You want coaching and you want it now
For those of you who made shapes on the dance floor to 'Mr. Vain' by Culture Beat in the early 90s, did your foot start to tap reading this blog's title? (If you missed out on this dance experience, we invite you to check out the link and start getting your groove on!)
If you resonate with this blog’s title, it’s likely you curious about exactly how introduce coaching to your organisation. Although every journey is different, there are some consistent steps you can take, so keep reading if you want coaching (and you want it now).
THE FIVE STEPS
1. Step One: Be Curious
The first step is to uncover your purpose for coaching. Begin by asking yourself:
What is most compelling about coaching?
What’s the change I want to see?
What challenges do I want to solve?
Who do I want coaching to most impact?
Ask as many questions as possible.
2. Step Two: Create a Vision
The second step is to craft a compelling vision, both for yourself and for your organisation. Ask more questions to clarify where you are now and where you are headed, such as:
Where are we starting from? What else is going on at our school?
Where do we want to get to and when?
What changes do we want to see along the way?
Begin considering a route from A to B, detailing possible milestones and outcomes. Then consider how you’ll want to be supported to get from A to B. You’ll likely want to begin by training a small cohort in coaching skills. To clarify your route, complete our Coaching Plan Questionnaire here.
3. Step Three: Find a Leader
The third step is to share your vision with a select group of colleagues and enroll someone or elect yourself to spearhead coaching (i.e., Director of Coaching). Ask questions like:
Who is best suited to drive coaching?
Who is most motivated to lead this change?
Whether you call someone the Director of Coaching or choose another title, it's important that this role becomes one person's responsibility. This person needs to be held accountable for coaching’s impact and outcomes overtime.
4. Step Four: Enroll others
The fourth step is to enroll as many people as possible who are passionate about coaching; no one should ever be made to engage. Ask yourself and your colleagues:
Who is passionate about growth and development?
Who wants to see change in our organisation most?
Who loves professional development opportunities?
Coaching thrives when those engaged are passionate about its purpose and impact. Regardless of where you are on your coaching journey, everyone has the right to choose whether or not to be part of coaching. Begin with the early adopters.
5. Step Five: Kick it off
The fifth and final step is to start strong with the intent to maintain momentum. Assuming you are the Director of Coaching, ask yourself and your colleagues questions like:
Who will be part of the first cohort of trained coaches?
Where can I already see opportunities to embed coaching?
How can I create structures that will remind people of the skills and tools they learned?
You need energy and drive to create the change you want to see. This often means training a majority of staff within short period of time, followed by the creation of initiatives to maintain momentum and embed coaching into specific areas of organisational life.