coaching conversations

Dr Tim Bakerwww.winnersatwork.com.au

Organisational Coaching Building effectiveness in holding challenging conversations

Influencing Conversation Barriers

Five Conversations Framework

Practice

What do these four leaders have in common?

Influence ...The power to make other people agree with your opinions or get them to do what you want willingly and ethically.

Leaders are in the business of influence … you are a professional

influencer

Influencing Variables Your preferred style &

approach The other person(s) style &

approach The context

Baker (2015) The New Influencing Toolkit

The Inquisitive Investigator Investigators

like to marshal their facts & figures & assertively advance their argument. They use logic to persuade & tend to be methodical & structured in their approach.

Al Gore

The Inquisitive InvestigatorPolice, scientists &

researchersWorkplace incidents such

as safety or harassment. Generate support for a new initiative

Large scale change initiatives when you want people to be onboard

The Clear Calculator Calculators like to promote the positives

of a proposal & highlight the weaknesses in the current position. People know where they stand with calculators. They use logic to advance their cause. Generally calculators are good debaters.

Margaret Thatcher

The Clear Calculator Sales people, financial

advisors, animal trainers, teachers.

Any new change in the workplace that will affect employees & their working methods requires a leader to sell the positives of the change; e.g., harassment & bullying legislation training.

Situations where the benefits of not clear; e.g., a minor restructuring of roles & responsibilities

The Mindful Motivator

Motivators use emotion to influence. They are big picture thinkers that link a cause with a compelling vision of the future. Motivators often have a way with words & can define a simple and convincing vision.

Martin Luther-King

The Mindful Motivator Entrepreneurs, advertising

executives, PR agents, artistic directors.

Developing a sense of commitment – winning the hearts & minds of people.

Unclear about the rationale for a new initiative; e.g., unexpected cost cutting.

The Collegial Collaborator

Collaborators also influence using emotion. But they persuade people by involving them in the decision. Collaborators are great team builders. They engage people's hearts & minds.

Mother Teresa

The Collegial Collaborator Conductor of an orchestra, funeral

directors, choreographers.In circumstances where their are

diverse & strongly held views or opinions; e.g., team development.

People need to know the logic & rationale behind a decision, e.g., introducing a new procedure pushed down from above.

Exercise …

Find someone who has a different profile to you, i.e., investigator V collaborator or calculator V motivator.Discuss your profile and answer these questions: How do you like to be influenced? How do they like to be influenced? What are some things you shouldn’t do when

influencing you? What are some things you shouldn’t do influencing

them?

Investigation ToolsUsing third party endorsementsStructured interviewsConduct a surveyProcess mapping

Calculation ToolsForce-field analysisCost-benefit analysisAfter action reviews

Motivation ToolsTeam values charter GROW modelStorytelling Good news stories

Collaboration Tools Begin with the end in mindGiving effective feedbackUsing a problem-solving approachParaphrasing & active listening

WiseClever

Inept Innocent

Politically Aware

Politically Unaware

Gam

e Pl

ayer Act w

ith Integrity

Baddeley (1987)

Political Skills for Leaders

It’s all about the conversation …

Organisations are conversations

Organisations are a series of conversations

Good quality conversation is sadly neglected

The ‘art’ of conversation

Have we lost the need for conversations?

I don’t have time for

conversations

Leadership is a relationship

Psychological contract

Individual

I offer

I expect

Organisation

The organisation expects

The organisation offers

THE 9 COMMON BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

THE 9 COMMON BARRIERSTO COMMUNICATION

1: Inattention during conversations

2: Restricted information channels



3: Lack of feedback

4: A culture of not asking questions


5: Too much formality


6: Over-reliance on email

7: Lack of role models

8: Fear of emotion


9: Physical office layout


The five conversations frameworkDate Topic Content Key Questions

Month 1 Climate review Job satisfaction, morale and communication

• How would you rate your current job satisfaction?• How would you rate morale?• How would you rate communication?

Month 2 Strengths and talents

Efficiently deploying strengths and talents

• What are your strengths and talents?• How can these strengths and talents be used in your current and

future roles in the organisation?

Month 3 Opportunities for growth

Improving performance and standards

• Where are opportunities for improved performance?• How can I assist you to improve your performance?

Month 4 Learning and development

Support and growth • What skills would you like to learn?• What learning opportunities would you like to undertake?

Month 5 Innovation and continuous improvement

Ways and means to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the business

• What is the one way that you could improve your own working efficiency?

• What is the one way that we can improve our team’s operations?

Baker, T. (2013). The End of the Performance Review: A New Approach to Appraising Employee Performance

Perceptual positions

1st PositionSelf

3rd PositionObserver

2nd PositionOther

Good conversation is about questions

?

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Conversation Practice …

1. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is high), how would you describe your current job satisfaction?

2. Why?3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you

describe communication within your team?4. Why?5. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you

describe communication with other departments and stakeholders?

6. Why?7. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you

describe morale?8. Why?

Climate Review Conversation

Influencing Conversation Barriers

Five Conversations Framework

Practice

coaching conversations

Business