About the Book

The Coaching Manager is a timely and valuable resource for leaders interested in fostering a culture of coaching in contemporary organizations. Evidence-based strategies and real-world exemplars are provided for cultivating talent today and inspiring success for the future."
—Patricia A. Hickey, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, Vice President, Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services Children’s Hospital Boston

"The second edition takes into account the new challenges and opportunities posed by an increasingly global workforce, new technology, and a persistent and rapid pace of change. The authors have, once again, provided an excellent handbook for any manager who wants to be an effective coach, and any individual who wants to leverage the potential of coaching in varied and commonly encountered situations at work."                                                                   
—Kathy E. Kram, PhD, Shipley Professor in Management Boston University

A tested approach to developing top performers in business 

Unlike coaching books that focus on performance problems, The Coaching Manager presents a developmental coaching methodology that managers can use to guide employees to achieve higher levels of skill, experience greater engagement with organizations, and promote personal development. Clearly written, without jargon, specific coaching techniques are illustrated through short case studies and self-assessment exercises that help readers apply the principles in their own lives.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: The Coaching Manager Coaching Can Help, for Employees Who Want to Learn Coaching Is Good for You Why Don’t More Managers Coach? Coaching and Learning The Coaching Manager and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Coaching Isn’t the Same as Mentoring Why Think About Becoming a Coaching Manager? Your Approach to Coaching Determines the Outcome of Your Effort 2. An Overview of Developmental Coaching Developmental Coaching: An Example A Simple Model of Developmental Coaching As You Experiment With Coaching 3. Defining Success as a Coaching Manager Coaching Managers Focus on Running a Business Not Just Results, but Process: How the Work Gets Done What Should the Coaching Manager Pay Attention To? Competency If Your Company has a Competency Model If Your Company Does Not Have a Useful Competency Model Coaching and Selection Summary 4. Creating a Coaching-Friendly Context Case 4.1: Financial Co.—A Learning Context? The Values and Practices of the Coaching-Friendly Context The Coaching-Friendly Context and the High-Performance Organization Creating a Coaching-Friendly Context in Your Business Unit Case 4.2: Fred, the Coach Protecting a Coaching-Friendly Context Over Time The Future of the Coaching-Friendly Context 5. The Development of a Coaching Manager and the "Coaching Mind-set" The Naturals The Manager Who Learns to Coach Can Anyone Learn to Coach? The Coaching Mind-Set: An Attitude of Helpfulness The Coaching Manager 6. The "Coachable" Learner The Question of “Coachability” Case 6.1: The Reluctant Coachee? What do Employees Want From Their Managers? Hallmarks of the Coachable Learner The Problem of Impression Management Barriers to Coaching: What Does an Apparent Lack of Coachability Look Like? Coachability: Treat Each Employee as an Individual 7. Stopping the Action and Starting a Coaching Dialogue Case 7.1: George, the Struggling Team Leader Seizing a Coaching Opportunity With a Coaching Mind-Set Being Vigilant for Learning Opportunities Assessing the Importance of the Opportunity Is the Timing Right? Establish or Reestablish Rapport Ask Reflective Questions, Listen for Understanding On Learning to Ask Useful Questions Help the Employee Define and Take Ownership of the Real Issue Follow-Up: Ask the Employee About Useful Next Steps Practice Cases: Stopping the Action and Starting the Dialogue Case 7.2: Is John Headed for Burnout? Case 7.3: Sara, the Frustrated Superstar Stopping Time and the Coaching Dialogue 8. The Coaching Mirror Why Are Performance Data, Even Observational Data, Suspect? The Real Problem: Our Tendency to Draw Inferences From Selected Data Error and Expectations: What You See Is What You Get Getting the Most From Direct Observation and Other Approaches to Gathering Performance Data The Coachee’s Role The Coaching Manager as Observer: Promoting Learning and Performance, From the Sidelines 9. Provinding Balanced and Helpful Feedback The Benefits of Feedback The Problem With Feedback Making Feedback Useful – A Summary The Basics of Providing Balanced Feedback The Emotional Impact of Feedback Maximizing the Value of That Imperfect Instrument, Feedback Your Development as a Provider of Feedback 10. What Does It All Mean? Collaboratively Interpreting Learning Needs Case 10.1: What’s Going On With Jack? Do You Need to Know Why? The Coaching Dialogue Root Causes Individual Factors Cultural Factors Team and Organizational Factors The Importance of “Getting It Right” When Interpreting Performance 11. Goal Setting and Follow-Up: Making Change Happen Planned Development Setting Goals How People Change Unfreezing Change Refreezing Building Commitment for Learning and Change Conclusions: Goal Setting and Follow-Up 12. Coaching and Career Development An Overview of Career Development in the Modern Organization Knowing What You Want Choosing Learning Goals Who You Know Does Count: Networks, Supporters, and Blockers Using Developmental Coaching to Address Career Concerns and Promote Career Development Coaching for Career Development Case 12.1: The Good Employee Who Has Become Bored With Her Job Case 12.2: The Employee Who Wants to Move Up (Too Fast!) Case 12.3: The Employee With Work and Family Concerns Conclusions: Developmental Coaching and Career Development 13. Developmental Coaching and Performance Problems Causes of Performance Problems Poor Managers and Poorly Communicated Expectations The Wrong Person in the Wrong Job The Right Person in the Wrong Situation Personal Problems Case 13.1(a): What the Manager Sees Case 13.1(b): What the Manager Hears Case 13.1(c): What the Manager Never Knew Character Team Problems Organizational Change Addressing Performance Problems: Some Coaching Guidelines 14. Using Coaching to Leverage the Investment in the Classroom The Nature of the Problem Transfer of Learning Case 14.1: The Wrong Executive Education Experience at the Wrong Time Case 14.2: Leadership Education That Helped Case 14.3: The Challenge of Becoming More Strategic Making the Most of Classroom Learning Defining the Learning Goal Choosing the Right Program Following Up The Classroom and the Coaching Manager Epilogue: The Coaching Manager Technology and Coaching Changing Demographics Coaching in Tough Times The Relationship With the Coaching Manager Is the Key A Final Word for Our Coaches, Old and New Appendix References Index About the Authors