WHY COACHING
Having worked with numerous organizations and managers seeking to put The Question Method® to work, several challenges have emerged, which make a case for utilizing external coaches to transition to the Method on sound footing. Here is what we have found:
• Employees have been managed for years using the old supervision model, which makes their transition to believing and trusting The Question Method® more challenging. Traditional supervision practice is characterized by:
a) A role that is focused on oversight or looking over the shoulder rather than employee development.
b) Communications are largely one-way, i.e., supervisor to employee.
c) Annual evaluations are seen as arbitrary or subjective, and do not add value, actually eroding the relationship.
d) Employee’s experience a good deal of being made wrong and too little of being validated for their efforts.
• For all these reasons, a people manager seeking to deploy The Question Method® must confront the first hurdle: overcoming employee distrust and fear. For the Method to work, employee answers must be honest. Trust is a prerequisite to real communication. So to start, managers need to effectively deliver a true story about why and how they came to believe that a shift in how they manage is required. “I read this book and want to try it out on you” won’t get you there.
• It is challenging to determine if the responses to the Questions are complete and honest.
• It is challenging to know if underperformance is caused by a “Can’t Do” or “Won’t Do” problem. Some managers are quick to misdiagnose problems as “Won’t Do. “You can’t get to an effective performance improvement plan until you have certainty.
• Starting, managers don’t develop effective performance improvement action plans.
The first step in coaching is to practice your ``this is why I am changing my approach to supervision and implementing The Question Method®`` speech. Your coach can let you know if your explanation will fly. You only get one chance to start, so be sure you are starting well.Debriefing with your coach how your first QuestionMethod® conversation went and having your action plan reviewed can gain you confidence in using the Method.You will likely begin with the employees who are doing well and with whom you have a good relationship. When you move on to the more challenging employees, having a coach has proven invaluable in preventing managers from backing away from those employees and their performance problems.Usually, 1-3 coaching sessions will do the trick. Contact us at info@thequestionmethod.com if you wish to learn more.
Contact Us for Information
on Training and Coaching.
COACHES
Wiliam Dann
Bill is the founder of Professional Growth Systems, which he established in 1981. He is also author of Creating High Performers, 7 Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports and the co-creator of The Question Method®️.
John Gregoire
John is a seasoned facilitator that brings a suite of training and development tools to the PGS table. He is also the Co-creator of The Question Method®️.
Erin Bellotte
Erin is a demonstrated leader in manufacturing operations with a passion for process improvement, organizational strategy, and employee development.
Chris Dykes
Chris has developed team members into strong leaders, coached organizations’ staff and leadership on productive management techniques, and grown individuals into effective teams that produce real results.
TESTIMONIALS
Testimonials About Our Coaching
“Often, it’s the simplest things that produce the best results. William Dann explains in “Creating High Performers” seven simple questions are all it takes to develop high-performing individuals and generate outstanding teams. It’s simple. It’s just not easy. Leaders must make time, take time, and, most of all, demonstrate they genuinely care by listening closely and managing supportively. These seven questions work in building your team as well as managing your up-line. Productivity and performance are a function of relationships. If you want to build a team of high performers, don’t cut corners – communicate and support. If you are looking for legitimate, simple answers to performance challenges, read “Creating High Performers” by William Dann. “