This is the 2nd blog in the Coaching Lab series. In this blog we accented a miniature example of coaching application in a business setting to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of executive coaching. This illustration may appear to be instantaneous, but keep in mind that coaching is a longer process; at times ranging from 6 months to 15 months.

John, a savvy businessman, recently met with his manager to get a status report on the Saldina project. After sharing some pleasantries, the manager, Henry, gave his report. Initially, the conversation moved along nicely, but within a short period of time things turned sour. The reason for this shift came about when Henry was stumbling and being evasive. Unable to wrap his mind around the important details, John applied pressure to get the answers he wanted. Henry became frustrated. It was clear that his emotional intelligence (EI) was dropping as his defense and irritability increased. The conversation took a turn for the worse.

John eventually became aware that his approach was counter-productive. He knew he had to do something to stabilize the situation. So he jumped into gear and readily applied these course-correct steps:

John stopped his unnecessary interruptions and gave Henry his undivided attention. He also made the following adjustments:

1. By taking off his authoritative hat of a manager and put on his influential hat of a motivator to encourage Henry and to get things back on track

2. By listening conceptually without judgments or assumptions

3. By focusing on what was not said as he paid attention to Henry’s emotions and body language for clarity and understanding

4. By asking relevant questions to keep the dialogue open

OUTCOME

Henry was able to relax as he shared the report with more clarity. He felt John was genuinely listening and encouraging. What John thought was inadequacies, turned out to be positive outcomes. John later reflected on the discussion as he compared it to a recent coaching conversation he had with his coach.