Why Coaching Skills Are Critical for Leaders and Managers

Executive Coaching Session at Wager's Way

 “The right coaching, at the right time, can pay huge dividends for employers seeking greater loyalty, productivity and contribution.” -- It’s Game Time: Your Practical Employee Coaching Playbook, SABA (2015)

I once worked as the manager at a small horse farm where I was the only full-time employee – meaning I not only was training the horses, but also was responsible for the daily barn work (feeding, cleaning stalls, and helping the owner with various projects).  The owner of the farm was “unique” and as someone who generally tries to get along with people and certainly don’t see myself as a slacker, I usually was able to pass off her comments to me on my job performance.  One day however, she said to me “You are the worst [manure – but that’s not the word she used] spreader I’ve ever seen!”  Now, to give some context here, she didn’t have a manure spreader that automatically spreads the manure so I had to put the manure in the tractor bucket and then “spread” it by tipping the bucket just right and driving backwards at just the right speed to try and spread the manure in a thin layer in the field.  Anyone who has ever had to spread anything using a tractor bucket knows it takes practice to figure out just how much to tip the bucket forward in order to spread whatever is in there without dumping it all out in one pile.  That was 20 years ago and I can still remember thinking “REALLY?!” when she said that to me.  I went home that day feeling confused and disappointed that despite all of the work I did for this person, while often enduring her off-handed remarks about various things, my boss’s only comment on my performance was that I was the worst spreader of manure that she had ever seen.  I think I worked for that person for about a year before moving from the area.  After that experience I went on to work for someone who was an amazing coach and mentor to me.  I ended up moving from a temp position in a mail room to being the executive assistant to the Chief Operating Officer of Communications and Public Affairs in less than 2 years because of her coaching.

Now that I do leadership and team development as well as executive coaching, I often hear from others that they have experienced similar kinds of comments regarding job performance.  If you have experienced that kind of “feedback,” did it make you want to do better in your job?  If you have given that kind of “feedback,” did you really think that it would make your employee want to do better?  I’m guessing not on both counts. While a lack of coaching and feedback can lead to good employees leaving an organization, giving feedback that is subjective and judgmental is just as damaging.  Ironically, coaching employees to improve performance is not something that comes easily to most people.  It takes practice and a great deal of understanding human behavior to be able to offer feedback that is productive.

So how can you develop your coaching skills to help your team’s performance (which ultimately makes you look better as a manager as well…)?  

• First, it’s important to understand exactly what you think your employee needs coached on – is there a gap in hands-on skills? Does he or she need help with time management?  Is the employee clear on what is expected of him/her?  Without answers to these questions, it is almost impossible to offer coaching that will produce the changes necessary to improve performance.  

•           Once you have identified what you feel needs improved, it’s important to “ask the right questions and engage in dialogue to increase your direct report’s awareness of his/her own choices, actions and behaviors, along with their impact – as well as gain buy in for the development plan” (Harvard Business Review Guide to Coaching Employees, 2015).  This is where having some basic knowledge of human behavior is helpful.  Not everyone has the same strengths and talents so while something may be easy for you, it may not be easy for someone else who has strengths and talents in a different area. (I recommend reading Strengths-Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie to learn more about how different strengths impact teams.)   

·         

•          Coaching is not teaching.  While you may feel tempted to want to “teach” the employee what you think is the “right” way to fix the challenge, it will be much more productive long term to coach the employee on finding the solution themselves.  If you can coach him/her to understand what is causing the challenge, you can then provide guidance to in seeking solutions.  Doing this well involves facilitating a discussion that allows the employee to think about what is really at the root of the issue.  Do they need more training? Are they not getting information from other departments or staff that they need? Are they having non-work challenges?  In their article “Coaching Through Questions” (T&D Magazine, March 2015) authors Steve and Kimberly Gladis state “A coaching approach that relies more on asking questions than giving answers better engages employees.”

·  

•           Be sure to reframe how the employee describes the situation to be sure you are not interpreting it through your own experiences.  Repeat what you heard him/her say – “So what I hear you saying is that you feel that you don’t have the appropriate skill set for this project.  Is that correct?” If the employee confirms this is the issue, then you can work with him/her to develop a plan to address the problem.  When someone reframes what we say and gives it back to us, we can confirm or correct that what we are saying is what is being heard and then work to find a solution that works.

Communication and an ability to provide constructive feedback is at the heart of being a successful leader or manager.  It is critical that leaders and managers at all levels acquire the skills necessary to be able to facilitate coaching dialogue with their team members.  Becoming an effective coach will make you a better leader or manager and will ultimately benefit the entire organization by having team members who are happy, productive and loyal.

Want to improve your coaching skills?  Contact us info@wagersway.com to find out how we can make you a leader that people want to follow!

Trust – It Really is Key in Leadership

By Ginny Telego

Recently I was talking to the vice president of a bank who participated in one of our demonstration workshops.  At our demonstration workshops, we offer participants the opportunity to work with the horses in 2 or 3 activities that we do in our regular workshops.  It provides people with a sample of the experience that they would have in our leadership and team development workshops.

In talking with the bank executive - we'll call him Tom (not his real name) -  he shared with me that the thing that stood out most to him in working with the horses was how integral trust was in getting the horses to work with the leadership team.  Tom was working with two other people to move three miniature horses from one area of the pasture to another.  They were given 2 minutes to develop a plan, but after that they were not allowed to touch the horses or talk to each other during the project.  The group approached the horses with a commanding presence and the horses responded by running away.  The group continued to approach the horses in a way that communicated “You are going to do this whether you want to or not.”  The horses continued to choose not to go where the group was asking them to go.  After about 10 minutes, the facilitators checked in with the leadership team to see how things were going and talk about what was happening.  Through the discussion, the horses were compared to a team of employees.   The group realized that they were approaching the “team” with too much command and control style of leadership and not building the trust that was needed to lead the team.

The group was given another opportunity to guide their “team members”(horses) to the area where they needed to be.  This time they were allowed to talk to each other but still not allowed any kind of tools to physically attach to the horses to move them.  And this time, they approached their “team members” with a different kind of intention.  Instead of walking towards the horses with command and control leadership, they took time to build trust with each team member, communicating in a way that was respectful to them as individuals.  The result?  The team members willingly went with the leaders where they wanted them to go.

So how does this work with the horses apply to leadership in the human world?

1.  Trust comes from respect.  Almost every leadership book, blog and article talks about trust as the key characteristic of an effective leader.  In their book The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner (2007) note that “Without trust, you cannot lead” (p. 224). They go on to state that “We listen to people we trust and accept their influence” (p. 225).  Once the leadership team built trust with the team members (horses), they were able to influence them to move where they needed them to go, with minimal effort.
2. Leadership is about relationships.  Kouzes and Posner hit the nail on the head when they write “A leader-constituent relationship that’s characterized by fear and distrust will never, ever produce anything offering value.  A relationship characterized by mutual respect and confidence will overcome the greatest adversities and leave a legacy of significance” (p. 24).  For this leadership team, the command and control approach with the team (horses) was highly unproductive.  When they took the time to build a relationship with each team member, mutual respect was established and the team willingly followed the leaders.
3. Command and control does not build relationships or trust.  How much do you like someone who leads you using a command and control leadership style?  Probably as much as the horses.  The horses respond by not cooperating – this is usually what happens with people too.  Command and control might work temporarily, but long term it will only create an environment where team members avoid cooperating whenever they have that option.

Kouzes and Posner note that “People are just more willing to follow someone they like and trust” (p. 295).  When people work with the horses in our action learning program, they are able to literally see how they are influencing others.  The horses willingly follow when participants take the time to build trust through relationships and intentions are honest.  What kind of relationships are you building?  Are your team members running around the pasture or willingly following you where you need them to go?

Ginny Telego is the president and founder of Wager's Way, an equine assisted action learning program that partners with horses to offer leadership and team development as well as executive coaching.  Find out more at www.wagersway.com.

Wager's Way Selected as Finalist for Chamber Award

L-R: Dolly, Ginny Telego, Barbie Lange (Ashland Chamber President), Wager
Photo credit: Denise Gillette, Mauer Photography

Wager's Way has been selected as a finalist for the 2015 Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce Awards in the Professional Services category!  Last fall, I was notified by the Chamber that Wager's Way had been nominated by someone for this award.  I completed the initial nomination application which required that I provide information on how my business supports the Ashland community.  I secured testimonials from several people who have attended Wager's Way quine Assisted Action Learning workshops as well as from co-facilitators.

In December, I was notified that Wager's Way had moved on as a semi-finalist.  The Professional Services category had 7 businesses named as semi-finalists so making it to the finals seemed like a long-shot.  But I completed the next phase of the application process -- this time being required to provide details of an event that I had collaborated on with other organizations in the community.  As some of you may recall if you receive the Wager's Way newsletter, I co-sponsored and co-hosted a 2 1/2 day workshop on "Connection Focused Approaches to Working with Families with Complex Needs" in October 2014.  I worked closely with the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County and Ashland County Children's Services to bring in two nationally recognized speakers, Dr. Rebecca Bailey and Linda Kohanov, to present on the importance of connection in helping families and trauma survivors heal, and included a 1/2 day workshop with the horses.  More testimonials were secured and the application was submitted with fingers crossed.

In mid-January, I received the e-mail saying Wager's Way had been selected as a finalist!! It was a very surreal feeling to be honest.  Anyone who has started their own business and sacrificed to make it successful knows that there are many days when you feel like a punching bag. So to be recognized for the important work we do at Wager's Way, especially given the other very deserving businesses that were in my category, is pretty phenomenal.  I am incredibly grateful to the person who nominated my business, as well as the people who wrote such wonderful testimonials.

Click here to view some of the testimonials that were provided to support our nomination.  The actual awards will be announced at the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce Member Awards dinner on March 12, 2015.  No matter what happens with the final award, to have been named a finalist is an incredible honor.  I know my equine staff is thrilled..... surely they'll be some extra hay cubes in their feed tubs if we win..... Wish us luck!

Ginny Telego is the president and founder of Wager's Way, an equine assisted action learning program that partners with horses to offer leadership and team development as well as executive coaching.  Find out more at www.wagersway.com.

Business -- still a human enterprise

Recently I was reading information about a Master’s in Business Psychology (MBP)program and was struck by the following statement: "Business is still a human enterprise.”  Think about that.  In our current technology addicted world, business is still run by, marketed to, and dependent on consumers who are human.  Although companies use technology to accomplish many tasks, people are the ones inputting and processing the information that affects finance, marketing, management and operations of the organization.  Successful businesses still need to have team members who have good “people skills.”  And yet ironically, it seems that these skills are getting less and less focus in professional development.

Unlike a traditional MBA, the MBP program incorporates the philosophy that managers and leaders need to not only understand business (finance, marketing, economics, etc…) but also how people think, interact and behave.  As a leadership and team development facilitator, I see the importance of interpersonal and relational skills in creating organizational success.  The business of quantitative decision making is also the business of understanding psychology and how the brain works.

There is now a great amount of neuroscience research about how the brain works and how that needs to be incorporated in to leadership development programs.  In a research review titled “Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Leadership” (D.A. Waldman et. al., 2011) the authors state

…by understanding the neurological bases for transformational leadership behavior, we may be better positioned to develop such leaders in a more realistic and systematic manner. Thus, instead of simply putting people through a one-size fits all leadership development program, the brain may give us some insight as to how and why specific individuals in leadership roles feel, think, and ultimately learn new behaviors. With this knowledge, leadership development activities could be better customized to fit the unique neurological structure of an individual leader.  

Studies are showing there’s an increased demand for individuals who understand how human behavior factors into a strategic advantage for an organization.  As a leader or manager, what can you do to improve your “people skills?”  There are any number of books and seminars addressing this component of being a better leader or manager.  But I would propose that you go a step further and find an experiential action learning program that creates the opportunity for you to put theory into practice through training that can complement the books you have read and seminars you have attended.  Books can describe how to work with different types of people and what to notice about your own behaviors.  And seminars can provide some role playing activities that try to simulate situations that leaders and managers may encounter.  But in order to truly become self-aware and recognize how you are influencing those around you under a variety of circumstances, you need to have the opportunity to interact in activities that promote immediate non-judgmental feedback.  With this kind of feedback, you can process the behaviors and actions that created the situation, explore other solutions and then implement new actions and behaviors to achieve different results.

This is what we do at Wager’s Way Equine Assisted Action Learning program.  We create a learning environment where many variables can affect the outcome of an exercise and then we facilitate a discussion of those variables and how an individual worked through them to be successful.  Through immediate nonjudgmental feedback from our equine co-facilitators, theory is put into practice and individuals gain insight and skills that they are able to take directly back and apply in the workplace.  Behaviors, strengths and challenges are acknowledged and discussed to formulate more productive outcomes.

While there is certainly great value in seminars and virtual learning for leaders and managers (low overhead, convenience) it is also important to examine whether these types of professional development programs are enough to create the kind of change that helps leaders and managers develop the “people skills” needed to be effective.  After all “Business is still a human enterprise.”

Ginny Telego is a Certified Advanced Facilitator and owner of Wager's Way, an equine facilitated action learning program in Ashland, OH.  www.wagersway.com

Action Learning in a New Arena

By Ginny Telego

What if leaders and managers across your organization had the ability to adapt quickly, understand their teams better and work together to solve organizational challenges?  In today’s world, these skills are not only desirable, but they are necessary in order for organizations to thrive.

Traditional leadership and team development programs have not been enough to create the kind of change that needs to take place in order for leaders and managers to develop the skills necessary to be successful in today’s business environment.  In an article titled "Use it or Lose it" in the February 2015 issue of TD Magazine, the authors share that “few [training] programs are designed to help learners permanently store information or help them when they need to retrieve essential knowledge.”  The article is about the neuroscience of learning, retention and transfer and discusses the importance of putting into practice the lessons that are presented in corporate training.  While the authors focus on implementing continuous opportunities for learners to practice what was presented in the “days, weeks and months following a training,” the need to include action learning in the training process can provide additional opportunities for learners to solidify what was presented in a training.

Action learning was developed in the mid-20^th century and is becoming a widely used methodology in the world of leadership and team development.  The essence of action learning is based in providing learners with activities that generate reflective questions and having a skilled facilitator guide participants through the process of gaining self-awareness and discovering the root issues that may be impeding forward movement in their department or the organization as a whole.  According to Michael Marquardt, who authored an article on action learning in TD Magazine, there are 10 key elements that can increase the success of action learning:

1.  Presenting a problem that has some measure of urgency and complexity

2.  Powerful questions that encourage creative thinking and that the group can reflect on

3.  The mindset and values of the group members needs to be one of a willingness to change behaviors and work collaboratively

4.  Ensuring that the learning that takes place are skills that can be integrated into their work

5.  Clarification of norms – such as “focusing on questions, taking time to learn, seeking input from all members, respecting different perspectives, and accepting the role of the coach/facilitator”

6.  Commitment of top leadership to the action learning project

7.  Clear timelines and expectations

8.  Teams need to feel that they have the support from top management to implement what is learned

9.   Diversity among team members

10.Most importantly – skilled coaches and facilitators who can “create an atmosphere of learning and reflective inquiry”

One form of action learning that is effective in meeting the 10 key elements identified by Marquardt is equine experiential learning, where horses co-facilitate the learning process alongside trained human facilitators.  This learning modality is not based on learning horsemanship – in fact most programs use only ground activities, no riding is involved.  However, the horses provide immediate, non-judgmental feedback to participants that then generates powerful reflective questions and is not a professional development experience that is quickly forgotten.  Because of this, the learning tends to be retained and continues to be utilized long after participants have left the arena.  At Wager’s Way, participants have the opportunity to put leadership and team development theory into practice through this unique, effective form of action learning and the lessons learned are powerful.  One participant who was very skeptical at the start of a workshop wrote the following on his evaluation at the end of the day “I learned that I have a lot to learn about leadership.”  This kind of outcome is action learning at its best.

Ginny Telego is a Certified Advanced Facilitator and owner of Wager's Way, an equine facilitated action learning program in Ashland, OH.  www.wagersway.com

Taking Active Learning to a Whole New Level

By Paul Andrew Johnson, Ph.D.

Crawford County CU Lead is a leadership development program with a focus on community involvement. Our leaders make a difference, not just in the workplace or in the family, but in the community, as well. We believe that when it comes to transforming communities, not only does leadership make a difference, it is the difference!

Over the past four years Wager’s Way has become a keystone experience for our CU Leaders. Wager’s Way takes active learning to a whole new level! Through the Wager’s Way experience, our leaders learn that leadership is the process of developing relationships through trust and respect, clear communication, and effective action; all essential elements of effective leadership in any setting.

One of the most powerful lesson’s of the Wager’s Way experience is that leadership is all about relationships, connections, and influence.  Just as ensuring the well-being of the herd is an ongoing process that relies upon strong and trustworthy leadership, team work, communication, active participation, and relationships, so it is with leading communities.

One of the most elusive aspects of leadership is motivation. Effective leaders are attentive to the needs and motives of followers and endeavor to help followers improve their performance and reach their fullest potential. As such, effective leadership involves motivating others to transcend their own self-interests for the good of the team, the organization, or the community. The Wager’s Way experience gives leaders the opportunity to explore what motivation looks like from a horse’s perspective. In so doing, leaders gain insight into their own leadership behaviors in ways that other group process activities just can’t match.

As a result of their Wager’s Way leadership experience, our CU Leader’s have learned that effective leadership means actively facilitating and supporting the leadership of others and the collective capacity of people to lead as they respond to situations they confront as organizations and communities.

How have CU Leaders evaluated their Wager’s Way leadershipexperience? One CU leader expressed it best: “Wager’s Way changed my life!”

Paul Johnson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Leadership and Policy Studies

Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, Ohio

A Leader's Journey to Self-Awareness

Photo by Nancy Rebman

In developing our equine assisted professional development programs, my colleague and I regularly read books, blogs and research studies to stay abreast of current trends in workforce development.  Most of what we read about leadership and team development focuses on building trust, being transparent in communication and an ability to adapt to an ever-changing global economic environment.  These seem like common sense traits for leaders and successful team members to possess and yet professional development programs continue to try and find ways to teach and enhance these skills. 

So what makes these skills elusive?  As we work with participants in our program, there are some common challenges that are reflected in the responses of the horses during activities.

1. Communication.  This is one of the biggest barriers to effective leadership and successful teams.  We all think we are communicating information effectively, but team performance often reflects otherwise.  If your vision isn't being implemented, check in with your team on whether they are understanding what you need and expect from them.
2. Adaptability.  A participant in one of our leadership development workshops had the following revelation at the end of the day - "Just because it's not my way doesn't mean it's the wrong way."  For him, this was a moment of self-awareness as he had stated at the start of the day that one of his challenges was managing different personalities.  In reality his challenge was managing team members who approached projects from a different perspective - this awareness of his need to adapt to his team helped him lead more effectively.
3. Trust.  Horses are clear about whether they trust you or not.  Without genuine trust, the horse will choose to not engage in being part of a team.  Horses are also very adept at picking up inconsistencies in our intentions.  Using fear to lead does not gain trust and given the option of whether to follow or not, team members who are fearful will find ways to disengage from the team.

All of these challenges can be overcome through increased self-awareness.  Emotional intelligence has become a popular tool in leadership development and gaining self-awareness is a primary path to becoming a more effective leader.  The journey to self-awareness is not easy -- it takes an ability to look in the mirror and a willingness to see your true self.  But I've watched clients take this journey with the horses and the willingness of the horses to allow clients to explore and practice better ways to lead makes the journey more palatable.

Where will your journey start?

Ginny Telego is the president and founder of Wager's Way, an experiential learning program that partners with horses to offer leadership and team development.  Find out more at www.wagersway.com.