Coaching Skills

Course Aim

To equip managers, team leaders and internal coaches with the skills, knowledge and confidence to coach individual team members to improve their own performance and confidence.

Our coaching skills training gives participants the opportunity to practice the GROW model devised by Sir John Whitmore, based on successful coaching in the world of sport. In addition, it will also help raise self awareness in others and motivate and encourage self responsibility within those being coached.

Course Objectives

By the end of this one-day coaching skills course, the participants will have:

• Understood what coaching is, their role as coach and how it can contribute to maximising performance

• Defined ‘coaching’ and explained how it differs from training, mentoring and counselling

• Understood the GROW model and be able to adapt it to most coaching situations

• Used some coaching techniques in a range of situations

Course Overview

Defining coaching

• What is coaching?

• Differences between coaching and other development approaches

• Small group exercise

Role of a coach

• The role, skills and attributes of an effective coach

• Key principles of coaching

• Coaching as a motivational tool

• Identifying coaching opportunities

• Small group practical activity, pairs exercise and group discussion

Active and reflective listening skills

• Active listening

• Summarising, paraphrasing

• Reflecting back

• Practical exercises in pairs and trios with group discussion

Questioning techniques

• Different types of questions

• Use of open questions

• Identifying ways people learn

• Group discussion, presentation, question exercise, co-coaching exercise in pairs

Using the GROW model

• Summary of the G.R.O.W. model

• Examples of effective questions using the G.R.O.W. model

• Selecting your key questions

• Facilitator presentation, demonstration followed by group learning review, individual preparation

Coaching practice

• Coaching others

• Receiving coaching

• Observing coaching techniques in practice

• Practice sessions in trios with coach, coachee and observer

Setting stretching goals

• Getting the balance right with stretching goals

• Setting and challenging others with their goals

• Using other coaching models

• Group exercise with facilitated review and individual reflective exercise

Next Steps

• Review of learning and action planning

The coaching skills training will be supported with:

• an optional participant pre-course questionnaire and/or pre-course reading

• a colour printed workbook with tips, techniques and space for personal notes