LSM584: Coaching Skills for Leaders

Cornell University ILR School

“Coaching Skills for Leaders” Course Project

Part One: Explore Coaching
In this module, you explored the critical characteristics of coaching, as well as how it
functions both in a one-on-one relationship and within an organizational structure.

Instructions:

Use the coaching journal here to make notes regarding your goals for coaching. For
the purposes of this course, it may be helpful to focus your efforts on one person with
one specific coaching need.

If you have not been invited to formally coach someone within the workplace, you may
choose to discuss with your manager how, and with whom, you might practice your
coaching skills. If you are not currently in a workplace in which there are coaching
opportunities available, you may choose to practice with a willing friend.

Coaching Journal

How does coaching typically take place Notes:

within your organization?
(If you are not sure, this might be an area
in which you want to seek guidance from
managers or other leaders.)

Describe your previous experience with Notes:

coaching. How have you tried to help
another person as a coach? What were
your results in that case?

In what aspects of coaching do you hope Notes:

to improve?

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 LSM584: Coaching Skills for Leaders
Cornell University ILR School

Some coaches fall back into their role as a Notes:

traditional supervisor and miss coaching
opportunities. What are your ideas for
mitigating this risk?

How do you see the coaching Notes:

conversation as different from any other
work conversation? Draw on the material
presented in this course to inform your
answer.

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 LSM584: Coaching Skills for Leaders
Cornell University ILR School

Part Two: Develop Your Coaching Skills

Now you will begin practicing your coaching skills. Use this worksheet before, during,
and after a coaching session to plan your efforts and document your results.

Coaching Skills Practice

Reflect on the goal of the person you’re Notes:

coaching, and outline the way you will
approach this coaching effort. Which of
the five coaching roles will you take on?
 The facilitator
 The advisor
 The cheerleader
 The educator
 The sponsor

What do you plan to do to establish trust? Notes:

In making your plans for your coaching Notes:

session, remember to use the steps of
proactive listening: listen with curiosity;
taking in what you hear; and reflecting
back with accuracy.

Follow up:
After your first coaching session is
complete, note your results. How were
you able to incorporate these three steps?

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 LSM584: Coaching Skills for Leaders
Cornell University ILR School

Consider using this series of self-reflective Notes:

questions presented in the course as a
foundation for your coaching conversation:
1. What do you want to achieve in your
career? Where do you see your career
going?

2. Where do you want to be with your job Notes:

in six months? In a year?

3. What makes your job difficult or Notes:

uncomfortable?

4. How can you improve your workplace Notes:

relationships?

5. What skills do you want to work on Notes:

improving?

6. What arguments can you make for and Notes:

against your idea?

7. Is this worth your effort? Notes:

8. What do you have to lose? Notes:

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 LSM584: Coaching Skills for Leaders
Cornell University ILR School

Follow up:

What were the results of your coaching

session? What would you do differently
next time?

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 LSM584: Coaching Skills for Leaders
Cornell University ILR School

Part Three: Listen Like a Coach

In this module, you identified some tips for coaching success, as well as some of the
common mistakes that make coaches often make.

Instructions:

 Use the worksheet below as a guided reflection on your initial coaching session.
 Note what worked well for you and what you might do differently next time.

Reflections Your Notes

What worked well? What were you
pleased with?

What response did you get from the

person you were coaching?

How effectively were you able to map

goals to the four arenas?

What obstacles or blockers did you

encounter from the other person during
your coaching effort?

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 LSM584: Coaching Skills for Leaders
Cornell University ILR School

Common Mistakes Your Experience

Coaches sometimes think they Did you find yourself making this mistake in
understand the problem. They don't your coaching practice this time?
take the time to listen; they jump to If so, what will you do differently next time?
conclusions and try to solve the wrong
problem.

Many leaders, experts in their fields or Did you find yourself making this mistake in
job roles, have a tendency to solve a your coaching practice this time?
problem for them rather than pushing If so, what will you do differently next time?
them to come up with solutions.

Coaches tend to make things about Did you find yourself making this mistake in
themselves; they want to share their your coaching practice this time?
experience. If so, what will you do differently next time?

Coaches sometimes set an Did you find yourself making this mistake in
expectation that the movement forward your coaching practice this time?
will be symmetrical, linear, and always If so, what will you do differently next time?
lead to progress.

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 LSM584: Coaching Skills for Leaders
Cornell University ILR School

Part Four: Navigate Goals and Obstacles

In this module, you identified some of the ways that coaches can help people with their
goals and obstacles. Use this worksheet before, during, and after a coaching session
to plan your efforts and document your results.

Goals and Obstacles Notes

Consider the four arenas: career,
political, interpersonal, and job.

Which of these four arenas is most

interesting to you in terms of
coaching? Explain your thinking.

Identify one short-term goal that the

person you’ve chosen to work with
wants to pursue.

What questions did you ask about this

goal?

Identify one long-term goal that the

person you’ve chosen to work with
wants to pursue.

How can you help make sure the

person has set some attainable long-
terms goals?

Reflect on the strategies presented in

this course regarding overcoming
obstacles. Which do you think are
most helpful? Which will you use?
Share your thinking.

To submit this assignment, please refer to the instructions in the course.

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