How to Coach Yourself and Others How To Perform On The Job Coaching

Characteristics of a Good Coach Even the best coaches can improve with training and practice. The coaching readiness self assessment was designed to help you identify areas where you can improve your coaching skills. The statements on the assessment and the related information in each box define the characteristics of good coaches (adapted from Leach, 1996). Box 1: Desire Successful coaches want to coach. They take pride in sharing what they know. Improving their teaching skills is important to them. A successful on-the-job training (OJT) program will have coaches teaching jobs in standardized ways with an emphasis on safety. Box 2: Responsiveness Successful coaches need to engage trainees. Their listening and communication skills are key to conveying the right information. Questions can be used to direct the learning process. Successful coaches understand that learning will increase when trainees are comfortable asking questions. Box 3: Enthusiasm Successful coaching takes energy. OJT sessions take time to prepare and commitment to conducting them. Coaches who feel good about their jobs will pass on those feelings. Box 4: Humour Successful coaches have a good sense of humour. Things don’t always go according to plan. Everyone has learned something the hard way. Laughing about things that have gone wrong sends the important message that messing up while learning is OK. Box 5: Sincerity/Honesty Successful coaches don’t fake it. They truly care about the success of their trainees and deal with them in a straightforward manner. Trainees will respect a coach who admits not knowing something and then goes and finds the answer for both of them. Box 6: Flexibility Successful coaches are adaptable. They know when to eliminate, adjust, or change what they are teaching to match the capabilities of the trainee or outside constraints. Box 7: Tolerance Successful coaches are open to the opinions of others. They recognize and accept differences in personalities. They are interested in what others have to say, even when they don’t agree, and accept negative feedback as a tool for improvement. Box 8: Commitment Successful coaches improve over time. Training, practice, and honest reviews help coaches develop and refine their skills. Formal certification programs provide a public statement of support from the company. Successful coaches take their coaching duties seriously. Look back over your answers to the coaching readiness self-assessment. Boxes with more high numbers circled show areas where you are most confident. These qualities will help you be an effective coach. Boxes with lower numbers circled show what you can work on to improve your coaching. You can be trained to incorporate these qualities effectively into your coaching even if they do not come naturally to you. 149

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