Tag Archive for 'coaching tips'

Cutting through the Coaching Confusion in China with Warwick John Fahy

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Warwick
on August 9, 2010
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Coaching helps your talent emerge”

Understanding how to work with external coaches and develop your own internal coaching resources

Not long ago, saying “I’ve hired a coach”, meant a bus ride with friends. Not any more. With the explosion of the coaching industry both globally and in China over the past five years, when someone says “I’m a coach”, it doesn’t tell you what they do. Coaching has gone niche with life coaches, executive coaches, skill coaches, performance coaches, sales coaches and the list goes on. Coaching has also gone mass market and today numerous providers offer seminars, training workshops, accreditation courses and even coaching associations have popped up, to fill the demand for all things coaching.

While coaching as a process is undeniably a good thing (I have a coach), with a deluge of offerings, it’s hard not to become confused and cynical by the similar sounding pitches. Yes, we know that Tiger Woods has a coach and that’s great. But any decision requiring significant time and investment (coaching certifications run into the thousands of Euros), needs careful consideration. Let’s look at two perspectives in business coaching. First, hiring an external executive coach. Second, developing your own internal coaching resources.

The current strong demand for executive coaches will continue as companies seek to retain senior managers and help middle managers define career paths. While coaching occasionally comes tinged with a hint of “we’re going to fire this person, but see what you can do as a last-resort”, it tends on the whole to be positively viewed by most executives. Common areas an executive coach helps with include setting goals, overcoming obstacles, thinking bigger and from different perspectives, boosting self-confidence, increasing self awareness and supporting the coachee to take responsibility for their change.

External coaches

External coaches provide a fresh perspective free from company norms and internal politics. An experienced coach is a source of expertise with greater specialisation and understanding of best practices. Although all good coaches are objective, external coaches are regarded as more objective. When a CEO wishes to get ‘real’ feedback, he may prefer using an external coach as a sounding board.

When hiring an external coach, be specific on objectives or ask the coach to elicit them. Find a coach with industry experience in helping other clients reach similar objectives. Most successful coaches have high referral rates so examine their testimonials. Ask for a trial session before committing to the whole package, to check the rapport and respect between the coachee and coach. Often this is more important than the coach’s credentials and experience. Positive coaching relationships are about being honest and it takes time – especially in China - for the coachee to feel comfortable to resolve deeper challenges. Observe whether your coach is an active listener or if they do most of the talking. A good coach is an excellent listener and insightful questioner. Finally, consider their accreditation with international coaching organisations, like the ICF.

The downside of hiring external coaches is the extra investment. Senior executive coaching engagements cost tens of thousands of Euros per executive. Also, certain situations may require a deep in-house understanding – like joint ventures with state-owned enterprises. While theoretically, a good coach could manage the process, you may prefer to have someone with the specific inside know-how. Another obstacle is language and culture. Currently, expatriate executive coaches seem to outnumber local coaches, with experienced Mandarin-speaking coaches commanding a premium. This is changing rapidly as coaching becomes a more understood discipline and the number of local language accreditations continues to spread.

Internal coaches

As the coaching industry matures, focus has turned on developing internal coaches. There are a lot more managers in the world than consultants and every manager can benefit from understanding and using coaching as part of their toolkit. International companies lead this trend to develop internal coaching systems and as market offerings increase, more companies are expanding their in-house coaching resources.

But how should internal coaches be selected? Not everyone is a natural coach. Coaches need very strong listening skills, and an ability to be empathic with people. Does this sound like many managers in your organisation? This may suggest why HR are often the first people trained with coaching skills. While this is a good way to get things moving, ultimately, coaching will only become part of the corporate culture when top management embrace and advocate coaching. Start coaching C-level executives or identify a senior leader to sponsor the program and coach her directs. Good managers are coaching their people in some form already, so this isn’t an extra workload.

The next phase is to show busy managers the benefits of coaching. Certain managers may resist developing their people and prefer the directive approach. Also, team members may like being told what to do rather than have to find their own answers. The depth to which coaching will take hold will depend on how well engrained the corporate culture is on developing people. Everyone says people are their most important resource, but only the very best companies actually deliver on this promise. And secondly, it will depend on how well you formalise coaching into the management process - with executive support - and make coaching a part of every manager’s accountabilities and performance expectations.

These tips can help line managers adopt coaching. First, allow time to build relationships with your team before coaching them. Meet on a weekly basis to talk about their work projects and ask them what help they need to do their jobs better. Offer support, resources and give occasional feedback when asked. Don’t turn these meetings into a performance review. Keep it at the level of sincerely wishing to support your direct. After one to two months, identify an area that your direct needs to develop. Better yet, ask them what they would like to improve. This should be a 6-month project, so select an area that takes several months to improve. Examples include; to improve presentation skills, learn a new skill, or contribute to a ongoing project. Then, coach them in your weekly meetings – ensure that you are coaching and not telling. Gradually, as your direct starts to take responsibility for their development, identify areas that both benefit them and the company’s business goals. If your company has a very directive management style, this will take a long time to change so make small evolutionary steps rather than radical shifts.

Conclusion

While the coaching industry has a bubble feel at the moment and some people will feel underwhelmed by coaches they hire and some will get burned from paper-thin coaching accreditations, there is no doubt that business coaching is here to stay. When done well, it is a proven recipe to achieve higher levels of performance and awareness which translates into happier, more loyal and engaged employees. The coffee shops around China are set to continue to hum with the sound of coaching.


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Warwick John Fahy is an accredited coach and author of The One Minute Presenter. He works with CFOs to help them build executive presence and become more influential. Email him at Email Warwick

Know the rules - Some broken rules are going to ‘cost’ you

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on September 6, 2009
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Know the rulesThe English language is full of idioms on ‘bending rules’ and ‘breaking rules’. While American general Douglas McArthur said, ‘ You are remembered for the rules you break.’ While the rebel without a cause and the lone cowboy project strong images (archetypes), sometimes breaking the rules is going to cost you.  You have to be aware of which rules are contributing to your success.

In triathlon racing, the transition between getting off your bike and going out on the run is called T2 (transition 2).  Once you cross the line into the transition area, you dismount and run with your bike to your station where you park your bike and put on your runners. One rule I didn’t know was that you cannot even start to take off your helmet while you are running to your station. The penalty is 15 seconds.  This happened to me in a race and I was surprised and annoyed with myself.  It cost me time but more important in an endurance race it cost me energy - being annoyed for a few seconds is energy that needs to be channeled into the awaiting run.  In the same race, my team mate got stuck with the same penalty and that 15 seconds was the difference between her coming second and third!

As a frequent business traveler, I am always amazed as I go through security at how many people get caught up in the ‘emptying pockets’ section.  It’s a rule that you know you are going to have to keep. No getting around that one. So why not put your loose change, keys and phone in your carry-on bag before getting to security.  I have got it to the stage now that when I pass the metal detector, it doesn’t beep. I can move on without being “wanded” up and down. By knowing the rules of the game, I come prepared and sail through an area that causes a lot of stress for people.

Think about the things you do on a regular basis. Commuting, flying, or applying for visas. What rules of the game can’t you change?  I live in the suburbs of Shanghai and I know that if I go into the city in the morning I need to leave before 0645 to guarantee a smooth trip that doesn’t involve being stuck in a long line of traffic.  Or I can wait until 0930.  My stress levels are reduced greatly and this helps me maintain a higher level of performance. If you are getting stuck in a ‘trap’, think about ways to work with the rules of the game.

Have fun and like any game, enjoy the process!

Test the conditions - Experience the environment ahead of time

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on September 3, 2009
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Test the conditions ahead of time

How to get yourself ready for peak performance?  Laying the groundwork, being consistent, and visualizing the perfect outcomes all help. However,  what you do in the last day or two have the biggest impact. This is when you need to simulate your performance.

In triathlon racing, this means swimming in the lake, river or sea that the race will be held. Ideally at the time that your swim will start.  When I took part in a race in West China in August, the air temperature was very comfortable - dry and sunny. So it was a shock to jump into the lake and experience 19C water. It was freezing due to the high altitude and the fact that the water ran straight down from mountain glaciers!  It was essential that I prepare myself mentally and physically for this type of environment. The high altitude also contributed to less oxygen in the water which made it harder to breathe. This meant I had to adapt my breathing style while swimming.  This experience helped prepare me for the actual race conditions that lay ahead.

How can you prepare for peak performance?  If you are giving a business presentation, find the actual room and stand there and deliver some of your presentation. Get a feel for the layout, the acoustics and the way the audience will be seated.

If it’s not practical to arrive a day ahead, arrive early.  When I am hosting formal dinners, I will arrive in the afternoon and watch the room being set up and meet all the hotel staff, sound and video teams and check the stage and microphones personally.  This way there are no surprises and I have done everything I can to reduce the big-night nerves.

Whenever you can, put yourself in the real situation. When presidential candidates are prepareing for the debates, they practise in rooms that have been created to imitate the debate settings.  Give youself the best chance to shine by working on your final day preparations.

Stress free preparation - Lay the groundwork for a good on-the-day performance

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on August 29, 2009
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Stree Free PerformanceIf you are reading this blog, then there is a good chance you are someone you likes to keep improving and strive for better and better performances.  While stress can be a strong motivator for many people to perform better, it can also break you down.

Recently, I witnessed this first hand on the way to Western China’s Gansu province for a triathlon. With no direct flights from Shanghai and by waiting too long to book my flight, I took a first class flight on both legs of the flight.  It turned out to be a great investment.  I was well looked after, rested, had good leg room and avoided the pinched nerves I got on the 10 hour ride to my previous race. Also, the gap between my second flight was only 30 minutes. Also with the extra luggage allowance my big bike bag and other equipment went through without excess charges. In short, I couldn’t have travelled in a more stress-free fashion.

In contrast, my team-mates had a three hour wait-over in Xian, and even then didn’t reach the final destination. So they had a three hour bus ride the next day. All this involved humping massive boxes and bags on-and-off planes and buses.  When they arrived at the race course, five people had food poisoning and the rest were suffering.   The next day, two didn’t finish the race, another rode an extra lap on the bike and a third cramped up on the run. How much did the journey contribute to these performances?

When the pressure is on, the heat is up and you are tired, it is difficult to find a clear head.  Being stressed out and emotional before the race doesn’t help.  In my first Ironman, I didn’t check my equipment into the transition area at the right time and ended up spending 20 minutes in 40C heat looking for my sneakers, which were in the wrong place. In the end, my wife helped out to locate them but the amount of stress and energy spend was really high.

Looks for ways you can reduce your stress ahead of key performances - whether a race, a key business presentation or a meeting with the in-laws!  Pamper yourself. Travel first class. Have a massage. Hire a limousine. Enjoy a little luxury and the better service that typically goes along with luxury services. You will feel so much better. Enjoy the performance!

Consistency is the key to good preparation - Understand what it takes to succeed

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on August 27, 2009
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Consistency every timeConsistency is the single most important ingredient for success. It doesn’t matter how much you know, how good your strategy or tactics are or how big your resources are - if you cannot move forward consistently, you will always be playing catch up.

In triathlon training, “junk” miles refer to the training you put in on the bike and on the road in building up your base fitness. They don’t contribute directly to your success, but without them you are never going to reach the heights of your potential.

Any workout today will be better for you than doubling up on your workout tomorrow. Spending ten minutes reading your children a bedtime story every day will be more valuable to them than saving it up for one hour at the weekend. One sales call a day is better than cramming in twenty on the last week of the month.

A common mistake in planning is that we overestimate what we can accomplish in the short term, and underestimate what we can achieve in the long term.  We cram too much into the first and second week of our plan (or change plan) and only have a very vague idea of what’s coming up in the third and fourth week.  Set yourself up for success but time blocking your important goals into your calendar.  When I was beginning my exercise program, just ten minutes walk a day was my target. I knew I could achieve this on a long term basis, and this helped me build up a core base of fitness.

When you are looking to make a life change, don’t start with a radical change. Pick activities that you can achieve in the long term. Don’t say you will go to the gym six times a week if you can’t block out the time on your calendar on a consistent basis.  Start with a small, simple activity.  I am trying to reduce my caffeine intake at the moment. But I love my coffee - especially home brewed. Just love the smell. So rather than cut it out or limit it to the weekend (which I did with chocolate!), I decided to have a coffee every other day. This has turned out to be fairly easy. So I have cut down on my caffeine and I enjoy my coffee every more now.

Pick an area you want to improve in and pick a super small, super easy activity that you could start today and continue over a long period of time. The main benefit of this is it reduces some people’s natural tendency to procrastinate. You can start immediately.  How could I tell myself that I could not go for a ten minute walk every day?  It’s impossible.  And if you really can’t commit to such a small step, perhaps you have the wrong goal.

Start small and consistent. Then as you improve you will be able to decide on how to step up your activity to reach your targets.

Win the mind game - Prepare for the mental challenges ahead

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on August 25, 2009
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Win the Mind gameAccording to the first noble truth of Buddhism, “life involves suffering.” Living in a consumer-driven society, many remedies are offered up: Cars, drugs, holidays, food, and entertainment are just some of the many ways we try to reduce the ’suffering’.

Many lessons lie in experiencing pain and suffering - so perhaps it is worth exploring how we can work through these tough times rather than escape from them.

When it comes to endurance racing, like triathlons, at some point in time, you are going to be in a race and you are going to want to quit. My advice is don’t. You can harden your mental strength and learn a lot along the way.

I never understood how a professional elite athlete can quit a race without good reason (like a crash on the bike or medical condition). But in 2008 when I competed in the China Ironman 70.3 race, it was a blistering hot day of over 35C. Many people did not finish, amateurs and professionals alike.  I wonder how much they could have learned about themselves if they had sat down for five minutes, gathered their thoughts and moved on to finish at a slower pace.

That race was the hottest I have ever felt in my life, so the joy of actually finishing was amazing. And importantly, the fact that I got through that race means that other races seems ‘easier’ to complete.

In a recent race, one team-mate dropped out after just 200 meters of the swim race (that in the first minute or two of the race).  Given he had been feeling bad with food poisoning leading up to the race, but to get to the start line and drop out so early does not improve his mind game.

How can you better prepare yourself for the challenges ahead?  When it comes to getting through a tough spot, you need to set very short-term, small targets. Instead of looking at your annual targets, ask yourself what do I need to do to get through today, tomorrow, this week?  In my twenties, I was a partner in a business suffering very tight cash flow, and the only way we got through it was to focus a day at a time on what needed to happen. Every night, we would take a walk to the park and talk through the day and what small steps we had taken to move things forward.

Be ready to push yourself mentally to strengthen yourself for future challenges.  Always put your health first, but see how you can stop, regroup and take the next step forward. Take it a step at a time, a day at a time. Enjoy the journey!

Setting the right targets to keep motivated

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on August 22, 2009
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Setting targets

Targets are a great way to measure your improvements and steps to success.  Having a specific destination can keep your motivated and focused which are important attributes to succeed.

I use two targets when I am racing: “bottom line” and ” stretch targets”. My bottom line target is to finish healthy.  My stretch target is usually a time goal. When I get really good, I may focus on placing in my age group (ie top 5).

My bottom line is always my primary target. If I do not feel good in the race or if my heart rate sky-rockets, I will slow down until I feel better - regardless of how this impacts my time. Just to finish a triathlon race is an achievement and no race is more important than my health.

My stretch target is a time goal which reflects improvements in my personal best time.  I sit down before each race after looking at the course, observing conditions and talking with people and write down my expected time for each section and an overall time target.  I write two targets - one attainable and the other ideal.  In my last race, I hit my attainable time to the minute! Which means that I judged the course and my performance accurately.

In your areas for improvement, what is your bottom line?  What is the most important factor?  If your bottom line is that I will see my children before they go to bed, then your quest to break all sales records will have to be completed until office hours. And you may need to turn down a few requests for late night socializing with clients.  If your bottom line is that no matter how busy work gets you will always keep Sunday as a family day, then you will need to turn off your devices (hard I know!) on Sunday and ‘train’ your colleagues to avoid calls and meetings on Sunday.

For your improvement area, what is your stretch target?  What is attainable and what would be ideal? If you wish to lose weight, what is an attainable amount to lose every month?  What would be ideal?  Remember to discover people like you, who you can talk with and learn about ways to stretch and improve. Who is in your support group?  For my triathlon training, I have a bike club I ride with. For my personal development, I am a member of a coaching circle.  Which group can you join that share your aspirations for better performance?

Keep stretching and improving, but remember your bottom line target. What won’t you give you to achieve your targets? Good luck, keep healthy and make change happen.

Run a race of one - The only person you are competing against is yourself

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on August 19, 2009
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Run a race of oneThe English phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses” sums up the tendency of spending too much time comparing ourselves with our peers.  While this can be good if we use it as a source of inspiration, it often tends to address more material possessions.

When it comes to triathlon racing, competing against others can be a useful way to test yourself and improve. If you pick the right person to compete with. I like to say that endurance racing is a race of one. You are the only person who matters. You need to run your own race.  If you get caught up setting off too fast just to stay with another competitor, you are setting yourself up for bonking (hitting the wall) later in the race.

It is very important that you set your own targets and milestones. For example, in a recent race, I set myself a target of 12 mins 30 sec per 6.67km lap on the bike. So during this one hour period, I was focused only on how I felt and my stopwatch.  When a rider went past me I did not try to catch them. I had a plan and I stuck to it.

Now that I have achieved a good foundation of training and faster times in races, I can look around at my team mates and see who I can engage in friendly competition. One team-mate Xiao Lu is a weak swimmer and I am about 10 minutes faster, we are about equal on the bike but Xiao Lu blows me away on the run - often 15 - 20 minutes faster than me!  So when I beat my own running time by 10 minutes, I was able to get within 4 minutes of Xiao Lu. So we have some friendly banter about the next race. When it comes to the next race, however, I am still going to focus on my times and pacing regardless of how Xiao Lu races.

Are you too focused on what other people are wearing, owning, and saying?  How can you focus on your own improvement?  Find some peers who you can use as a source of motivation and support. For example, I gave Xiao Lu some tips on how to improve the swim.  If you find yourself thinking about becoming jealous about other people, stop and refocus on yourself.

Run your race with your targets and milestones, and use others only as a source of inspiration and give-and-take support.

Enjoy it - Remember to look up and enjoy the process while it is unfolding

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on August 17, 2009
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Enjoy the process! Have you ever been so focused on your goal or target that you forget to enjoy the process?

It is easy to focus only on the task at hand, and to ignore what else is going on around you.  When I compete in triathlons, they are often located in natural environments. West China has some stunning scenery and a race in Jia Yu Guan was beautiful. The sky was blue, white clouds everywhere and the lake reflecting the sky magnificently.  As I was racing around the lake on my bike, I looked across the vista and said to myself, “This is absolutely awesome. How lucky am I to be here right now!”  By bringing myself to the presence moment I enhanced my enjoyment of the experience and this I believe also helped contribute to my good performance.  One of the reasons I haven’t entered the Shanghai Marathon is that the route is basically running down an urban freeway. Not exactly inspiring. So when I am in these far flung places I really owe it to myself to take the most from each moment.

How can you take the most from each moment?  Taking a “pause” or “time out” during your day and asking yourself, “What is magnificent about this moment, right now?”.  If you can’t think of anything, just take a few breathes and observe your breathe coming in and going out. If you do this for 30 seconds, you will feel more relaxed and ready to get back to your day. It turns off your mental chatter and suspends the moment.

Do yourself a favour, lower your stress and increase your enjoyment of each day by finding out what is magnificent about this moment right now.

Do your best - The only way to learn is to stretch yourself

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on August 15, 2009
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Do your best to stretch yourselfThe best way to learn is to stretch yourself. When I competed in my first triathlon race about 3 years ago, I just wanted to finish the race. At the time, that was a significant achievement as I had no history with endurance sports.

Three years on that goal no longer works for me (except in very early season races when I am not in shape).  I need a higher goal. While I will still keep finishing healthy as my number one priority, I need higher standards to stay motivated. The way I have done this is my setting stretch goals and by picking focus areas to work on. I set overall time goals for myself. First it was 3 hours, now its 2hrs 45 mins. This keeps me increasing my standards and motivates me to stay with the training which can be tedious at times.

Think about an area of your life that you wish to improve, can you set yourself a higher goal? An income goal, a fitness one, how about the amount of quality time you spend with your family?  Put a number to it and track your progress. I take detailed notes of all my training sessions now, and the value comes in my monthly reviews. I can see how my day-to-day activities build up to my overall success (or failure).  If you achieve a target, set another one.  Keep the stretch going. Look around at your peers and see who can be your role model. Choosing someone who is more successful than you, can help you focus on how you can bridge the gap.  My new triathlon role models run 2 hours 30 mins and when I break it down I feel that I could achieve that time. But it’s going to be a stretch.

The way to achieve a stretch target is to choose a focus area. In triathlon, this can be choosing a discipline (swim, bike, run). I started with my run. In April this year I was running around 7 km/hr on average. My target was 10km/hr which I reached in July.  Now I am working on bringing that up to 12km/hr.  I select specific workouts that help me achieve this. Intervals where I run at a moderate pace for 250m and then sprint at high pace for 250m over 3 to 4 km helps with my speed.  Hill and steep gradient training also improved my running form (technique) and this translates into faster paces.

In the area you wish to improve, what can you focus on?  Is it your marketing material, your telephone manner, your attention spent with your children, your sales pitch?  Narrow down your goals and build up a few set piece exercises. Famous motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, when he was a sales man used to have a sprint day every month when he would pack in the sales calls and go flat out to bring in the deals.  Find your own “sprints” that improve your technique. It could be as simple as smiling and saying “please” and “thank you” more often to your colleagues.

Self-improvement needs you to stretch yourself. Make it tangible and focused and you will surprise yourself by how quickly and by how much you can improve.