In the business world the skills of coaching are more and more valued for increasing capacity. In this article Don MacNaughton looks at how you can use a coaching mindset to get the most out of your team.

1. business
THE COACHING MANAGER
People Centered… Outcome Driven… Performance Focused
”No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings”
William Blake
which in turn has a positive knock-on effect Listening is different from waiting your turn
for the business. More and more coaching is to speak! Coaches listen at many different
being seen as the vital tool which is needed levels to what is said. What is not said
to make this happen. The realization that a allows you to develop a clearer picture of
goal or solution when given to you by your clients situation. The next time you
somebody else will seldom be as powerful have a conversation with a friend, be still
as a goal or solution you discover for and listen, don’t rush to fill every quiet
yourself, because ownership increases your moment.
commitment to making it happen is
changing the face of leadership within the Curiosity and Questions
workplace. Creating an environment that
WORDS I DONALD MACNAUGHTON encourages innovation, the sharing of ideas
“The important thing is not to stop
and a zone of confidence is key to a
questioning. Curiosity has its own
successful, thriving business.
tanding at the bottom of a snow reason for existing”
S covered hill in Lofer, Austria, I was
working with the GB Alpine ski team; it was
Developing Rapport
Albert Einstein
the 17th of January 2006. The team were Develop an intense curiosity about people
training for the next set of competitive races “People don’t care how much you know and their world. This will guide you to ask
and my role was to assist them on the until they know how much you care” questions about their strengths, hopes, and
psychological aspects of their performance, Zig Ziglar challenges. Practice asking questions like
in order to help them compete to the peak “How do you do that? What would that get
of their ability. I became aware that a man Think of someone in whose company you you? Where’s your next challenge?”
was standing by my shoulder. I recognized feel comfortable. What is it about that
him from earlier when I had noticed he was person that allows you to relax and be As I moved away from the hill, I thought
keenly observing us. He asked me what I yourself? This is very important for a coach, about the power of people finding their
was doing, I told him that we were working having the ability to put someone at ease own answers to their performance
on developing their competitive mental allows you both to safely explore the challenges. Through having the courage to
skills ability. “I ask them questions which opportunities and challenges ahead. When coach in the appropriate situations you
focuses their mind,” I replied. Asking people are relaxed in one another’s enable others to find their own answers and
powerful questions is one of the keys to company they almost seem to move as one, solutions, and in turn helping them to grow
effective coaching. In this article we will matching and mirroring each others’ a great team. In today’s turbulent times self-
explore some of the key pillars to effective movements. Rapport building is a skill some reliant innovative and resourceful team
of business coaching. people seem to find easy, the “natural players can be the lifeblood of a growing
networkers;” but we can all learn simple organization allowing them not to just
body language techniques to develop our survive but thrive and prosper. I
With the credit crunch affecting many
rapport skills.
aspects of business, savvy owners and
The next time you go to a restaurant watch
employers recognize the value of having a
people. Study their movements, how their
really effective and efficient team; one
bodies relate to each other. What do you Donald MacNaughton is available for
which saves energy, time and money by
notice? consultation, coaching and workshops for
working together and seeking innovative
solutions to the problems faced by individuals and organisations.
companies around the world. Coaching Listening Skills email: donald@zonedinperformance.com
offers leaders and managers a different, www.zonedinperformance.com
powerful and flexible tool which can help “When people listen, listen completely.
members of their team to grow and Most people never listen”
develop both personally and professionally Ernest Hemingway
22 the north magazine