Sunday, March 29, 2015

Coaching Plan




           This coaching plan will focus on managers, team members and the developed job stressors that the team members are dealing within the workplace. Managers and teams are given their job description that requires them to work in a particular way to have a set of operating values which support their approach to working. However, the managers may have opposing behaviors and values, therefore offering little support in situations and team member are often under a lot of pressure to produce results.
When organizations seek the help of a coach, the coach can help move managers and teams forward, develop patterns, and strategies which consistently deliver success. Developing a plan can help identify what’s important; close the gap in areas, such as job performance and expectancy. This document will briefly discuss a coaching situation, establishing a coaching relationship and process, assessment tools and goal creation, coaching procedure and data collection, and strategies, approaches, and coaching type. Also including are potential ethical and multicultural issues, potential issues executing a coaching plan, and the timeline for implementing the coaching plan process.
Coaching Situation
            An organization has a situation where managers are overwhelming team members with extra responsibilities, such as providing duties not incorporated in job description, adding the tasks of slower paced co-workers, and setting deadlines without extensions on all projects. The client, Human Resource (HR) department of the organization recognizes the slower job performance and several team members has complained about job stressors (e.g., tension, overworked, and burnt out). Team members (participants) have complained about insufficient support and recognition from managers, conflict of values (e.g., family, health, and awareness), and consistent departmental changes. The managers (participants) complained about slow work turnover, communication issues with team members, and frustration.
            To address the situation, the HR department located a coaching specialist to implement a plan that enlist strategies and approaches that offer support processes, minimize job stressors, and help improve job performance and expectancy.  The HR department is looking to have a plan developed that would identify the gaps between management and team members, focus on core values, and upgrade or develop training programs to enhance manager and teams communication, skills, and abilities. The coach is required to develop a plan that would address issues presented and help to identify core components of the manager and team members’ situational issues and interpersonal relationship.
Establish Coaching Relationship and Process
Establishing a relationship constitutes the first step in coaching that allows the relationship to grow while increasing the likelihood for elevated performance (Markovic, McAtavey, & Fischweicher, 2014). Effectively establishing a relationship provides an understanding of boundaries and build trust by being clear about the learning and development process and objectives, accountability and responsibility. Establishing trust is an internal understanding between both the coach, client, and participants. The coach and the client first establishes trust in which both determines what aspects are important in order to have a sense of mutual trust. The client then before introducing the coach presents a clear and concise narrative of the coach and the coaches purpose to gain trust between the coach and the participants.
Through the process of establishing a relationship, the coach will focus on the foundation for the coaching relationship and define the developmental goals. Establishing a relationship involves sharing mutual expectations of the coaching relationship and discussing the parameters of the relationship (e.g., confidentiality, norms of behaviors in coaching sessions) (Feldman & Lankau, 2005). Through trust the client and coach establishes respectful communication and listening skills, accountability for actions (e.g., misinterpretations, misunderstanding, and miscommunications), time constraints, and responsibility for the initial coach and client process. The coach will be knowledgeable, understanding, and non –judgmental of the client situation. The coach will present skills and abilities with the desire to genuinely help the client develop procedures, possess the capabilities, and apply experiences to effectively improve the managers and team members’ situation.
Assessment Tools and Goal Creation
            Assessment tools are valuable in evaluating and identifying strengths, tendencies in dealings with others, abilities, and in identifying areas that need attention or improvement. Assessments can be provided to gain an understanding of the clients’ situation in reference to managers and team members. Assessment tools catered to the coaching topic and client situation can be the start of the evaluating process. Assessment tool that would be beneficial is the “360 Degree Feedback Assessment”. The 360 Degree Feedback assessment provides the client with more objective evidence of how performance and behavior is perceived (Bali & Sharma, 2014). The assessment can provide material on understanding interpersonal relationship issues between the managers and team members involved. This enables the ability to gain an awareness of what may need to be changed in order to achieve success (Bali & Sharma, 2014).
             The 360 Degree Feedback is a system in which managers and team members receive feedback confidentially and anonymously in reference to others and what they perceive within the workplace. The feedback assessment includes questions that measure (e.g., communication, listening, behaviors, and competencies.) on a ratio scale and includes a self –rating survey consisting of the same questions to identify issues with management or team members and self –assess (Bali & Sharma, 2014). Also, the assessment evaluates subjective areas, such as management and team processes, character/personality, and leadership. This process allows for the set –up of goals between the coach and client with the ability to address the strengths and weaknesses and how to become more effective and efficient (Bali & Sharma, 2014).
            Goal setting helps the coach and client make calculated decision about desired goals. The client and the coach together set task related goals, help decide the effort and time to be invested to achieve goals, and ensure that the goals are specific and accepted. Through the goal setting, both coach and client are able to identify possible challenges, generate various options of approach, evaluate progress, create an action plan, and maintain motivation (Grant, 2005). The goal setting process will be situational and address only what the client seeking and steps created will involve both the coach and client. The assessment provided will enable to coach and client to address core issues and evaluate an effective plan to determine to best and efficient process to take.
Procedure and Data Collection
            Procedures and data collection are necessary to implement an effective plan and to measure the process of the plan. Procedures set in place in order to measure the plan after it has been implemented consist of participating in the setting in which the situation has been occurring, observing directly (i.e., evaluating manager and team member interactions), and conducting a survey to gain an update of implemented plan.  Data collection involves research methods that are adaptable to organizations and involve observation, in –depth interviewing (e.g., one –on –one and focus groups), and projective techniques (Osayawe –Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005). Data may also be obtained from personnel records and the client involvement. Gathered information may include work issues (e.g., politics and interpersonal relationships) and non –work issues (e.g., family and personal goals.) (Feldman & Lankau, 2005)
            Data collection through observation enables the coach to observe the managers and team members for the purpose of understanding behaviors and culture. The coach only observes and does not interfere or talk to either mangers or team members. The coach will then transcribe relevant personnel issues that are non –judgmental, and detailed with concreate descriptions. The coach is observing behavior in its natural job setting and identifying effective and non –effective managerial behaviors (Osayawe –Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005). In –depth interviewing can take place with either one –on –one or within focus groups. One –on –one interviewing (e.g., phone, face –to –face, via email) is flexible, dynamic, and is directed toward understanding each manager and team member perspectives, experiences, and situations (Osayawe –Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005). Each participant will have the opportunity to express in his or her own words. Focus groups stimulates discussions among managers and team members rather than one –on –one interviewing. Focus groups encourages more candid answers and approach generates insightful information (Osayawe –Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005).
            Projection technique enables the coach to combine observation of manager and team members behaviors and the results of the in –depth interviewing process. Projective technique explores the deeply held attitudes and motivations that normally would not be verbalized when questioned directly (Osayawe –Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005). This process of data collection subject the managers and team members to a verbal report assessing dominant needs, and ambitions, tolerance of frustrations, attitudes towards authority, and major internal conflicts. The gathering of data collected through a series of assessments and interviews, enable the ability to gain an understanding of the participants’ characteristics, leadership styles, values, and attitudes (Feldman & Lankau, 2005).
Strategies, Approaches, and Coaching Type
Strategies conducted by the coach will implement the process of upgrading and creating training programs that will focus on enhancing communication and interpersonal skills between managers and team members and enhance skill sets of team members to better manage the duties of extra work. The coach will seek out other departments to initiate a plan that will allow job shadowing to help reduce the work load of some team members by bringing in other team members from different departments to assist. The coach will also focus on addressing job support and professional behavior within the workplace.
The humanistic approach to coaching enhances the ideal of free thought by opposing censorship of ideas, promoting a wide variety of perspectives on human experience, and encouraging independent, critical thinking and problem solving. The humanistic approach focuses on concepts of self –actualization and self –concept, coach –client relationship, communication, and directive of the coach –client perspective.
            Self –actualization and self -concept allows the participants to choose what is good for him or her and develop a sense of satisfaction through the experienced results of achievement. Developing self –actualization increases efforts of growth and development and self –concept maintains positive perceptions and expectations (Stober, 2006). The coach –client relationship develops over a collaborative connection that allows the coach and participants to work together to construct meaningful choices and actions.
            The coaching type of the humanistic approach enables the communication of participants in which the coach is able to identify the participants’ ability to listen carefully to criticism and communicate professionally and effectively. Also, the coach learns the participants’ interpersonal skills and relations (Sternberg, 2010). Humanistic approach to communication allows for encouragement and support of the participants ability to recognize his or her own accomplishments and self –awareness. The coach and participant directive focuses on the direction process and content of interactions (Stober, 2006). The coach facilitates the participant’s’ growth through engaging processes and interactions. This type of coaching aims to help the participants produce a vision of his or her limits and ideal existence and then develop and enact on the steps toward that ideal (Stober, 2006). The coach utilizes this approach to aid the participants into developing and fully describing the steps and process that best fit the participants’ objectives and view of accomplishment.
Ethical and Multicultural Issues
The coaching process can offer various aspects to helping the client accomplish goals that are desired to obtain. During the coaching process it is important for a coach to understand and apply professionalism at all times. Applying professionalism during the coaching process involves the coach to develop clear and competent awareness. The professionalism of the coach is vital to understanding ethical and multicultural issues that could occur.
            Ethical issues could occur if the coach do not maintain a sense of integrity, confidentiality, responsibility for ones actions and challenges, values, and through conflicts of interest. The coach has the responsibility to maintain integrity (Neves, 2014). Integrity comes from reliable promises, sharing of valid information, and expressions of honesty. Integrity will address the values of the coach, client, and participants, providing a sense of respect, reliability, and personal responsibility (Markovic, McAtavey, & Fischweicher, 2014). Multicultural issues that could occur is the misrepresentations of the client and participants according to race, religion, ethnicity, culture, and or disability. The coach without regard could misrepresent how the client and participants are approached through communication processes, addressing challenges, and response to criticism and interpersonal relations (Lowman, 2007). The coach is responsible to attaining professionalism, setting all bias aside and refraining from any negative perspectives that would produce multicultural issues and discomfort toward the client and participants (Neves, 2014).
Potential Issues
            Potential issues with implementing a coaching plan can occur. It is up to the coach to assess the issues and effectively and thoroughly address potential issues in order to determine the success of the plan. Through the process of creating a coaching plan, the HR department, managers and or team members may reject the procedure and halt the coaching process. Other issues that can occur are the manager’s inability to accept a possible change in executive methods, team members’ behavioral interactions worsens, and dissatisfaction in the process and confusion of the client and participants.  
            Through the process of potential issues, the coach will continually evaluate the managers and team members associating with the coaching process. The coach will prepare for questions and answer accordingly to set ease to the process of enabling change that will be beneficial for both the managers and team members. Also, the coach will have to accept that all changes will not be accepted and may have to incorporate other procedures or methods in order to get the outcome that the client is seeking. The coach can offer periodic coaching sessions, work with participants to monitor and reinforce developmental activities, and modify developmental plans. The coach may discuss over coming challenges to change and may include the client in some of the sessions to review progress and obtain support in evaluating participants.       
Timeline for Implementing Plan
            Implementing a timeline for an effective coaching plan depends on the time span of the organization and the processes needed in order to create and develop the plan. In the case of incorporating processes to minimize job stressors, upgrade and develop training programs for managers and team building, observation of job environment, assessments, and goal creation, an effective plan can be developed from three to six months, however the client may have an urgency for improvement or an initial idea for the plan to last past six months.
            Conclusion of the coaching session, the coach may follow –up with the client to review the participants and assess the impact of the coaching session. The coach may further collect data on learning experiences and how the coaching methods affected the participants within the organization. The client may conduct an independent evaluation of the coaches’ effectiveness with the participants or assess whether the performance of the participants has improved since coaching relationship was terminated.
Conclusion
            Implementing a coaching plan takes time to understand and grasp on what the client is initially seeking to resolve. Establishing a relationship with the client and participants is vital to maintaining a trusting and honest relationship. The coach at all times must conduct professionalism, understanding of the clients’ situation and participants involved, and non –judgmental of others values, beliefs, and cultural aspects. The use of assessment tools enables the coach to gain a perspective of the direction the client would like to go in reference to the participants involved. The assessment tool 360 Degree Feedback, provides feedback to participants in order for the opportunity for the participants gain a reflection on what should be changed and how to effectively go about the change. The assessment tool helps the coach and client together create goals according to results of the assessment and desired outcomes of the client. Procedure and data collection is initiated through the feedback assessment and utilized to observe natural work environments and conduct in –depth interviewing sessions. Through procedure and data collection the coach enables the opportunity to observe the participants behavioral interactions, characteristics, and major internal conflicts.
            Implementing coaching strategies further initiates an effective coaching plan. Strategies involved will focus on the clients’ goals and initiatives that was set during the initial goal setting process. The humanistic approach and coaching type will allow participants to become self –aware and understanding for the need of change. Through the coaching process, the coach must avoid any ethical or multicultural issues by always conducting professionalism, integrity, respect, and stray from own personal biases. The coach should be aware of potential issues that may occur with coaching strategies and implementation, the client may modify certain issues with suggested plan and seek further improvement. The timeline of the plan is according to the process of implementation and the client’s initial timeline goal for sufficient and effective results.


References
Bali, R., & Sharma, N. (2014). Study of an organization employing 360 degree feedback. International Journal of Farm Sciences, 2(2). 155-160
Feldman, D.C., & Lankau, M. J. (2005). Executive coaching: A review and agenda for future research. Journal of Management, 31, 829-846. Doi: 10.1177/0149206305279599
Grant, A. M. (2005). What is evidence –based executive workplace and life coaching. Evidence –based coaching, 1, 1-12
Lowman, R. L. (2007). Coaching and consulting in multicultural contexts: Integrating themes and issues. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 59(4), 296-303. Doi: 10.1037/1065-9293.59.4-296
Markovic, J., McAtavey, J., & Fischweicher, P. (2014). An integrative trust model in the coaching context. American Journal of Management, 14, 102-120. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/1539431197?accountid=27965 
Neves, L. (2014). Coaching and ethical leadership: A competence executive coaching model for the development of ethical leadership. Psychology Research, 4(4) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/1522838600?accountid=27965
Osayawe –Ehigie, B., & Ehigie, R. I. (2005). Applying qualitative methods in organizations: A rule for industrial and organizational psychologist. The Qualitative Report, 10(3), 623-638
Sternberg, R. (2010). Career paths in psychology: Where your degree can take you (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Stober, D. R. (2006). Coaching from the humanistic perspective. Evidence Based Coaching Handbook, 17-51.

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