Lens 1 - Coach Intuition/ Experience
When you have been coaching for a while, you learn not to just hit every person with the same coaching process or approach. Sure, you have a few favourite ‘go to’ things you try to maximise the chances of engagement but, we also must trust the gut. The privilege of coaching people for a long time teaches you a sixth sense to sometimes just know if someone is up for it, or not! …It is a bit like a Teenager’s eye roll - but less visible!
How do you do that? Relax, be present, agile and emergent. You are a human first and foremost. If you met this person in another environment and they were not engaging with you (in all the normal ways) what would you do? You might take a bit of a longer route. You might set yourself the challenge, ‘whoa, this one’s a tough nut to crack! How can I get this person to open up a bit…what is going on here…?’
In Gestalt training, we believe everything said or unsaid means something…nothing is accidental - even if not conscious. The reschedule. The late arrival. The ‘power’ body language. The gaps in replies. The use of words. Talk ratios. Long winded coachee stories, ostensibly unrelated to our topic but, can be symbolic representations of what is going on.
Of course, we must be careful not to read too much into things. That is where our curious, tried and test questions come in. The way we use questions to hold up a mirror to our potential coachees. Reflective phrases have often saved my skin, ‘I have noticed that…I am wondering if…I am curious about…’
Lens 2 - Helpful Research
If you had a room full of coaching research and you threw a stick in there, you would hit something by Grant! Grant (2001) research on ‘coaching readiness’ was a game changer for me. It helps you to think about an individual's preparedness to engage in the process of coaching. This can be broken down into stuff going on inside the potential coachee and things going on outside.
Goal Clarity:
Individuals who have a clear understanding of what they want to achieve through coaching are more likely to benefit. Clear goals provide direction and motivation, making the coaching sessions more focused and productive. Without goals it is a bit like getting into a taxi and saying, ‘surprise me!’ Be on the lookout for woolly goals.
Self-Efficacy:
Self-efficacy, or the belief in one's ability to achieve specific goals, is another crucial factor. (Bandura, 1999). Individuals with higher levels of self-efficacy are more likely to engage actively in coaching. When you ask them the likelihood of achieving their goals, what do you get? A ‘meh’ or ‘YES!’
Intrinsic Motivation:
The inner drive to engage in coaching for personal and professional growth, is essential. These individuals are more likely to be committed to the coaching process and put in the necessary effort to achieve their goals. Did they volunteer or were they voluntold?! This doesn’t prevent coaching; it just means the coach has their work cut for them.
Openness to Change:
A willingness to change and adapt is vital for effective coaching. Grant's research suggests that individuals who are open to feedback and ready to make changes in their behaviour and attitudes show higher coaching readiness. Try offering them some early feedback and see whether they embrace or rebuff it.
Trust and Rapport with the Coach:
The quality of the relationship between the coach and the coachee is crucial. Rapport and trust are the foundation stones that determine how comfortable and open the coachee will be during the coaching sessions. Without rapport, there is no trust and without trust, there is no coaching. Do you feel like you have rapport? How do you test it?
Relevance and Timing:
The timing of the coaching intervention can significantly impact its effectiveness. Grant found that coaching readiness is higher when the intervention is timely and just in time for their current situation. Try doing some digging around their current context.
Let’s not forget…
The level of support provided by their organisation plays a significant role in coaching readiness. When organisations endorse and support coaching initiatives, it can make or break the coaching. This means providing resources, time, and the right environment for coaching. Ask them what support they are getting from their line manager and what will they do to make sure they can commit.
Practical Tools:
There are a number of assessment tools that you can use to assess readiness to be coached. However, spending a good chunk of time engaging, listening, being curious and finding your ‘way in’ is always time well spent and should be enough. Some coachees like an assessment of some sort as it feels a bit more professional – to them. You are also 50% of this dynamic and if you are not feeling it, that is important too. At the end of the day, time with a coach can be tremendously rewarding, even life changing – but only if they are ready.
Paul is a Senior Consultant with Gateley Transform and has been a coach since 1999. A senior practitioner with a Masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, an EMCC UK and a member of ABP. He is an author of four Management Pocketbooks and has contributed to Fenman’s ‘Coach the Coach’ series and CIPD ‘Toolkits.’
