Coaching
We coach the whole person
What is coaching?
Coaching is a partnership that enables people to go farther, faster towards their goals than they would have on their own. It supports good performers to become great ones in less time. At the senior-most levels in organizations it is regarded as a critical tool in providing executives with an objective, confidential outside ear as well as the support to create and sustain changes in behavior, productivity and teamwork. It is results-focused and action based, using the present as its starting point. It’s an investment that pays off in:
- Increased productivity over a shorter period of time
- Faster progress in terms of developmental goals
- Greatly flattened learning curves
JDA provides the following coaching services:
For senior leaders who, like Olympic athletes, want to reach and/or sustain peak performance.
One-on-one customized training and follow up coaching for skill integration and implementation.
Coaching to hone team process and facilitate better, faster problem solving and decision making.
Senior level managers have unique and compelling needs that are well served by JDA’s executive coaching format. Our experienced executive coaches know that these leaders are looking for someone they can trust who will challenge them, be direct with them and help them raise the bar in terms of their goals, development and the overall success of their organization.
What do executives use a coach for?
- They are interested in participating in a 360 assessment process, or their organization wishes them to
- They already have the results of an assessment or a variety of assessments their organization uses, and want to work with a coach on implementing changes as a result of the feedback they have received
- They have a specific goal, project, issue or developmental area in mind and want to work with a coach to insure a steady focus on key actions and results, generally within a specific timeline
What is the JDA executive coaching process?
Assess: Depending on the situation we can either:
- Provide the appropriate assessment tools, then debrief the results, assist with a developmental plan, and coach, and/or
- Interview the individual’s direct reports, peers and manager to help them come to an honest assessment of their performance in key areas, or
- In the case of specific goals, issues or projects, we have the individual “start with the end in mind”—what does success look like?—and develop a plan from there.
Plan: With the coach’s help, the client drafts a coaching plan that includes specific outcomes, target dates and action steps. If appropriate or necessary, their manager and/or HR contributes input and gives final approval.
Coach: The client participates in a series of one-on-one coaching conversations with the coach, either on the phone, face-to-face or a combination of both. Client and coach focus on the client’s goals through actions taken by the client as defined in the coaching plan. Our coaches can also shadow the client on a regular basis as needed in order to observe them in their natural environment and provide an objective point of view on the client’s behavior.
Throughout the process our coaches can provide your organization with objective feedback and honest impressions as warranted and as agreed to with the client. Additionally, we monitor improvement by eliciting feedback from management, peers and direct reports.
Coaching for skill development is a specialty of JDA, a combination of one-on-one training in management skills and then coaching for implementation.
Why do organizations utilize this kind of coaching?
We find that while there may be no question that a manager is technically capable or talented, there can be gaps in his/her ability to effectively handle the people side of their job. They often need a basic grounding in critical management skills: performance management, getting performance agreements, giving feedback, conflict management, handling difficult conversations and coaching, among others.
In addition, some managers’ learning styles are more suited to a one-on-one session than a classroom setting. Rather than being in a larger workshop, this approach allows the training and coaching to be focused on the specific learning style and needs of the manager.
What’s involved?
The process involves three steps:
Assess: Either interviews, a 360 or other assessment, or a combination of both will be used to pinpoint gaps in a person’s skills or ability to handle common management situations. This then allows us to design a training session customized to the individual’s needs.
Plan: In a 1 ½ day session either at JDA’s offices or at the person’s place of business, we:
- Debrief the assessment(s)/interviews
- Design a developmental plan based on integrating and utilizing the skills
- Train the person one-on-one in the indicated skills
Coach: Over a 4-month period we work with the person to implement their developmental plan by integrating the skills they’ve learned into their daily life as a manager, and practicing them on an ongoing basis. Coaching occurs utilizing phone calls, face-to-face meetings or a combination of both.
We are discovering in our teambuilding practice that teams not only need a thorough grounding in team principles, they often need skill training and coaching as well. Teams benefit from coaching in a variety of ways:
- Integrating and practicing what they’ve learned about how to be a team
- Developing efficient and effective ways of working, particularly on larger teams
- Making better decisions and solving problems more quickly
What do teams use a coach for?
Teams generally use a coach for the following:
- To monitor and improve team process: how the work of the team gets done
- To bring behaviors, issues and “stepovers” to the team’s attention
- To provide feedback to individuals and the team as a whole regarding their/its performance
- To foster an environment of trust and collaboration
- To help them ask the right questions at the right time
- To help them clarify and reinforce roles and responsibilities
What is the JDA team coaching process?
Assess: We interview team leaders and team members and observe the team at work. Depending on whether the team is newly forming or has been intact for a while, and what stage it appears to be in (forming, storming, norming, performing), we may use additional assessments to help determine areas of opportunity.
Plan: We share the data with the team and together design a coaching plan and schedule that targets specific areas of development, again taking into consideration the stage of development the team is in and whatever immediate needs there might be.
Coach: The coach is present at specific team meetings over a period of months, coaching the team as whole and the leader(s) on an individual basis.