Coaching Conversations from Coursera

Throughout the Coaching Skills for Managers specialization, we’ve discussed many topics for improving coaching conversations with our employees. It is now time to put all of that theory and discussion into practice and examine great examples of common coaching conversations!

Note: This course builds on all previous courses in the Coaching Skills for Managers specialization. It is highly recommended that students complete or be familiar with the topics covered in those courses before taking this course. In particular, you should be familiar with the coaching strategies and tools discussed in previous courses (such as the 5 whys technique, resisting what is, among others), and should have a full understanding of the Thought model and the various components of it: circumstances, thoughts, feelings, actions, and results.

By the end of this course, you will be able to demonstrate appropriate and effective strategies when engaging in coaching conversations with those that you lead. By exploring and analyzing common coaching scenarios that are acted out in this course, you will have a great sense of what works well and not so well during such a conversation. Specifically, you'll be able to better differentiate between a developmental coaching approach and a directive management style, discuss new strategies and techniques for dealing with both mind set and skill set gaps, describe how to use the feedback loop effectively in a conversation, and demonstrate the use of good questioning techniques and the thought model to not only help an employee identify issues, but help the employee really change their thinking.

The final assignment is all about actually having a coaching conversation with another person where you can apply everything you've learned in this course and throughout the Coaching Skills for Managers specialization. Again, it is highly recommended students complete the other courses in the specialization before taking this one. This peer review assignment, in particular, will be difficult to complete without knowledge of the topics covered in these courses.

After going through the course materials and completing the assessments, you will be able to have more effective one-on one-coaching meetings with those you manage and deepen your understanding of the essential practice of coaching conversations.

What's inside

Syllabus

Missing Deadlines and Dealing with Change

Welcome to Coaching for Managers Specialization Course 4: Coaching Conversations. In this first module we're going to focus on two common coaching conversations - an employee who consistently misses predetermined deadlines, and an employee dealing with a process change. By the end of this module, you should be able to differentiate between a developmental coaching approach and a directive management conversation, suggest strategies for both mindset and skill set coaching, and identify mindset and skill set gaps in employees. After a short introductory video, you will watch both an ineffective example, and effective, model example of how each type of conversation should be handled; we will wrap up each lesson with an in depth review and analysis of both the ineffective example and the effective example before you have the opportunity to check your understanding of the material.

Former High Performer & Consistently Late to Work

In this next module we'll focus on an employee who is a former high performer who is experiencing a skill set gap and an employee who is consistently late to work. By the end of this module you should be able to articulate some additional strategies for skill set coaching, such as peer mentoring, as well as be able to describe how to make use of the feedback loop in a coaching conversation. As in Module 1, after a short introductory video, you will watch both an ineffective example, and effective, model example of how each type of conversation should be handled. Then we will wrap up each lesson with an in-depth review and analysis of both the ineffective and effective example. A quiz at the end of the module will allow you to assess your understanding of the material.

Dealing with Difficult Colleagues & Coaching the Coach

In our last module covering techniques and strategies in common coaching conversations, we're going to go over how to coach someone who is dealing with difficult colleagues as well as how to coach a fellow coach-manager. In this module, you'll learn how to empower your employees to deal with their own problems (instead of fixing them for your employees) through coaching, be able to demonstrate the use of good questioning techniques and use of the Thought Model to not only to help identify issues but to help the employee come up with new solutions and thoughts, and, finally, how to apply coaching techniques you already know and use when coaching another coach-manager. We'll also discuss the importance of coaching the person in the room. As you're reviewing this material, think about how you can apply the strategies you learn in these videos to your coaching practice.

Key Takeaways for Effective Coaching

Before moving on to this course's specialization milestone, we're going to step back a bit and take a look at some final items to consider as you really begin to put everything you've learned throughout the specialization into practice within your organization. You'll be able to relate the importance of identifying an employee's thoughts, acknowledging an employee's strengths along with what needs to be worked on when coaching, making sure that an employee buys into the process and actually wants to participate in a coaching conversation. We'll wrap up with talking about how, like any skill, coaching takes practice, and making mistakes is part of the learning process.

Milestone 3: Demonstrate Your Ability to Coach Effectively

In this final module, it's time to actually prep for and have some coaching conversations. This is a true test for yourself to see how far you've come in this specialization and will help you reflect on areas in which you're already doing well and areas where you still may need a little work. This module contains an overview video discussing key ideas to consider when working on the milestone, as well as some review videos from earlier courses in the specialization that should help you as you work on the assignments related to this milestone. Good luck!

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Emphasizes the importance of identifying an employee's thoughts, which is crucial for effective coaching

Provides strategies for both mindset and skill set coaching, addressing a range of employee development needs

Teaches the use of the feedback loop in coaching conversations, enabling learners to facilitate employee growth and improvement

Emphasizes the importance of empowering employees to solve their own problems, promoting self-reliance and critical thinking skills

Provides guidance on applying coaching techniques to coach other coaches, fostering a culture of coaching and development within organizations

Requires learners to have a comprehensive understanding of the Thought model and coaching strategies covered in previous courses in the specialization, which may pose a challenge for those who have not taken those courses

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Impactful coaching course

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Coaching Conversations with these activities:

Review the Course Materials

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Reviewing the course materials will help you to refresh your knowledge of the key concepts covered in the course.

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Read the course syllabus.
Review the course slides.
Watch the course videos.

Attend a Coaching Conference

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Attending a Coaching Conference will allow you to learn from experts in the field of coaching and network with other coaches.

Browse courses on Coaching Skills

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Find a Coaching Conference to attend.
Attend the conference.
Network with other coaches.

Review the Book 'Coaching for Performance' by John Whitmore

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This book provides a comprehensive overview of the coaching process and offers practical tips and techniques for improving your coaching skills.

View Coaching for Performance, 6th edition: The... on Amazon

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Read the book.
Take notes on the key concepts.
Apply the concepts to your own coaching practice.

Four other activities

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Participate in a Coaching Peer Group

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Participating in a Coaching Peer Group will allow you to connect with other coaches and learn from their experiences.

Browse courses on Coaching Skills

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Find a Coaching Peer Group to join.
Attend meetings regularly.
Share your experiences and learn from others.

Practice Active Listening Skills

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Practicing active listening skills will help you to build rapport with your employees and create a more positive and productive coaching environment.

Browse courses on Active Listening

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Find a partner to practice with.
Take turns speaking and listening.
Focus on listening to what your partner is saying, both verbally and nonverbally.
Ask clarifying questions and paraphrase what your partner has said to demonstrate that you are listening.

Develop a Coaching Skills Development Plan

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Creating a Coaching Skills Development Plan will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a coach and develop a plan to improve your skills.

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Reflect on your current coaching skills.
Identify areas where you need to improve.
Set goals for your development.
Develop a plan to achieve your goals.

Coaching Scenario Project

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This project will allow you to apply the coaching strategies and techniques you've learned in this course to a real-world coaching scenario.

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Identify a coaching scenario to work on.
Develop a coaching plan.
Conduct the coaching conversation.
Reflect on the coaching conversation.

Career center

Learners who complete Coaching Conversations will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Career Development Coach

Career Development Coaches work with individuals to help them make informed decisions about their careers. They provide guidance on topics such as career exploration, job search, resume writing, and interviewing. This course may be useful for Career Development Coaches who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping clients overcome challenges and achieve their career goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Career Development Coach

Leadership Coach

Leadership Coaches work with leaders at all levels to help them improve their leadership skills and effectiveness. They provide coaching on a variety of topics, such as strategic planning, decision-making, and communication. This course may be useful for Leadership Coaches who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping clients achieve their goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Leadership Coach

Executive Coach

Executive Coaches work with senior executives to help them improve their leadership skills and effectiveness. They provide coaching on a variety of topics, such as strategic planning, decision-making, and communication. This course may be useful for Executive Coaches who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping clients achieve their goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Executive Coach

Life Coach

Life Coaches work with individuals to help them improve their personal and professional lives. They provide coaching on a variety of topics, such as goal setting, time management, and relationships. This course may be useful for Life Coaches who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping clients achieve their goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Life Coach

Workplace Coach

Workplace Coaches work with individuals and teams to improve their performance and effectiveness. They provide coaching on a variety of topics, such as career development, leadership, and communication. This course may be useful for Workplace Coaches who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping clients achieve their goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Workplace Coach

Manager

Managers are responsible for leading and motivating a team of employees. They set goals, delegate tasks, and provide feedback. They also make decisions and solve problems. This course may be useful for Managers who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for building high-performing teams.

See salaries and explore the career path for Manager

Performance Improvement Consultant

Performance Improvement Consultants work with organizations to improve the performance of their employees. They identify areas for improvement and develop and implement training and development programs. They also coach employees and managers on how to improve performance. This course may be useful for Performance Improvement Consultants who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping organizations achieve their goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Performance Improvement Consultant

Talent Development Manager

Talent Development Managers are responsible for developing and implementing talent development programs for an organization. They work with employees at all levels to help them identify and develop their strengths and weaknesses. This course may be useful for Talent Development Managers who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping employees grow and succeed.

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Team Leader

Team Leaders are responsible for leading and motivating a team of employees. They set goals, delegate tasks, and provide feedback. They also make decisions and solve problems. This course may be useful for Team Leaders who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for building high-performing teams.

See salaries and explore the career path for Team Leader

Sales Manager

Sales Managers are responsible for leading and motivating a team of sales professionals. They set sales goals, develop sales strategies, and provide coaching and support to their team. This course may be useful for Sales Managers who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for building a high-performing sales team.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Organizational Development Manager

Organizational Development Managers are responsible for helping organizations improve their performance and effectiveness. They work with leaders and employees to identify and address organizational challenges. They also develop and implement training and development programs. This course may be useful for Organizational Development Managers who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping organizations achieve their goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Organizational Development Manager

Training and Development Manager

Training and Development Managers are responsible for developing and implementing training and development programs for an organization. They work with employees at all levels to help them identify and develop their skills and knowledge. This course may be useful for Training and Development Managers who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping employees grow and succeed.

See salaries and explore the career path for Training and Development Manager

Leadership Development Manager

Leadership Development Managers are responsible for developing and implementing leadership development programs for an organization. They work with employees at all levels to help them develop their leadership skills and potential. This course may be useful for Leadership Development Managers who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping employees grow and succeed.

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Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Managers oversee all aspects of human resources for an organization. They are responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, and developing employees. They also handle employee relations, benefits, and compensation. This course may be useful for Human Resources Managers who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for motivating and developing employees.

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Career Counselor

Career Counselors help individuals make informed decisions about their careers. They provide guidance on topics such as career exploration, job search, resume writing, and interviewing. This course may be useful for Career Counselors who want to develop their coaching skills and learn new strategies for helping clients overcome challenges and achieve their career goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Career Counselor