ReCh

Management Centre

Negotiating Skills,
Leadership and Coaching

6th April, 2009

ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT © 2004-2008 H&H ASSOCIATES WEDNESDAY, 05 NOVEMBER 2008

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Contents
Contents..................................................................................................................................................................2

Negotiating Skills.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose............................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................2

Negotiation as a Fight:.......................................................................................................................................3

Negotiation is a game:........................................................................................................................................3

Bargaining Tips..................................................................................................................................................3

Negotiating principles.........................................................................................................................................4

The six stages in the negotiating process............................................................................................................5

The way people behave in meetings...................................................................................................................8

Beware the 7 Deadly Sins of Negotiating!..........................................................................................................11

The Language of Negotiation............................................................................................................................11

Negotiation overview........................................................................................................................................12

Negotiating workshop.......................................................................................................................................12

The nature of leadership ........................................................................................................................................13

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Different leadership styles.................................................................................................................................14

The Autocrat....................................................................................................................................................14

The Laissez-Faire Manager..............................................................................................................................14

The Democrat..................................................................................................................................................14

Analysing Your Style........................................................................................................................................15

Recognizing what team members look for in a team leader................................................................................16

Style Choice....................................................................................................................................................18

Practical Aspects of Directing Teams................................................................................................................20

Keeping the Team Together.............................................................................................................................21

Coaching...............................................................................................................................................................23

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.. Coach....................................................................................................................26
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Why Project Managers Should
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Appendix – Definitions &.Resources.......................................................................................................................30
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Resources.......................................................................................................................................................30

Definitions........................................................................................................................................................30

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 Negotiating Skills

Week2 – Day 1

Purpose

The purpose of this lecture is to present the importance of negotiating and how it
is done
Introduction

Negotiation is a dialogue intended to resolve disputes, to produce an agreement

upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, or to
craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. It is the primary method of alternative
dispute resolution.

Negotiating Skills

'Heads I win, tails you lose.'

That's the way to handle negotiating, isn't it?

Well, no.

Good negotiating isn't about winning and it isn't about someone else losing.

Good negotiating is about both sides leaving feeling they got what they wanted,
or at least better off than when they went in.

Unsuccessful negotiation is when either side feels they've compromised too

much, given way when they didn't want to, felt undue pressure; felt threatened;
made sacrifices they didn't want to.

In those situations the other party might believe they've won and go away feeling
good about themselves; but that's not really successful negotiation.

They may have won, but the other party will never trust them again and may not
want to repeat the experience.

As the cliché says, they may have won the battle, but they won't have won the
war.

What if negotiating were about giving away as much as you possibly could,
without feeling unhappy about it?

What do you have, that you're willing to give away, that the other side wants?

What negotiations pressures can you bring to bear that won't feel like pressure;
but rather will feel more like good hard bargaining?

Really good negotiators are able to read the other person/people. They can take
the role of an Objective Observer, retaining a calm, inner state of mind.

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They are able to let go of their positions, giving up one want and choosing
another.

Negotiation as a Fight:

Negotiation can sometimes both look like and feel like a fight. It is two-way and
indeed there may be more coming at you, than you are offering the other way.
You need to define a personal context for fighting.
Seeing:

The best skill you can have is one of seeing. How well you see other people; how
well you can see what's going on for them and for yourself. This is all about
reading people, picking up their signals.

Negotiation is a game:

Treat negotiating as a game; that one has to play and play hard. Sometimes you
will win, sometimes you will lose. The more you are able to work with negotiation
skills as a game the more in charge of your negotiation you can be.

Bargaining Tips

Five Bargaining Tips

1. Be clear, in your own mind, about exactly what you're after

 Be clear, in your own mind, about exactly what you're after.

 Do your homework, so that you are fully prepared to discuss every aspect
and respond to every question and comment.

 Be persistent. Don't expect to "win" the first time. Your first job is just to start
the other person thinking.

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  Make friends with the person with whom you are bargaining. Put your
bargain in terms of his or her needs, advantages, and benefits.

 Keep your sense of humour.

2. Separate the Relationship with the People from the Substance of the Deal

Be hard on the deal, soft on the

people
See the deal from inside their shoes
Make your proposal consistent with their value
3. Focus on Shared Values and Interests, but not on the Positions Each Side
Takes
Values define the deal
Each side has multiple interests – be clear on yours, discover theirs
4. In Stuck, Brainstorm Options for Mutual Benefit
Be creative, think outside the box
Identify shared interest
5. Use Objective Criteria for Decision-Making
Strike a deal based on principle, not pressure
Agree on fair standards and procedures
Frame issues as a collaborative quest

Negotiating principles

1. Set the tone offset any bad rumours and be candid

2. Utilize "human factors" and be open about feelings and motives: this will
enhance trust.

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 3. Avoid presenting too many issues, highlight the strongest ones.
4. Avoid deadlines, lessening the chance for needless concessions.
5. Summarize frequently: this enhances understanding.
6. Present arguments calmly, without personalization, and make sure they
are logically supported.
7. Avoid use of personal opinions in arguments.
8. Avoid ultimatums and other forms of non-negotiable demands.
9. Admit, when appropriate, the validity of the other party's arguments

The six stages in the negotiating process

Prepare
It is important that you do not jump into negotiation without thoroughly preparing
your case in advance…

L – LIST your objectives and their objectives

I - Those you INTEND to get
M – Those you MUST get

 Do your research. Make sure you get all the facts that have a bearing on
the issue being negotiated, making sure that they are accurate and
complete.
 Find out and observe any procedures that exist for pursuing the issue.
 Having prepared your case plan how you intend to pursue the issue.
What will be your tactics?
 It is important that you are clear about your objectives. Decide which ones
you would like to achieve and what your fallback position will be.
Remember negotiation often involves compromise.
 Anticipate the arguments and responses you are likely to receive in order
to be prepared to counter them. Is there a possibility of an acceptable
compromise?

Stage 1 - Statement of Intent to Negotiate

Stage 2 - Readiness to Negotiate

Convene an initial meeting of the parties this will be the first occasion on which
they sit down at a table with representatives. This meeting allows the parties to
exchange information, consider the criteria for determining the parties' readiness
to negotiate and generally identify issues of concern. The meeting usually takes

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place in neutral venue. The three parties must demonstrate that they have a
commitment to negotiate, a qualified negotiator, sufficient resources, a mandate,
and a process to develop that mandate and ratification procedures.

Stage 3 - Negotiation of a Framework Agreement

The framework agreement is, in effect, the "table of contents" of a

comprehensive agreement. The parties agree on the subjects to be negotiated
and an estimated time frame for stage four agreement-in-principle negotiations.

Stage 4 - Negotiation of an Agreement in Principle

This is where substantive negotiations begin. The three parties examine in detail
the elements outlined in their framework agreement. The goal is to reach
agreement on each of the topics that will form the basis of the agreement. These
agreements will identify and define a range of rights and obligations, including:
existing and future interests; structures; relationship of laws; regulatory
processes; amending processes; dispute resolution; financial component; fiscal
relations and so on. The agreement in principle also lays the groundwork for
implementation of the final agreement.

Stage 5 - Negotiation to finalise an agreement

The agreement formalises the new relationship among the parties and embodies
the agreements reached in the agreement in principle. Technical and legal issues
are resolved at this stage.

Stage 6 - Implementation of the agreement

Long-term implementation plans need to be tailored to specific agreements. The

plans to implement the agreement are put into effect or phased in as agreed.
With time, all aspects of the agreement will be realized and with continuing
goodwill, commitment and effort by all parties, the new relationship will come to
maturity.

Remember

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Propose

• Make proposals.

• State conditions.

• Express concerns.

• Search for common interests.

• Begin to identify those concessions you could make that would hold most
influence over the other side – and those they would be willing to make in
return.

• Use positive body language.

Bargain

• Listen out for offers to settle - key words are IF and THEN.

• Start making concessions.

• Every concession should have a condition - IF you … THEN I will …

• Conserve your concessions - don’t give everything away too soon.

• Don’t be afraid to say no.

• Be aware that adjournments, especially at this stage in the negotiation,

may give the impression that you are considering an offer.

Agree

• Usually one final concession: “IF you do that, THEN we have a deal!”

• Gain commitment.

• Record and agree results.

• Leave satisfied – both sides should be happy with what has been agreed.

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The way people behave in meetings

Good meeting protocol

Listen carefully
Ask questions
Clarify
Summarise
Establish a business- like atmosphere – be confident!
State your case clearly and with brevity – emphasise the important points.
Listen carefully – be courteous and don’t interrupt.
Take notes – in case of a later dispute and to plan your next steps.
Ask for an adjournment (“time-out”) if you need to discuss a new development,
an unexpected response or if you need time to collect your thoughts. Be clear on
the reasons for and the length of the adjournment. The usual protocol is that the
side who seeks the adjournment should be the one to restart the negotiation.
Maintain discipline and unity. Consider using one main speaker. If anyone on
the team considers that an important point has not been raised, pass a note to
the speaker or ask for an adjournment. Never disagree in front of the other party.
Ask questions and clarify issues - summarise as appropriate to check
understanding.
Don’t argue, interrupt or assume!

Bad meeting protocol

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Beware the 7 Deadly Sins of Negotiating!

Pride - Be prepared to compromise

Gluttony - Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Anger - Handle objections calmly
Covetousness - Prioritise needs/wants
Envy - Know competitors strengths & weaknesses… AND your own
Sloth - Do your homework
Lust - Don’t look desperate to settle

The Language of Negotiation

MFP - Most Favourable Position (this is what you are aiming for)
WAP - Walk Away Position (the stage at which you would withdraw from the negotiation)
BATNA - Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (if you can’t agree, then what next?)
IVC - Inexpensive Valuable Concessions (valued highly by the other side but may cost you little)
TO - Time Out (use if new information comes to light that causes you to reconsider)

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Negotiation overview

• Negotiation is a key skill - for life

• Negotiation should be win/win

• Negotiation is a process which can be learnt

• Preparation is vital.

• Be aware of your own style and performance and seek every opportunity
to improve.

Negotiating workshop

http://www.sfhgroup.com/ca/training/online-training/test-your-skills.php

http://www.zapdramatic.com/

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 The nature of leadership

The role of leadership in management is largely determined by the organisational

culture of the company. It has been argued that managers' beliefs, values and
assumptions are of critical importance to the overall style of leadership that they
adopt.
There are several different leadership styles that can be identified within each of
the following Management techniques. Each technique has its own set of good
and not-so-good characteristics, and each uses leadership in a different way.

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Different leadership styles

The Autocrat

The autocratic leader dominates team-members, using unilateralism to achieve a

singular objective. This approach to leadership generally results in passive
resistance from team-members and requires continual pressure and direction
from the leader in order to get things done. Generally, an authoritarian approach
is not a good way to get the best performance from a team.
There are, however, some instances where an autocratic style of leadership may
not be inappropriate. Some situations may call for urgent action, and in these
cases an autocratic style of leadership may be best. In addition, most people are
familiar with autocratic leadership and therefore have less trouble adopting that
style. Furthermore, in some situations, sub-ordinates may actually prefer an
autocratic style.

The Laissez-Faire Manager

The Laissez-Faire manager exercises little control over his group, leaving them
to sort out their roles and tackle their work, without participating in this process
himself. In general, this approach leaves the team floundering with little direction
or motivation.
Again, there are situations where the Laissez-Faire approach can be effective.
The Laissez-Faire technique is usually only appropriate when leading a team of
highly motivated and skilled people, who have produced excellent work in the
past. Once a leader has established that his team is confident, capable and
motivated, it is often best to step back and let them get on with the task, since
interfering can generate resentment and detract from their effectiveness. By
handing over ownership, a leader can empower his group to achieve their goals.

The Democrat

The democratic leader makes decisions by consulting his team, whilst still
maintaining control of the group. The democratic leader allows his team to decide
how the task will be tackled and who will perform which task.
The democratic leader can be seen in two lights:
A good democratic leader encourages participation and delegates wisely, but
never loses sight of the fact that he bears the crucial responsibility of leadership.
He values group discussion and input from his team and can be seen as drawing
from a pool of his team members' strong points in order to obtain the best

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performance from his team. He motivates his team by empowering them to direct
themselves, and guides them with a loose reign.
However, the democrat can also be seen as being so unsure of himself and his
relationship with his sub-ordinates that everything is a matter for group
discussion and decision. Clearly, this type of "leader" is not really leading at all.

One way of looking at different leadership styles is in terms of task orientation

versus employee orientation.

• Task Orientation or Directive Behaviour. This reflects how much a leader

is concerned with the actual task at hand and ensuring that those following
him complete it.

• Employee Orientation or Supportive Behaviour. This reflects how much a

leader is concerned for the people around him, providing support and
encouragement for them.
The combination of these two effects leads to the following diagram:

1. Country Club Management 1. Team Management

2. SUPPORTING 2. COACHING

1. Impoverished Management 1. Authority/Obedience Management

2. DELEGATING 2. DIRECTING

This diagram can be used in two ways:

• As a guide to how effective your leadership style is. Your general attitude
to the leadership of the group will fall into one of these categories.

• As a guide to how best to lead different individuals using different styles to

make the most efficient use of both their, and your, time and talents.

Analysing Your Style

How do you lead your group? What is your attitude to both them and the task at
hand?

• Impoverished Management (low concern for the task, low concern for
people). This style is characterised by minimal effort on your part, just
enough to get the job done and maintain the group structure.
"I'll just let them get on with it, I'm sure they'll do fine, they don't really want me interfering
anyway"

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 • Country Club Management (low concern for the task, high concern for
people). You take good care of your group, ensuring a comfortable,
friendly atmosphere. You hope this will lead to the work getting done.
"It stands to reason, if they're happy they'll work harder and the work will take care of itself."

• Authority/Obedience Management (high concern for task, low concern for

people). You are probably a bit of a task master. The most important thing
is the work. You lead from behind by driving the group in front of you.
"We're here to work; the work needs to be done. If they're working hard enough they won't
have time to feel unhappy, they're not here to enjoy themselves."

• Team Management (high concern for task, high concern for people). You
see the completion of the task and the well being of the group as
interdependent through a common stake in the organisation's future. This
leads to relationships built on trust and respect, and work accomplishment
from committed employees.
"We're in this together. We need to support and help each other to get this job done."

• It is generally accepted that group leaders who have a Team Management

style are the most effective, though this is not always the case.

Recognizing what team members look for in a team leader

Provide team leadership and coaching

• Create an environment oriented to trust, open communication, creative

thinking, and cohesive team effort

• Provide the team with a vision of the project objectives

• Motivate and inspire team members

• Lead by setting a good example (role model) - behaviour consistent with

words

• Coach and help develop team members; help resolve dysfunctional

behaviour

• Facilitate problem solving and collaboration

• Strive for team consensus and win-win agreements

• Ensure discussions and decisions lead toward closure

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• Maintain healthy group dynamics

• Intervene when necessary to aid the group in resolving issues

• Assure that the team members have the necessary education and training
to effectively participate on the team

• Encourage creativity, risk-taking, and constant improvement

• Recognize and celebrate team and team member accomplishments and

exceptional performance
Focus the team on the tasks at hand or the internal and external customer
requirements
• Coordinate with internal and external customers as necessary

• Familiarize the team with the customer needs, specifications, design

targets, the development process, design standards, techniques and tools
to support task performance

• Assure that the team addresses all relevant issues within the
specifications and various standards

• Provide necessary business information

• Serve as meeting manager or chairman

• Initiate sub-groups or sub-teams as appropriate to resolve issues and

perform tasks in parallel

• Ensure deliverables are prepared to satisfy the project requirements, cost

and schedule

• Help keep the team focused and on track

Coordinate team logistics
• Work with functional managers and the team sponsor to obtain necessary
resources to support the team's requirements

• Obtain and coordinate space, furniture, equipment, and communication

lines for team members

• Establish meeting times, places and agendas

• Coordinate the review, presentation and release of design layouts,

drawings, analysis and other documentation

• Coordinates meetings with the product committee, project manager and

functional management to discuss project impediments, needed resources
or issues/delays in completing the task

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 Communicate team status, task accomplishment, and direction
• Provide status reporting of team activities against the program plan or
schedule

• Keep the project manager and product committee informed of task

accomplishment, issues and status

• Serve as a focal point to communicate and resolve interface and

integration issues with other teams

• Escalate issues which cannot be resolved by the team

• Provide guidance to the team based on management direction

Varying leadership styles to suit tasks

Style Choice

If you have a group of widely differing levels of ability, confidence and

commitment, you may want to lead them each with a different style.
• Directing

A team member who has a lot of enthusiasm for the job but not much
actual ability, for example a new start, will need to be directed. You will not
need to spend much time giving encouragement or coaxing them along.
You will however have to tell them what to do next after they complete
every task, and how to do the tasks set.
• Coaching

After being in the group for a while, somebody might begin to lose
confidence and therefore motivation, as they still can't seem to do the
work they want to do. At this stage you will need to coach them along. You
will still need to tell them what to do at virtually every point along the way,
while taking care to encourage them and praise them at every turn.
• Supporting

Gradually the team member's technical ability will increase until they are at
a stage where they can actually do everything required of them, however
they may still lack the confidence to actually do it off their own backs. You
should no longer have to tell them what to do, although they may think
otherwise. You should seek their opinions on the next stage, and be seen
to take notice of their ideas.
• Delegating

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 A technically competent person's confidence will gradually grow until they
feel able to work completely on their own. You should now be able to
delegate specific areas of work to them and feel little need to tell them
either what to do or to praise them as frequently for doing it. The time that
you don't have to spend "leading" these members of the group can be
spent with the less experienced group members, or on the work that you
need to do.

Steps to Leading

A leader may not always be a manager, and one day you may see an
opportunity to lead a project or team within your group, but when do
decide the time is right and how do you go about becoming the leader?
Look at the context of the situation and decide if your leadership is
required and if you can feasibly lead the team. Perhaps another group
member would be better or, even worse; the group would not accept your
influence. If this is the case your attempt to lead will be a failure.
1. Identify team members and resources willing to support your leadership.
Clearly, change may be resisted by some people or organisations, but if
you can find enough support this resistance can be overcome. Note that
the support of your team may not be enough if you do not have the
support of authority (the boss for example) or the physical/financial
resources to accomplish your goals.
2. A crucial step is to empathise with others and assess their understanding
of the situation. This will help you understand how to influence these
people. Many ways of doing this are available: memos, phone calls and
informal chats are a few examples.
3. Now you should open a discussion which the members. Clearly, without
open discussion some people may feel neglected or excluded. By getting
everyone's views it is more likely that you will be able to alter them and get
what you want. Now you must convince the others that your view is the
one most likely to achieve a favourable outcome for everyone. This may
be easy if everyone shares the same goals, or it may be difficult. In the
end some form of 'payment' may be required, such as a promise of a
favour, to convince certain members. This is easy if you are in a position
of power, if not, make sure the cost to yourself is not too high.
4. Having convinced the team of your leadership, encourage team
communication to build a team identity. You should also try to motivate the
team appropriately.

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 5. Plan and organise the team by setting realistic goals. However do not give
too much or too little guidance, experienced workers may resent you
treating them like new-recruits, and this can undermine your leadership.
6. When goals are achieved recognises and rewards the team. Do not
expect the team to exceed them - this will undermine your leadership and
the team will lose trust in you. Of course you may decide that the goals
are unachievable or insufficient, but any re-definition of these goals should
be done carefully and with team co-operation.

Practical Aspects of Directing Teams

Break down the task

When directing a small team it is important to structure the tasks to be
performed. Goals should be easily understood by everyone and tasks broken
down so that they appear achievable.
Nothing will be more demoralising for your team than setting them a task which
seems impossible (the brick wall approach). Therefore it is important to define a
task as a series of small but significant steps which seem realistic. As the person
performs these broken-down steps he/she will still feel that something tangible
has been accomplished, and the next step toward finishing will become clear.
The brick wall approach will usually result in the task not being accomplished.

1. The brick-wall approach 2. Broken down-steps

Goal analysis
It is probable that as a team leader you will want to set goals for your team or
project. One such goal may be "to improve communications amongst the team".
Clearly there will be many different interpretations of this goal by different team
members. Goal analysis seeks to remove this ambiguity.
Goal analysis should define an abstract goal in terms of concrete criteria, which
when met will clearly demonstrate that the goal has been achieved. The criteria
should be expressed in terms of actions or results rather than abstractions (which
may be ambiguous). There are 5 steps:

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1) Write down the goal.

At this stage the goal is an abstract thing, and it is important not to worry too much about how the goal is written
down - a rough definition or idea will suffice.

2) Without editing or judging - describe the goal.

Get team members to quickly describe what they understand by the goal. At this stage all suggestions should be
noted down - no ideas are wrong or stupid. This is similar to the technique of brainstorming.

3) Sort.

Sort out the ideas generated by 2 into an ordered or prioritised list which defines the goal. At this stage it may
become apparent that some ideas are abstractions but are still important. If this is the case use steps 1 and 2 to
clearly define these.

4) State each action or result obtained from 3.

Make the team read and try to understand the list from step 3.

5) Test the statements.

Ask the question - "When these all statements have been demonstrated to be true, will the goal have been
achieved?" Test each statement in turn for relevance. If the answer is yes then the goal has been defined.

Keeping the Team Together

One function that a leader of a team must perform is holding the team together. A
leader is responsible for:

• ensuring project goals are met

• ensuring a full team effort
• keeping the team happy

Motivation
The key to holding the team together is motivation. To motivate is to:

"Cause (person) to act in a particular way; stimulate interest of (person in

activity)."1

In simple terms, motivation can be considered as the amount of effort an

individual is willing to put into their work. Therefore, it is important to ensure that
any team is highly motivated towards their work. A lack of motivation in any

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member of a team can have a negative effect, reducing the group's effectiveness
and possibly leading to the de-motivation of others. Given the fact that different
people are motivated in different ways, the problem facing someone in the role of
leader is to create an environment in which each individual fulfils their potential.

It is important to highlight the major influences in the motivation of people.

According to the influential motivator-hygiene theory, motivation occurs when
people have job satisfaction. Job satisfaction can be improved by increasing
opportunities for:

 Achievement

 Recognition

 Responsibility

 Career advancement

While not increasing job satisfaction, improvements in the following areas can
lessen job dissatisfaction:

 Supervision

 Salary

 Working conditions

6 Steps to Motivation
The following steps can be taken to help achieve and maintain group motivation:

 Provide opportunities for group members to become acquainted.

 Indicate the importance/value of the group.

 Make people feel they are important.

 Clarify goals.

 Identify progress.

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  Acknowledge achievements.

Disputes
Inevitably, disputes ranging from minor differences in opinion, to fundamental
differences in ideology, will arise. The role of the team leader is to handle such
disagreements constructively, ensuring that the team remains focused on
achieving its goal. The leader must encourage team members to stand back from
any disagreements and look at things objectively. By doing this, any differences
between group members will be resolved and possible conflicts avoided.

Conclusion
The most important point for a team leader to remember is that each individual
needs to think that they are working with the best people - to feel proud to be part
of the team. By getting people into this state of mind a leader will instil a high
level of group morale; people will work harder and achieve more.

Coaching

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What is coaching and mentoring?

Coaching is…

"a process that enables learning and development to occur and thus performance
to improve. To be a successful a Coach requires a knowledge and understanding
of process as well as the variety of styles, skills and techniques that are
appropriate to the context in which the coaching takes place"

Eric Parsloe, The Manager as Coach and Mentor (1999) page 8. Eric is a respected author and Director of the
OCM

Mentoring is...

"off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge,

work or thinking"

Clutterbuck, D & Megginson, D, Mentoring Executives and Directors (1999) page 3 (available in the bookshop).

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David Clutterbuck & David Megginson are both founder members of The European Mentoring and Coaching
Council and highly respected authors, academics and consultants in the mentoring arena.

Both coaching and mentoring are processes that enable both individual and
corporate clients and customer agencies to achieve their full potential.

Coaching and mentoring share many similarities so it makes sense to outline the
common things coaches and mentors do whether the services are offered in a
paid (professional) or unpaid (philanthropic) role.

• Facilitate the exploration of needs, motivations, desires, skills and thought

processes to assist the individual in making real, lasting change.
• Use questioning techniques to facilitate staff’s own thought processes in
order to identify solutions and actions rather than takes a wholly directive
approach
• Support the staff in setting appropriate goals and methods of assessing
progress in relation to these goals
• Observe, listen and ask questions to understand the employees situation
• Creatively apply tools and techniques which may include one-to-one
training, facilitating, counselling & networking.
• Encourage a commitment to action and the development of lasting
personal growth & change.
• Maintain unconditional positive regard for the staff, which means that the
coach is at all times supportive and non-judgemental of the employee,
their views, lifestyle and aspirations.
• Ensure that employees develop personal competencies and do not
develop unhealthy dependencies on the coaching or mentoring
relationship.
• Evaluate the outcomes of the process, using objective measures wherever
possible to ensure the relationship is successful and the employee is
achieving their personal goals.
• Encourage employees to continually improve competencies and to
develop new developmental alliances where necessary to achieve their
goals.
• Work within their area of personal competence.

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 • Possess qualifications and experience in the areas that skills-transfer
coaching is offered.
• Manage the relationship to ensure the employee receives the appropriate
level of coaching and that programmes are neither too short, nor too long.

When coaching should be used

Why Project Managers Should Coach

Get the PDF Version

By Darren Cockburn

Coaching is a highly effective management tool and yet, I have met only a small number of project managers who
adopt a coaching style when supporting their staff.

The unfortunate truth is that many project managers do not understand coaching and have received little or no
formal training. The benefits of coaching in a management context are significant:

• Coaching encourages members of staff to think for themselves, which is empowering. A

spin-off benefit for the project manager is that if the member of staff finds their own way with
minimal advice they will not need to ask the same question next time, which will save time and
increase performance. It is a great investment.

• Coaching enables diversity by allowing staff to achieve outcomes in their own ways, which is
often more effective than a known route recommended by their project manager.

• Coaching allows underlying competency issues to surface. For example, you may ask
somebody on your project team questions and expect them to find solutions to a problem. If
they fail to answer a reasonable question you have the option of asking yourself why. Do they
need more experience or some personal development to enable them to find the answers?

I find that most project managers who are effective coaches are often compromised when under pressure - when
running late for meetings or up against deadlines, for example. In these situations, many managers will default to
telling or advising rather than asking questions. They will use language like "Do this... do that" or "Let me tell you
how you should manage this issue." Once the pressure lifts the managers may well fall back into a more
constructive coaching style, knowing that in the long run using coaching rather than direct advice will benefit both
themselves and the member of staff.

It is all a matter of balance and coaching can be counterproductive if over used. I have heard stories about people
who are new to coaching and overly keen to practise on people making this mistake. If coaching is the only method

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used during conversations, it does start to become frustrating for the person being coached, which can be
counterproductive. The good news is that the more you practice adopting a coaching style as a project manager
the easier it is to know when it is appropriate, how to integrate it into conversations and with whom. I consider
myself to be a great coach but I find it a challenge not to default to "tell" rather than "ask" when I am under
pressure.

Smart project managers are conscious of their approach, ask for feedback and recognise that they will always be
on a journey of learning when it comes to influencing people. Feedback is a gift and it helps managers learn how
others feel about the way that they relate to them. Project managers can ask their staff about the balance of
questions compared to advice and get some insight into how they are doing.

Project managers acting as coaches can also use their skills to work effectively with teams. I have attended project
meetings where a team looked to me to provide some direction in the face of a major issue. In most cases, I did
not have the answer. I would scratch my head, look confused for a few seconds and then remind myself about the
power of coaching. I would then switch into group coaching mode and ask questions like:

• "There must be a way of working through this issue. Does anybody have any ideas?"

• "Does anybody know somebody who might have the answer?"

• "What would have to be true in order for us to achieve this milestone date?"

• "How can we work together to get the desired outcome?"

Questions like these are enormously worthwhile because they encourage team members to think through
problems. Coaching should not be viewed as a panacea when it comes to project management as it must always
be used in conjunction with other techniques. It is a powerful tool that builds relationships, empowers people,
encourages thinking (that can't be a bad thing) and ultimately helps the manager to achieve results. I would
recommend coaching to any project manager.

Coaching’s motivational effects in organisations

Coaching Fosters Entrepreneurship and Initiative:

Through coaching, good employees learn to take the initiative, to become more
self-directed, to assume greater responsibility and to become more valuable
employees.

Coaching is the Bridge of Transition:

The coach can be the connection between old structures as they change over to
the new. During periods of either downsizing or expansion, the coach can help
integrate, facilitate and shorten the adjustment period for all.

Coaching Builds Better Teams:

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The coach, free from politics and authority/power issues, is able to help a team to
work more effectively in a short period. This avoids the occasional inability of an
internal leader to empower the team and encourages the creation of self-directed
employees/teams.

Coaching Delivers on Training:

A coach can help formally-trained participants apply their new learning to
everyday applications, thus significantly boosting the value of the training and
increasing the productivity of the organisation.

Setting things up

The coaching sessions

Whole Practice

Ideally a skill should be taught as a whole as the employee can appreciate the
complete movement and execution of a skill. The whole method of instruction
can sometimes mean the employee having to handle complex movements e.g.
the whole task.

Part Instruction

When a skill is complex or there is considered to be an element of danger for the

employee then it is more appropriate to breakdown the complex movement into
its constituent parts. The parts can then be taught and then linked together to
develop the final skill. When part instruction is used it is important that the
employee is demonstrated the whole skill so that they can appreciate the end
product and understand how the set of parts will develop the skill.

Whole - Part - Whole Instruction

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Initially the employee attempts the whole skill and the coach monitors to identify
those parts of the skill that the employee is not executing correctly. Part
instruction can then be used to address the limitations and then the employee
can repeat the whole skill with the coach monitoring for any further limitations.

No one method is suitable to all occasions, but studies have shown that:

* Simple skills (and perhaps simple is relative to each individual) benefit from
the whole method
* Skills of intermediate difficulty benefit from the part method
* Closed skills are often taught with part instruction
* Difficult skills are best dealt with by oscillating between part and whole

An Eastern European Approach

Consideration must be given to the approach adopted by the former Eastern Bloc
countries to technique training. The aim is to identify the most fundamental
version of a technique, one that is basic and essential to more advanced
techniques.

This fundamental component is taught first and established as the basis for all
further progressions. Deriving from the fundamental component are exercises
that directly reinforce the required movement patterns. These exercises are
known as first degree derivatives. They contain no variations of movement that
may confuse the learner.

Second degree derivatives are exercises that only coincide in part with the
fundamental component, and therefore could lead to confusion while learning is
taking place. These should not be included in the program until the learning of
the fundamental component has completely stabilised.

Coaching reviews

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 Appendix – Definitions & Resources

Resources

ACCA - http://www.accaglobal.com/

ICAEW- http://icaew.com

AIA - www.aiaworldwide.com/

Accounting web - http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/

CIPD - http://www.cipd.co.uk/

ME96 leadership - http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/MENG/ME96/index.html

Project smart - http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/why-project-managers-should-coach.html

Association of coaching- http://www.associationforcoaching.com/home/index.htm

Definitions

Agenda: A formal agreed upon list of things to be done or discussed in a particular order during a meeting or
negotiation. It is a procedure often utilized and employed in ‘group’ or ‘multi party’negotiations. (Agenda)

Agent: A person who acts for or in place of another individual or entity as their representative in a negotiation with
a third party. An agent, sometimes referred to as a third party agent, has full or limited authority to act on the behalf
of the party they represent. (Agent)

Arbitration: A process to resolve a dispute between negotiating parties who have reached a deadlock in their
negotiation. The parties in dispute are referred to a ‘third party’, which is one that is either agreed upon by the
parties in dispute, or as provided by legislated law. The third party renders a judgement that is binding on the
parties in dispute. Arbitration is often used in international negotiations and in collective bargaining. (Arbitration)

Aspiration Base: This is a realistic view of setting the highest achievable standard in terms of goals or objectives
in concluding a negotiated agreement. (Aspiration Base)

BATNA: An acronym described by Roger Fisher and William Ury which means Best Alternative to a Negotiated
Agreement. It is the alternative action that will be taken should your proposed agreement with another party result
in an unsatisfactory agreement or when an agreement fails to materialize. If the potential results of your current
negotiation only offers a value that is less than your BATNA, there is no point in proceeding with the negotiation,

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and one should use their best available alternative option instead. Prior to the start of negotiations, each party
should have ascertained their own individual BATNA. (BATNA)

Bargaining: A form of distributive negotiation. Bargaining is a simple form of negotiation process that is both
competitive and positional. Bargaining predominates in one-time negotiations and often revolves around a single
issue – usually price. One party usually attempts to gain advantage over another to obtain the best possible
agreement. (Bargaining)

Bargaining Zone: Is the range or area in which an agreement is satisfactory to both parties involved in the
negotiation process. It is essentially the overlap area in the low and high range that each party is willing to pay or
find acceptable in a negotiation. See also "Zopa" (Bargaining Zone)

Coalitions: A temporary union between two or more individuals or groups for a common aim or goal. A relatively
common practice utilized in multi party negotiations, it is used to gain advantage in the negotiation process.
(Coalitions)

Collective Bargaining: A negotiation process that occurs between employers (or their representatives) and the
representatives of a union to negotiate issues that consists of wages, hours of work and other conditions of
employment. Normally results in a written contract that is defined by specific time duration – ‘life of the contract’.
(Collective Bargaining)

Common Ground: This term refers to the area of agreement or a basis for an understanding, that is mutually
agreed upon by all parties to a negotiation. (Common Ground)

Constituent: A constituent is someone or a group on the same side of the negotiating party but who exerts an
independent influence on the outcome through the principal negotiator, or to whom the principal negotiator is
accountable. For example, a union negotiator must have an agreement voted upon by the union members
(constituents) before it can be ratified as an agreement. (Constituent)

Counter Purchase: An arrangement where one company agrees to sell products to a foreign purchaser for cash,
but also simultaneously agrees to purchase specified products or services from the foreign partner. Also known as
parallel bartering and is the most commonly used form in a countertrade agreement in international business
interactions. (Counter Purchase)

Counter Trade Agreement: An international trade arrangement with a foreign business partner. A barter system
whereby the parties agree to exchange, or purchase (buy back) for resale, goods or services in exchange for
another type of goods or services. Goods or services exchanged may be used in the primary product or service
being sold. (Counter Trade Agreement)

Counterparty: In a negotiation, a counterparty (counterparties – plural) is the other representatives(s) of the other
negotiation party(s) with whom one is negotiating a potential agreement or contract. (Counterparty)

Debt Negotiation: A negotiation process where one party negotiates the amount (debt) and other any other
applicable terms of a loan such as arrears, liability, or balance due which is owed to another party. (Debt
Negotiation)

Distributive Negotiation: A distributive negotiation type or process that normally entails a single issue to be
negotiated. The single issue often involves price and frequently relates to the bargaining process. Also referred to
as ‘Win – Lose’, or ‘Fixed – Pie’ negotiation because one party generally gains at the expense of another party.
'Win - Win' negotiation is conversely often referred to as Integrative Negotiation. (Distributive Negotiation)

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Facilitator: This is usually a mutually agreed upon neutral third party to lead a complex meeting of two or more
parties involved in a negotiation. Often employed in ‘multi party’ negotiations. Their purpose is to organize, aid, and
offer assistance in helping the negotiating parties find their own solutions on the issues under discussion.
(Facilitator)

Framing: A means to process and organise information. A frame provides a perspective of the problems or issues
for a decision maker. One can use a frame to understand the importance of facts or issues in relation to each
other. One can use this understanding of the facts or issues to then determine possible outcomes and consider
contingency actions to solve a problem. Using a framework can allow you to consider all potential gains and losses
and available options for any situation. (Framing)

Haggling: A form of distributive negotiation. Haggling means to negotiate, argue, or barter about the terms of a
business transaction, usually focussing on the purchase or selling price of a product or service. (Haggling)

Hostage Negotiation: A negotiation conducted between law enforcement agencies, diplomatic or other
government representatives for the release of a person(s) held hostage against their will by criminal, terrorist or
other elements. (Hostage Negotiation)

Initial Public Offering (IPO): A companys first sale of stock to the public. The IPO is usually tendered, but not
always, by those of young, small companies attempting to locate equity capital and a public market for their stock.
An IPO may present considerable risk but also has the potential of significant profits for investors. Investment
companies (closed end funds) generally include underwriting fees which represent a load which is then passed
onto buyers. (Initial Public Offering (IPO))

Integrative Framework : A means of negotiation decision making to conceptualise the actions, contingencies of
all possible outcomes, options and scenarios. Applied to integrative negotiations with the intention of incorporating
the goals and aims of all the negotiating parties to create maximum value through collaborative negotiation.
(Integrative Framework )

Integrative Negotiation: Integrative negotiation is often referred to as 'win-win' and typically entails two or more
issues to be negotiated. It often involves an agreement process that better integrates the aims and goals of all the
involved negotiating parties through creative and collaborative problem solving. Relationship is usually more
important, with more complex issues being negotiated than with Distributive Negotiation. (Integrative
Negotiation)

Interests: Interests are considered to be the motivating factor(s) and underlying reasons behind the ‘position’
adopted by a negotiating party. They often entail some combination of economic, security, recognition, and control
issues, or the desires, concerns, aims or goals of a negotiating party in a negotiation process. (Interests)

Internal Negotiation: A process that occurs between two or more members of the same company, organization or
constituency. (Internal Negotiation)

Joint Venture Agreement: A contractual agreement between 2 or more business partners to assume a common
business strategy on a project. All partners generally agree to share the profits and losses through their common
shareholdings. (Joint Venture Agreement)

Litigation: A formalised legal process to resolve a dispute through legal action in the form of a lawsuit. It often
entails a contractual issue. It is the act of either bringing or challenging a lawsuit. (Litigation)

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Lose-Lose Negotiation: A negotiation result where all parties to a negotiation leave resources or gold on the table
at the conclusion of a negotiation and fail to recognize or exploit more creative options that would lead to a ‘win-
win’ negotiated outcome. A term also used in ‘Game Theory’ and Economics. (Lose-Lose Negotiation)

Lose-Win Negotiation: This term refers to a distributive negotiation whereby one party’s gain is another party’s
loss. Both parties are competing to get the most value from the negotiation. Also called the ‘fixed-pie’ scenario in
that there is only a limited amount to be distributed. A term also used in ‘Game Theory’ and Economics. (Also
known as Win - Lose Negotiation). (Lose-Win Negotiation)

Majority Rule: A concept often employed in ‘Group’ or ‘Multi Party’ negotiations to achieve consensus or
agreement. As the term implies, a decision or agreement is reached after having been voted upon and decided in
favour by a majority of the parties present at the negotiating table (Majority Rule)

Mediation: Mediation usually consists of a negotiation process that employs a ‘mutually agreed’ upon third party to
settle a dispute between negotiating parties to find a compatible agreement to resolve disputes. (Mediation)

Merger and Acquisition Negotiation: A negotiation process conducted for the merger or joining of two
companies into a single business entity, or the outright purchase of a company by another company. (Merger and
Acquisition Negotiation)

Multi Party Negotiation: A negotiation that involves more than two negotiating parties in a negotiation. (Multi
Party Negotiation)

Multiple Offers: A technique sometimes employed to offset the possibility of anchoring in an integrative
negotiation. Multiple offers are two or more offers or proposals of relatively equal value that are presented
simultaneously to invite greater discussion of the issues under negotiation. (Multiple Offers)

Negotiation: An interactive process between two or more parties seeking to find common ground on an issue or
issues of mutual interest or dispute where the involved parties seek to make or find a mutually acceptable
agreement that will be honoured by all the parties concerned. (Negotiation)

Negotiation Anchoring: Anchoring is an attempt to establish a reference point (anchor) around which a
negotiation will revolve and will often use this reference point to make negotiation adjustments. Anchoring often
occurs when the first offer is presented at the beginning of a negotiation. (Negotiation Anchoring)

Negotiation Concessions: Negotiation Concessions are also sometimes referred to as ‘Trade-Offs’ where one or
more parties to a negotiation engage in conceding, yielding, or compromising on issues under negotiation and do
so either willingly or unwillingly. Negotiation Concessions often include 'log rolling'. (Negotiation Concessions)

Negotiation Game: Many negotiation training courses make use of negotiation games in order to teach their
delegates useful principles of negotiation, psychology or influence in a fun and interactive environment. Some
games are played between pairs, whilst others involve a room full of people. The purpose of most negotiation
games is to win or avoid losing. Most negotiation games leave the decision of what 'winning' or 'losing' means to
the players. Negotiation role play exercises should not be confused with negotiation games. (Negotiation Game)

Negotiation Logrolling: A negotiation exchange that involves making negotiation concessions or the ‘trading-off’
of issues so as to maximise on each sides' value. So you will offer the other side something that they value more
than you, in exchange for gaining something from them that you value more than they do. (Also: Log Rolling)
(Negotiation Logrolling)

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Negotiation Meeting: Negotiation meetings are typically where most of the deal is negotiated, with most
negotiation meetings being face to face. So the proper planning and effective running of negotiating meetings can
make or break a deal. The more complexity involved, the more important getting the negotiation meeting planned
correctly becomes. Negotiation meeting factors to plan: Who should and who shouldn't attend, how long each
person need attend, team versus individual attendance, roles and responsibilities Agenda: Who writes the agenda,
what issues appear on the agenda and their order Venue: Formal or informal, your office or theirs Length of
meeting Framing of the meeting and the main issues Style of negotiation - e.g. collaborative or competitive Staging
of meetings - e.g. relationship building may be the priority for the first meeting, and detailed products and services
may follow in a later meeting Concession Strategy to make effective trades and not lose value (Negotiation
Meeting)

Negotiation Skills: Negotiation skills are requires to negotiate effective deals across a variety of contexts;
including different industries, products and services. Negotiation skills are learnable, 'born negotiators' are a myth.
Effective negotiation requires a variety of skills drawn from different disciplines. Negotiating skills include:
communication, persuasion and influence, planning, strategising, tactics, process and systems, teamwork and
many others. Since negotiation requires much face to face interaction, negotiation skills cannot be learned from a
book alone. The better negotiation skills learning programs involve a great deal of role plays and feedback
discussions. (Negotiation Skills)

Negotiation Strategy: A pre-determined approach or prepared plan of action to achieve a specific goal or
objective to potentially find and make an agreement or contract in a negotiation with another party or parties. (See
Negotiation Tactics) (Negotiation Strategy)

Negotiation Tactics: Negotiation tactics are the detailed methods employed by negotiators to gain an advantage
over other parties. Tactics are often deceptive and manipulative and are used to fulfil one party's goals and
objectives - often to the detriment of the other negotiation parties. This makes most tactics in use today 'win-lose'
by nature. We would like to urge negotiators to only use ethical tactics. We are against using most tactics in
principle, and recommend instead that you seek a more collaborative, open and trust building approach wherever
possible. It is however worth learning how to identify and defend against tactics. Suggested Manipulative Tactics
article. (Negotiation Tactics)

Position: This is the official defined stance or standpoint which will be strongly defended by a negotiator. A
position is usually determined by the interests of a negotiating party in the negotiation process. A position is often
defined in the contract that a party puts forward or is proposing to their counterpart. (Position)

Principal: The primary decision making authority in a negotiation. Third party agents will often represent the
interests or objectives of a principal in a negotiation. (Principal)

Principled Negotiation: Principled Negotiation is an interest-based approach to negotiation that focusses

primarily on conflict management and conflict resolution. Principled negotiation uses an integrative approach to
finding a mutually shared outcome. First published in the book "Getting to Yes", Principled Negotiation is used
mostly in North America and is more popular amongst Academics and Mediators than in Business. Principled
Negotiation has become synonymous with the more popular phrase "Win Win " - originally taken from Game
Theory. Although Fisher and Ury drew from various disciplines in their 1981 book "Getting to Yes" (including NLP),
many Mediation Practitioners and Academics have subsequently contributed in answering the challenging
question: How can we best achieve Principled Negotiation in many different contexts? (Principled Negotiation)

Procurement Solutions: Services provided by an internal specialist, vendors or consultants as a service to a

business. Provides training, education and input about any procurement procedure as it relates to manufacturing

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and marketing. Issues of concern may include pricing, technology, cataloguing, discounting, shipping, inventory
control, automation and logistics. (Procurement Solutions)

Purchase Order Financing: The assignment of purchase orders by a business to a third party who accepts
responsibility for billing and collecting from buyers of the companys 2019 products. It is a form of expensive
financing used to purchase materials required to produce products needed to fulfill a purchase order already
received from a buyer. (Purchase Order Financing)

Rapport: When two or more parties achieve an agreement through the building of trust, establish a friendly
relationship, or have a sense of mutual understanding. A successful business client relationship conducted through
a negotiation is one example of a rapport. (Rapport)

Reciprocation: The act of making a similar or like exchange of something in return for something given by one
party to another party. In a negotiation, this could entail an exchange of information and/or an exchange of
concessions between the negotiating parties. (Reciprocation)

Reservation Price: The reservation price is the least favourable point at which one will accept a negotiated
agreement. For example, for a seller this means the least amount (minimum) or bottom line they would be
prepared to accept, while for a buyer it would mean the most (maximum) or bottom line that they would be
prepared to pay. It is also sometimes referred to as the ‘walk away’ point. (Reservation Price)

Risk-Averse: A low level or approach in the amount of risk that a negotiator is prepared to accept in a negotiation.
A negotiator who decides to accept the "sure thing" where a result is certain to be achieved is said to be "risk-
averse", and is not willing to gamble further on a potential negotiated result. (Risk-Averse)

Risk-Seeking: A high level or approach in the amount of risk that a negotiator is prepared to accept in a
negotiation.. A negotiator who decides to gamble rather than accept the ‘sure thing’, and who has the expectation
that they will gain more in a negotiation is said to be ‘risk-seeking’. (Risk-Seeking)

Salary Negotiation: Salary negotiation is a process where one party negotiates the amount of their pay, income,
earnings, commission, salary, wages, wage remuneration, annual review, or salary raise with another party.
(Salary Negotiation)

Target: See ‘Aspiration’ (Target)

Trade-Off: Also sometimes referred to as a ‘Concession’ where one or more parties to a negotiation engage in
conceding, yielding, or compromising on issues under negotiation and do so either willingly or unwillingly. (Trade-
Off)

Unanimity Rule: A process often employed in ‘Group’ or ‘Multi Party’ negotiations to reach a decision or
agreement by the involved negotiating parties. A unanimous decision is only achieved when all the negotiating
parties are in total accord in making a decision or an agreement. (Unanimity Rule)

Win-Lose Negotiation: This term refers to a distributive negotiation whereby one party’s gain is another party’s
loss. Both parties are competing to get the most value from the negotiation. Also called the ‘fixed-pie’ scenario in
that there is only a limited amount to be distributed. A term also used in ‘Game Theory’ and Economics. (Also
known as Lose-Win Negotiation). (Win-Lose Negotiation)

Win-Win Negotiation: A win-win negotiation settlement is an integrative negotiated agreement. In theory this
means the negotiating parties have reached an agreement after fully taking into account each others' interests,

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such that the agreement cannot be improved upon further by any other agreement. By definition, there are no
resources or 'gold' left on the table and all creative options have been thoroughly exploited. "Win-Win" has its roots
in Economics Game Theory. (Win-Win Negotiation)

Winners Curse: Occurs when an under aspiring negotiator sets their target or aspirations (goals or objectives) too
low at the outset of a negotiation and is granted an immediate agreement by their negotiating counterpart.
(Winners Curse)

ZOPA: An acronym which means Zone of Possible Agreement. It is the range or area in which an agreement is
satisfactory to both parties involved in the negotiation process. Often referred to as the "Contracting Zone". ZOPA
or the Contracting Zone is essentially the range between each parties real base or bottom lines, and is the overlap
area in the low and high range that each party is willing to pay or find acceptable in a negotiation. (ZOPA)

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