Complete Guide to Coaching at Work / The Coaching at Work Toolkit: A Complete Guide to Techniques and Practices, The

BOOKS IN REVIEW

Critiques and comments on some of the latest business publications

The Complete Guide to Coaching at Work

by Perry Zeus and Suzanne Skiffington McGraw-Hill Trade, 2001 ISBN: 0074708422 Paperback, 184 pages, $19.95

The Coaching at Work Toolkit: A Complete Guide to Techniques and Practices

by Perry Zeus and Suzanne Skiffington McGraw-Hill Trade, 2002 ISBN: 0074711032 Paperback, 336 pages, $16.95

Coaching as an aspect of business management is a concept that has been around since the 1950s, but it is probably poorly understood by most managers who use the term. The pair of books reviewed this issue seek to fill this knowledge gap and provide coaches with a wealth of information on the profession and its practices. The Complete Guide to Coaching at Work (hereafter referred to as The Guide) and The Coaching at Work Toolkit (referred to as The Toolkit) offer a thorough look at what coaching is and is not, types of coaching, and coaching skills, along with numerous models, short case examples, checklists, useful coaching questions, and exercises.

The Australian authors have trained hundreds of coaches around the world, and their books are designed to provide all but the clinical experience needed for a new coach to get started. And, yes, the need to learn and practice coaching skills under the guidance of an experienced coach before going out on one's own is repeatedly emphasized. "Coaching is a profession, and like all established professions it requires extensive training and supervision. Coaches, especially, require one-on-one supervised training by a clinician in the instruction and practice of using tools and techniques to produce sustained behavioral change." (The Toolkit, p. 6)

Coaching is definitely not envisioned by the authors as something for the amateur. That said, of what value are these two books? First, they provide much information to help the reader coach. Second, they guide the prospective employer in what attributes a coach should possess and what to expect from the coaching experience. Finally, they provide useful reference materials to new and experienced coaches. Make no mistake; these two books are "data dense," packed with enough information on coaching to fill a graduate school course on the subject. They are not quick reading and will require extensive study time to master the content.

Probably the most important information for the layperson comes in chapter 1 of The Guide. In it, coaching is compared and contrasted with other forms of interventions for personal improvement (see Table 1). The emphasis in coaching is to draw new values, feelings, and behaviors out of the person being coached in order to improve his/her performance. The authors define coaching as: "a conversation, a dialogue, whereby a coach and coachee interact in a dynamic exchange to achieve goals, enhance performance, and move the coachee forward to greater success." (The Guide, page xiii) This emphasis on improving individual performance, especially performance that is already deemed "acceptable," is one of the unique aspects of coaching.

Chapter 2 describes in detail the characteristics needed to be a successful coach-motivation, values, and personal qualities including the capacities for self-awareness, inspiration, relationship building, flexibility, communication, orientation toward the future, and discipline, along with diagnostic and problem-solving skills.

The second section of the book includes four chapters that discuss four different types of coaching in the workplace:

* Business skills coaching (such as strategic planning, goal setting, negotiating, and time management).

* Executive coaching (for skills, performance, development, or life issues).

* Coaching done by managers.

* Coaching of teams.

Examples of interventions for each type of coaching are discussed. Models of what happens during the various stages of coaching, along with identification of commonly used tools, are presented. Specific coaching skills are detailed, and coach selection advice is given. Numerous short case studies (one or two paragraphs) give real-life examples of coaching in action.

The third section focuses on presenting information on four key aspects of coaching - strategic goal setting and developing an action plan, communication skills, learning, and coaching for change. The authors provide extensive discussion of the theoretical underpinning for these aspects of coaching, as well as practical checklists and examples to put the model coaching processes into action. For example, in the section on goals and coaching the reader will find:

* A list of 11 benefits of goal setting.

* Four types of goals (personal, career, relationship, and financial).

* A discussion of the types of goals typically set at different stages of life.

* Six principles of goal setting.

* A three-step process for preparing goals.

* Five characteristics of good goals.

The final section of the book addresses coaching in three specific areas - call centers, sales coaching, and career coaching. These chapters discuss issues that can be addressed through coaching, the role of the coach, and specific skills needed.

The second book in the set, The Toolkit, is divided into three sections: background on coaching, coaching tools and techniques, and practice management. Although there is a noticeable amount of material familiar from The Guide, it is presented either in summary or to clarify the subsequent discussion of coaching applications.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to the "how to" of coaching, and presents 17 case studies, 42 checklists, and 76 exercises on a wide range of topics:

* Assessment and how to do a variety of profiles.

* Personality typing.

* Developing commitment.

* Self-awareness.

* Dialoguing.

* Working with self-limiting beliefs.

* Dealing with emotions.

* Nonverbal communication.

* Relaxation techniques.

* Problem-solving techniques (including force-field analysis, SWOT, and brainstorming).

* Role playing.

* Journaling and mind mapping.

* Evaluation of coaching results.

Each chapter contains background material, a variety of tools, and the context in which they might best be used. For example, the chapter on journaling and mind mapping provides:

* Seven results of journaling.

* Four guidelines for journAl writing.

* Five dierent types of di:ris typist of diaries r,tsat can be used, with four checklists and three exercises.

* Four other self-discovery tools with three chits and two exercises.

* An explanation of mind mapping with three case studies.

The Toolkit also contains a glossary of 59 terms related to coaching. Both books contain several pages of bibliographic materials and a general index. Tables of contents identify major subtopics within each chapter.

All in all, these are important reference books rich in useful information about coaching.

Christine Robinson has more than 25 years of leadership experience in quality systems for the process industries. She has a master's degree in quality, values, and leadership from Marian College. An avid reader, she spends a significant amount of her time with her nose in books and her body at the library.

Copyright Association for Quality and Participation Spring 2003
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