By Sherif Attar
In a world of ever-changing ambiguity and uncertainty, executives have to face two challenges: excellent performance and people development. Where many managers think those endeavours are “competing”, this author believes they are “completing”. GET DOWN TO BUSINESS argues.
You coached everyone? OK, time to coach yourself!
Self coaching is not just a matter of thinking over the events of the day, though this is part of it; there are tools that help capture the learning.
Write it down
Writing down your thoughts has a number of benefits:
- Looking back on what you learned and how much you have developed.
- Preparing for appraisals and interviews.
- Collecting evidence for your CV.
- Helping you clear your mind and see things clearly.
Learning and planning logs
These can provide a useful structure for your coaching process, and assist you in completing the learning cycle.
Other people
Although, ultimately, the person organising the process is you, other people will play an important part in your self coaching.
Coaching yourself can feed into your appraisal and performance management process. The process itself will increase your capacity for self knowledge.
How will I know if I am improving?
Self coaching rarely happens in isolation. It includes asking others for feedback and support to assist in the process.
Coaching yourself does not have to be a solitary activity, people who are more extrovert are likely to involve others, in addition to spending some time on their own, reflecting on their learning. Less extrovert people should be aware that asking for feedback from appropriate people is part of the self coaching process.
When asking for feedback, it’s important to make sure that it is constructive and meets your needs. Here are some ways to involve others.
Peer coaching
An incredibly rewarding process for both parties. It might be with a colleague directly within your team, within another department, another organisation or even with a friend.
Coaching from your manager
Either through asking for coaching on a specific development need or from the general coaching you receive from your manager. It will prove an ongoing cycle, in which you identify your development needs are get further insights and constructive help.
Action Learning Sets
A group of individuals who gather over a period of time to explore a particular topic. Between meetings, the members of the set go away to explore issues that are related to the topic. They then bring their experiences to the next meeting and discuss them. Coaching yourself can assist you in getting the most out of an action learning set and vice versa.
360 degree feedback process
If you are actively coaching yourself, this is likely to assist you in completing the 360 degree questionnaire, getting the most out of the feedback from the whole process and acting on it.
Mentors
This might be someone within or outside the organisation. You can test out with them the reflections that have come from your self coaching.
For questions or suggestions, please send your comments.
Sherif Attar, an independent management consultant/trainer and organisation development authority, delivers seminars in the US, Europe, Middle East and the Far East.
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