress. OBJECTIVE SETTING EXERCISE (It is suggested that you do this exercise with a partner) Part One Identify areas in your job where expected performance does not match actual performance and which could provide a challenging development activity for you if they were given the task of sorting out the problem. At this stage only identify the situation, not the plans to resolve it. ....................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ Part Two Keeping in mind all the points identified for setting effective objectives and using SMART objectives role-play objective setting with your partner. During the exercise your partner will play the role of the coach and you will play the part of the job holder. Your partner’s task is to assist you to review the problem and help them to write an objective which will help solve the problem and develop the necessary skills. When you have reached agreement, write down the final version, exchange roles and repeat the activity. After four or five examples you should be able to pin-point your main strengths and weaknesses in objective setting. My main strengths in setting objectives are: ....................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ My development areas for setting objectives are: ....................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ 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