LearnaBytes

This activity is part of a virtual training or virtual instructor-led training course titled, How To Have a Coaching Conversation, for team leaders.

WHAT IS A COACHING CONVERSATION?

• Display the slide titled – WHAT IS A COACHING CONVERSATION?

• The slide displays the question, what is a coaching conversation?
• Tell the participants to write their answers in the chat window. Give them 3-minutes to do that.
• As they write their answers, read them out and acknowledge each participant who has written an answer by name.
• After 3-minutes, thank them for their definitions and direct each person to the section in their workbook titled – WHAT IS A COACHING CONVERSATION?
• Below is the information in the workbook that the participants will read.

A coaching conversation is a shift from telling, problem solving and giving advice, to enabling the other person to have ownership of their challenges and take responsibility for their actions.

It involves taking an ‘ask’ approach, by listening and asking questions to enable others find their own solutions.

There are times to direct or give answers, but coaching conversations are about the other person’s learning – not your opinion or expertise.

• Allow them to read the definition there for about 2-minutes and then say that:
  • This definition implies guiding someone through questioning and listening to take responsibility for their own challenges and work out their own solutions as opposed to you being the one helping them to solve it.
  • It is about asking and listening rather than telling and suggesting.
  • Coaching conversations are about empowering people to believe in their own abilities and solutions rather than depend on you to tell them what to do.
• Also tell them that:
  • You don’t have to be a qualified coach to use a coaching style in conversations.
  • And it is important to know when and when not to use a coaching style, so let’s discuss that next.

The next section in the course explores when and when not to use coaching conversations.

If you are interested in the full course resource which consists of a facilitators guide, presentation and participant workbook, click here.