Modern Whig Party of America Whig Academy Leadership Course Lesson 17: Coaching and Mentoring

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................... 3 In this Lesson................................................................................................................................ 3 Coaching and Mentoring: What is Coaching?............................................................................ 3 Coaching and Mentoring: What is Mentoring?........................................................................... 3 Coaching: Characteristics of a Good Coach .............................................................................. 3 Coaching: Attributes of a Good Coach ....................................................................................... 4 Coaching: The Process................................................................................................................. 4 Coaching: Qualities Required for Good Coaching .................................................................... 4 Coaching: Principles Followed by Coaches............................................................................... 5 Mentoring: Overview ..................................................................................................................... 5 Mentoring: Becoming a Mentor.................................................................................................... 6 Mentoring: Tools for Mentoring ................................................................................................... 6 Mentoring: Qualities Developed with Help of a Mentor ............................................................. 6 Qualities Developed with Help of a Mentor: Wisdom and Judgment....................................... 6 Qualities Developed with Help of a Mentor: Resilience and Independence............................ 7 Mentoring: When Choosing a Mentor.......................................................................................... 7 Suggestions for Coaches and Mentors....................................................................................... 7 Providing Feedback ...................................................................................................................... 7 Providing Feedback: The Feedback Planner Overview........................................................... 7 Providing Feedback: The Feedback Planner............................................................................ 8 Providing Feedback: How to Use the Feedback Planner ........................................................ 8 Providing Feedback: How to Use the Feedback Planner Giving Positive Behavior Feedback ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Providing Feedback: How to Use the Feedback Planner Giving Positive Behavior Feedback ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Providing Feedback: How to Use the Feedback Planner Giving Negative Behavior Feedback ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Review Exercises ........................................................................................................................ 10 Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 10

Introduction
Welcome to the lesson Coaching and Mentoring. As a leader you may find yourself in situations where you could be fulfilling the roles of a coach and/or a mentor. The essence of coaching and mentoring is getting others to do for themselves, to solve their own problems and to become more independent. Being a coach or mentor is an important responsibility that can develop suddenly or slowly over time with a variety of people. In these roles, many people will look to you for guidance. In this lesson we will explore coaching and mentoring.

In this Lesson
This lesson explains the difference between coaching and mentoring, characteristics and attributes of a good coach, the coaching process, coaching principles, becoming a mentor, tools for mentoring, qualities of a good mentor, and how to provide constructive feedback. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: Differentiate between the roles of coach and mentor. Identify skills and techniques to be a productive coach or mentor. Use the Feedback Planner to provide effective feedback.

Coaching and Mentoring: What is Coaching?

Coaching is the art of improving the performance of others. A coach can close the gap between an individuals current level of performance and the desired one. This can happen during one coaching session or multiple sessions over a long period of time. Coaching is direct in that the coach and the person being coached work together to develop specific skills and to accomplish certain goals. Coaching can be used whenever you want to improve someones performance or increase their motivational level.

Coaching and Mentoring: What is Mentoring?

Now let's look at mentoring. Mentoring is teaching, sponsoring, and counseling to a group of one. A mentor lends support in many different ways to someone pursuing specific goals. A mentor assists an individual in making significant transitions in knowledge, work, or thinking. Mentoring enables an individual to follow in the path of an older and wiser person who can pass on their knowledge and experience. Both mentors and coaches want their followers to solve problems, make decisions, and set plans at their own levels.

Coaching: Characteristics of a Good Coach

Good coaches have many characteristics. Here are only a few examples: Teaches those with less knowledge and experience. Tells others what to do and then let them do it. Offers skills and tools for others to be independent and successful. Works with the individual to correct problems as they arise. Knows the job and the people doing the job. Asks questions instead of providing answers and focuses on the positive. Makes others believe in themselves and their abilities. Acts with confidence and persistence. Brings positive energy to every encounter.

Coaching: Attributes of a Good Coach

Successful coaches also have many positive attributes. Here are a few examples: Positive and Enthusiastic. Supportive and Trusting. Focused and Goal-oriented. Knowledgeable and Observant. Respectful and Patient. Clear and Assertive. There are several things that a coach needs to keep in mind in order to have a prosperous relationship. Lets look at some steps that will get the coach and the coachee (person the coach is training), started on their journey together.

Coaching: The Process

Being a coach is a significant step and a serious commitment. It involves truly helping people find their own direction and solutions. As a coach you need to have a strong belief in yourself, a strong determination to do the best you can for others, and a belief that people are inherently capable of reaching goals themselves. These six steps outline a cycle that assists the coach and coachee in accomplishing goals they mutually agreed upon. Six Steps 1. The coach and coachee agree what the performance goals are and what the coachee wants to achieve. 2. The discussion revolves around the current abilities and skills of the coachee and what needs to be done to get to the next level. 3. The coach and coachee explore the different options that can be taken to achieve the goal(s). 4. Together the coach and coachee decide on a course of action and the coachee makes a commitment to work with the agreed upon plan. 5. The coachee begins to work on the goal, and the coach provides support and guidance as needed. 6. The coach and coachee meet and consider what has been learned. They review the lessons learned, and what can be built upon for further achievement.

Coaching: Qualities Required for Good Coaching

Now lets review the qualities that are required for good coaching. Remember these qualities the next time you find yourself coaching others. Listening Communicating Rapport building Motivation and inspiring Curiosity, flexibility, and courage Listening is more important than talking. By listening, you can help others to overcome their fears, offer complete objectivity, and give undivided attention. Communicating Coaching is a two-way process. By communicating well you can establish trust and meaningful understanding on both sides Rapport building rapport stems from the desire to help others. It is vital for all coaches. Motivating and Motivating and inspiring others are an essential part of being a coach. When inspiring others receive attention and personal investment from a coach, it can inspire others to try their best. Curiosity, flexibility, Recognizing that everyone is different and has different needs is an essential and courage part of being a coach. Coaching relationships do not follow a single set formula.

Coaching: Principles Followed by Coaches

Take a moment to review the principles required for good coaching. Some examples include: Listening is more important than talking. People's motivations must be understood. Everyone is capable of achieving more. A person's past is no indication of his or her future. People's beliefs about what is possible for themselves are their only limits. A coach must always provide full support. Coaches do not provide the answers. Coaching does not include criticizing people. All coaching is completely confidential. Some people's needs cannot be met by coaching and coaches should recognize individuals with these needs.

Mentoring: Overview
Mentors challenge and develop others to think and do for themselves and grow in their capabilities. A mentor is a person who lends support in many different ways to another person who is pursuing specific goals. A mentee is the recipient of this knowledge, experience and training. A mentor can offer much to a mentee. Here are a few examples: Role Model Teacher Companion Support Resource Empowerer Role Model Provides a model for civil and appropriate behavior and attitudes. Portrays a person that a mentee admires or wants to be like. Has qualities/values that the mentee desires for self. Teacher Helps the mentee acquire knowledge, information or skills. Shows the mentee how to do things. Participates with the mentee in learning new things. Companion Enjoys doing things with the mentee. Shares interests and experiences with the mentee. Spends time talking with and listening to the mentee. Support Boosts the mentees self-esteem. Conveys warm caring about the mentee as a person. Gives support to a mentee's efforts. Listens to the mentee's ideas and concerns. Expresses belief in the mentee's abilities. Resource Provides opportunities to try new things. Introduces the mentee to new people, places, interests, or ideas. Encourages the mentee to approach other people as resources. Suggests new sources of information. Empowerer Enables, authorizes, or gives power to others. Encourages others to take responsibility and learn to act independently. Looks for meaningful challenges and sets the bar a little higher each time.

Mentoring: Becoming a Mentor

When you are considering whether to become a mentor, think about the following: 1. Why you want to be a mentor and your motivation for becoming a mentor. 2. What influence, skills, knowledge, and other contributions you can offer to this person. 3. Your needs, expectations, and limits for your mentor/mentee relationship. Determine what you would like to happen and how far are you willing to go. Becoming a mentor is a serious commitment and should not be taken lightly.

Mentoring: Tools for Mentoring

There are two sets of tools for mentoring: sharing (offering insights and observations) and challenging (encouraging one to think for themselves). Both sets of tools stimulate thinking and guide individual development and performance. Sharing Challenging A mentor's knowledge, experience, tenacity and skills offer guidance, advice and training to the mentee. Click on each item to examine the tools that a mentor can use to help the mentee in more detail. Sharing Sharing knowledge and experience. Sharing observations and invite self reflection. Providing suggestions and advice. Stimulate thought and encourage two-way conversation. Giving the big picture. Sharing messages and imparting pearls of wisdom and performance expectations. Challenging Tutoring with questions, rather than giving answers. Asking for plans and letting others to take the lead. Asking for decisions and recommendations. Giving challenging assignments and providing support/follow up, when necessary.

Mentoring: Qualities Developed with Help of a Mentor

Although a mentor can guide a mentee in the right direction, mentees must still rely upon themselves to succeed. A mentors principle purpose is to help their mentees develop the qualities they need to attain goals and eventually, become independent. Mentors help develop these qualities with their mentees: Wisdom. Judgment. Resilience. Independence. Let's discuss each of these qualities that need development in more detail.

Qualities Developed with Help of a Mentor: Wisdom and Judgment

Mentors can help their mentees develop wisdom and judgment so that they are able to attain goals and personal growth. Wisdom Developing wisdom means learning how the system works. Every organization has rules (spoken and unspoken) that insider's know. By sharing what he/she has learned from experience, a mentor provides the mentee with an important perspective by pointing out the imaginary lines one should not cross. Judgment Judgment means understanding the consequences of decisions and actions. A mentor, with objectivity and perspective, can help a mentee understand the long-term impact of his or her

choices. Together, they can explore the consequences of decisions before they are made.

Qualities Developed with Help of a Mentor: Resilience and Independence

Helping your mentee develop resilience and independence will also help your mentees progress in their personal growth. Resilience Resilience is learning from mistakes and coming back with renewed confidence, strength and determination. By sharing stories of his/her mistakes, the mentor helps the mentee recognize the road to achievement rarely comes without challenges or even failures. Independence Independence occurs when one is ready to accept increasing challenges and reasonable risks. By pointing out the mentees achievements, a mentor supports efforts to become self-reliant.

Mentoring: When Choosing a Mentor

If you are thinking about finding a mentor, it's important to find the mentor who is right for you. Here are a few pointers: Look for someone who has knowledge and business experience in areas you don't. Make sure the mentor you choose wishes to be a mentor. A mentoring relationship requires consent by both parties. Look for what you can offer the mentor - make the relationship mutually beneficial. If you are thinking about entering a mentoring relationship as a mentee, be sure that you are willing you are to accept someone elses guidance.

Suggestions for Coaches and Mentors

The Suggestions for Coaches and Mentors document sums up the important relationship that coaches and mentors have with their coachee's and mentees. Use these suggestions to help you when you decide to be a coach or mentor. Click the link to read the Suggestions for Coaches and Mentors.

Providing Feedback
One important aspect of coaching and mentoring is to provide effective and constructive feedback to the coachee and mentee. You should always provide feedback along the way to let the coachee and mentee know how he or she is performing. Click on each type of feedback to review the differences between constructive feedback and praise and criticism so that the next time you are giving feedback you can give constructive feedback. Constructive Feedback Praise and Criticism Constructive Is information-specific, issue-focused, and based on observations; positive Feedback is input about an effort well done and negative feedback is to give improvement. Praise and Are personal judgments about a performance effort or outcome praise is Criticism favorable (good job) and criticism is unfavorable and is generally vague, focused on the person, and based on opinions and feelings.

Providing Feedback: The Feedback Planner Overview

Use the Feedback Planner (developed by Paul Jerome) as a tool for providing meaningful and constructive feedback. If properly used, the Feedback Planner can enhance key interpersonal skills, improve individual performance, and promote continuous improvement. Using the Feedback Planner can neutralize problems by laying a foundation for action instead of assigning blame. The purpose of the Feedback Planner is to help you collect and analyze your thoughts prior to

discussing them with your coachee or mentee. Use the Feedback Planner for giving feedback in your future feedback sessions.

Providing Feedback: The Feedback Planner

The first thing to note about the Feedback Planner is that you will complete each quadrant in a counter-clockwise manner. Quadrant #1 Describe the current behavior about which you are providing feedback. Be specific in your description repeating what was actually said or done. It is important to build agreement and understanding. Quadrant #2 Give specific examples of when the behavior occurred. Identify the exact situations and what the circumstances were surrounding the behavior. Give the feedback in a timely way. Quadrant #3 Describe the impact and consequences of the behavior. This is the crux of the Feedback Planner. This information spurs behavior change, justifies and sells the need for change. Quadrant #4 Suggest alternative behaviors for the next time. This is your chance to mutually generate creative options. This is where problems and undesirable behavior are creatively solved and where the benefits of desirable behavior are reinforced and capitalized. Dont impose solutions!

Providing Feedback: How to Use the Feedback Planner

Using the Feedback Planner is a logical process. Review each step and then we will go though the process with examples. Step #1: Collect your initial thoughts about the persons behavior and the situation. Complete the boxes on the Feedback Planner. Just jot down your ideas. There is no need to fill them out in any particular order. Step #2: Look to see if there are any holes in what you have written. Make sure you have captured the essence of what has happened. Look at the quality of what you have written. Cross out anything that really wont add to the feedback session. Step #3: Review your notes and organize your thoughts. Plan what you are going to say for the face-to-face session.

Providing Feedback: How to Use the Feedback Planner Giving Positive Behavior Feedback
Using the Feedback Planner, lets look at an example of giving feedback for a positive behavior. Read the scenario below and then take a moment to think about how you would complete each section of the feedback planner. A Positive Behavior Example: Ann served as the Operations Center chief for the communitys AFAP conference. You have been coaching Ann because you have 15 years of AFAP experience. Ann did a superb job: registration was very organized, the system established in the office for the flow of issue paper drafts/finals and brief-out slides ran smoothly, and there was accountability and certificate accuracy.

Providing Feedback: How to Use the Feedback Planner Giving Positive Behavior Feedback
Using the Feedback Planner and the example we just heard, let's look at how to give feedback for a positive behavior. Using the Feedback Planner prior to giving feedback will help you prepare and make you feel comfortable giving feedback. Quadrant #1 Describe Current Behaviors Describe the current behaviors that you want to reinforce or redirect to improve a situation.

Ann, I want to talk to you about your outstanding performance as the coordinator for the recent MWP conference. Quadrant #2 Identify Situations Identify the specific situations where you observed the behavior. I know you put a lot of your own time and effort into ensuring the office ran smoothly during the conference. Everything was very well organized: Delegate packets for registration were filled with appropriate items. Your system for the flow of draft/final issue papers was easy to follow. Brief-out slides were turned in on time. You had full equipment accountability. All the certificates were accurate. Quadrant #3 Describe Impact and Consequences Describe the impact and consequences of the current behavior. Delegates and Facilitators/Recorders were checked into the conference quickly and were pleased with the registration system. The issue paper turn-in system kept things moving from reviewers back to the work groups. The recorders were pleased with the availability of computers, especially after hours. The accuracy of the certificates made the closing ceremony run smoothly. Quadrant #4 Identify Alternative Behaviors Identify alternative behaviors and actions for you, the volunteer, and others to take. Your organizational skills were noticed by others associated with the conference. Can I help open other doors of opportunity for you to show off your talents?

Providing Feedback: How to Use the Feedback Planner Giving Negative Behavior Feedback
Now let's look at an example of using the Feedback Planner to give feedback for a negative behavior. Hopefully, by using the Feedback Planner you will become more comfortable in giving feedback. Quadrant #1 Describe Current Behaviors Describe the current behaviors that you want to reinforce or redirect to improve a situation. Sally, I have some concerns about your attire at the community forum. Id like to talk to you about it. Quadrant #2 Identify Situations Identify the specific situations where you observed the behavior. You wore old jeans and a faded, stained sweatshirt to the forum today. The forum is a place where community leaders represent their organization and you were representing MWP today. Did you notice how others were dressed? In more business casual type of clothing. Quadrant #3 Describe Impact and Consequences Describe the impact and consequences of the current behavior. Your manner of dress could be perceived as unprofessional and unacceptable in this setting. You may not have been taken seriously when you talked about MWP. You may have given the wrong impression about the MWP program. In the classroom you are asked to dress professionally and this is no different. Quadrant #4 Identify Alternative Behaviors Identify alternative behaviors and actions for you, the volunteer, and others

to take. Think about what type of activity you are attending and dress appropriately be more business casual (pants and top, jacket, skirt).

Review Exercises
1. What is coaching? a. Teaching, sponsoring, and counseling a group of one. b. Enabling an individual to follow in the path of an older and wiser person. c. Improving the performance of others. d. Being a friend and companion. 2. For every goal, how many stages are there from goal to completion? a. Four. b. Five. c. Six. d. Seven. 3. What does a mentor offer a "mentee? Bold all that apply. a. A role model and teacher. b. Companionship and support. c. A person to mold and free labor. d. A resource and Empowerer. 4. What important qualities can be developed with the help of a mentor? a. Wisdom and judgment. b. Knowledge and intelligence. c. Business experience and instinct. d. Sharing and caring.

5. What type of feedback should a leader provide? a. Praise filled. b. Critical. c. Constructive. d. Immediate.

Summary
Congratulations! This completes the lesson Coaching and Mentoring. In this lesson, you learned the difference between coaching and mentoring, characteristics and attributes of a good coach, the coaching process, coaching principles, becoming a mentor, tools for mentoring, qualities of a good mentor, and how to provide constructive feedback. Becoming a coach or a mentor is a significant way to develop experience, character, and humanity and to add a rewarding new perspective to one's own journey in life. It is equally or more important to provide constant performance feedback to the coachee and mentee. You should now be able to: Differentiate between the roles of coach and mentor. Identify skills and techniques to be a productive coach or mentor. Use the Feedback Planner to provide effective feedback.

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