APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2020 , Vol . 6
Base : 28 post-workshop learners
Figure 1 : Percentage of learners who identified newly developed soft skills .
During the interviews , workshop participants spoke about the positive impact of the workshop . As a result of the workshop they said they spent more time talking to their participants to build relationships , such as asking questions about their weekends ; they made more effort to connect with people before and during sessions ; and they developed soft skills that helped them in various situations , such as meeting people for the first time .
One particular participant reflected on how he had attempted to improve his sessions for the youngsters involved :
“ Putting emphasis on the participants , and making them feel that you are interested in them as people , and that you are there to support them . It is easy for coaches to just crack on and focus on skills and drills , when actually they ’ d benefit from taking a step back and concentrating on connecting with people .”
Louise ’ s story
Louise * is a female netball coach and runs walking netball sessions , generally for older participants . She decided that she wanted to attend the course , as it was something that seemed interesting and supported her own development .
Speaking about the workshop tutor , Louise was very complimentary .
“ He was brilliant , and I haven ’ t enjoyed a session that much in a long time . The way he engaged the whole group was excellent and his style allowed you to remember things more clearly than if you ’ d just been given a standard presentation . He engaged me from start to finish .”
Since attending the workshop , Louise has been making a point of :
• observing how others run their sessions , and how they relate to the people in front of them
• thinking a lot about the motivations of the people she coaches and why they are there
• adapting the way she interacts with participants , especially as many of her participants are more interested in the softer benefits of participation , such as companionship , overcoming loneliness and isolation .
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