All Flashcards
The fire service by tradition is
transactional command style
Problems most encountered in firehouses are
based on a misunderstanding of why people do what they do - their motivations.
Performance problems are most often the end result of relational issues that include:
How fire service personnel interact and feel toward one another.
The level of trust they have for their supervisor.
The degree of satisfaction and pride they have for their jobs.
The degree to which fire service personnel feel appreciated and encouraged.
Gallup study found 4 things the best managers know:
people don’t change much.
It is a waste of time to try to put in what was left out.
They should attempt to draw out what was left in.
That is hard enough.
Conventional wisdom about management may be
contributing to a variety of workplace problems
Most personnel problems in the fire service are the result of
personality clashes - the types of problems the transactional (command) style of leadership is least equipped to handle.
Personality alone is not what puts behavior in motion - _______ does
motivation
Workplace symptoms that require coaching:
under-performance, miscommunication, diminished morale, poor leadership, poor fellowship, lack of clarity in the department's vision, unclear performance objectives.
_______ are often the source of misunderstanding, frustration, and conflict among fire service personnel.
Different motivations and thus behaviors
Top 12 things that make for a “great” workplace:
A good relationship with immediate supervisor.
The opportunity to utilize talent and/or do what one does best.
A feeling that the job is important.
Clear expectations.
Materials and tools to do the job.
Giving/receiving praise/recognition at least twice per month.
A feeling that the supervisor cares about us as people.
Someone to encourage development and progress on a regular basis.
Opinions seem to count.
Associates are committed to quality work.
Having a best friend at work.
Having the regular opportunity to learn and grow.
Coaching is based on the following 7 edicts:
All behavior has a purpose.
This purpose (motive) must be understood before good leadership and coaching can occur.
These motives and resultant behaviors are “privately logical.” They may not make sense to the observer, but make perfect sense to the individual.
Changing behavior requires understanding why people do what they do.
Most people will follow orders and do what is minimally necessary, but will only excel when their needs are met.
People are drawn to great departments, but leave their superior officers. If they don’t leave physically, they will leave mentally.
Personnel problems in fire service are due mostly to ineffective supervision and the fire culture itself.
Constructive leaders employ the 4 I’s:
Idealized influence
Inspirational motivation
Intellectual stimulation
Individualized consideration
The single most significant need in the fire service is for fire officers and firefighters to be able to:
work together more effectively.
There is no skill that can improve the fire service more than:
listening.
______ is the best teacher
experience
Most behaviorial issues in the fire service and in city government are ________ rather than technical skills.
management problems
Effective officer coaching must be both _____ and _____.
strategic
individualized
To engage and motivate individuals, officer coaching must be tailored to
their needs and aspirations.
To deliver service results, coaching must be tailored to the
strategy, vision, and values of the department.
The key to achieving service results and better morale is officer coaching that is ______.
strategic, that focuses on service/operational objectives as well as individual needs
The most important and direct benefit of good executive coaching is the development of
highly effective future leaders.
Another outcome of effective officer coaching is
retention of highly effective firefighters.
A new hire can accomplish only ___% as much in the first 3 months as an experienced firefighter.
60%
Constructive officer coaching produces more effective leaders who facilitate firefighter
job satisfaction, competence, morale, and citizen satisfaction necessary to drive better service and reduce costs.
Before the process begins, the coach must define the strategic context, which involves addressing these critical questions:
What are the key operational and service challenges facing the department?
What service goals are targeted by the department?
What core values best define a common framework for how service results are achieced in your department?
What leadership skills, knowledge, and abilities have been critical for success in the past? What is required for the future?
Does the department have proven methods to attract, develop, and retain required talent?
The actual officer coaching process can begin once the ______ has been mapped out
strategic context
The _______ is the personal component of the coaching process.
strategic context
The common goal of all coaching:
to make you better at something, either tangible or intangible.
Coaching is both a ____ and a ____.
opportunity and risk.
Coaching with fire service personnel is both an _____ and _______.
obligation and a responsibility of leadership.
Coaching is an
ongoing process
Coaching if properly conducted can have a most positive change in the _____, ______, and ______ of the client.
life, attitudes, and behavior
An effective coach must lead by
example.
Successful clients are those who are willing to
listen, observe, learn, and grow from the example of the coach.
The 4 P’s include:
Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
A person becomes a ________ through persistent effort and interaction with the client over a considerable amount of time.
coach and role model
Coaches possess a common core set of skills, which includes:
empathizing nurturing teaching organizing responding inspiring networking goal setting.
The ability and willingness to ______ are central to coaching.
empathizing.
Empathy is in many respects the ______ in practice.
Golden Rule
The _____ is a superb guiding principle for all coaches.
Golden Rule
______ encompasses a caring attitude, emphasis on development, and an understanding of the “law of the harvest.”
Nurturing
_______ and ______ are the areas most in need of nurturing.
Relationships and leadership ability
A lack of nurturing can be seen as the coach being unwilling to
learn what motivates the client, and to develop a degree of co-ownership of his/her aspirations.
The key to effective nurturing is to maintain a balance between
protecting the client and weaning them away from their dependence.
Only an actively engaged coach can know the client enough gauge the appropriate mix of
sheltering and weaning.
A central aspect of coaching is the process of
teaching.
Coaches ______ their clients first, and foremost.
teach
Coaching is _______ in its fullest, most developed sense.
teaching.
The most effective teaching method is ____
a common sense approach known as direct instruction.
The best results come from teachers who:
organize the material into logical, step-by-step, building blocks units of manageable size;
correct student’s errors immediately in a calm and nurturing manner;
frequently review all previously covered material and relate it to the current lesson;
include generous amounts of practical exercises on which students can flex their developing muscles;
often test students’ comprehension, formally and informally, and give them detailed feedback on their progress.
To give the client the best possible chance to learn, the coach should provide a mixture of the following approaches:
reading
shadowing
listening
and doing
It is a good idea to provide a written handout that defines all of the key terms and acronyms in _____ verbiage.
layman’s
The _______ method of questions and answers is a very effective way to teach.
Socratic
The _______ is an excellent way to test a student’s progress, quickly, frequently, and informally, and provide crucial early warning of problem areas that require more attention from the coach.
Socratic Method
The Socratic Method is:
asking their clients questions and, based on their answers, assessing the need for either additional questions or further instruction
It is absolutely essential that coaches
periodically review previously presented material with their clients.
All successful teaching programs include frequent
reviews of previous lessons, with logical ties to the areas currently being studied.
______ is an important component of learning
repetition
People internalize new information best when the material is presented in _______ and at _____
multiple ways (reading, observing, hearing, and doing) and at multiple times (reviewing).
The teaching purpose of coaching/mentoring should be _____, rather than structural.
cultural - personal development is the first priority
_____ and ______ are the two essential things that clients are looking for in this aspect of coaching.
credibility and competence
THe ________ is essential, both in preparing an effective coaching program and in building the protege’ into a more effective individual.
systematic, methodical approach
By developing a _________ before beginning the coaching process, a coach gains the ability to gear every effort in that direction.
desired end state
______ and _______ are a vital part of a good teaching/coaching program.
Organization and planning
If you neglect to ________ your efforts, you are unlikely to achieve the best results.
organize
Similar to a good checklist, an ______ provides some assurance that major components will not be inadvertently left out or given inadequate attention.
outline
One significant lesson all coaches should teach their clients is
organizational skill
Coaching is a
communicative process
The primary customer in any coach-client relationship is the
client
The coach must respond on _______ throughout the coaching process.
multiple communication levels
A responsive coach does not merely react, but is
proactive
True coaching encompasses an element of
inspiration
______ is the key to the most fundamental, core level transformations.
Inspiration
______ is one way in which leaders differ from managers.
Inspiration
Probably the most significant factor contributing to one person’s ability to inspire another is
integrity
The coach must have, and perceive to have
integrity
______ is vital to effective functioning in the real world.
Networking
Coaches/Mentors must show how to use, cultivate, and keep a ______ flourishing, now more than ever.
network
First, an integral part of the organizational aspect of coaching is to
set goals.
The coach should carefully establish some tangible goals to achieve with the client
very early in the relationship with the client
The goals should be
worthwhile specific attainable measurable and have a timetable
The ______ will be the target for everything that is done - the end towards which all efforts are directed.
goals
A coach must also teach
proper goal setting techniques
A major challenge of contemporary departments is to nurture the talent and interest of all personnel so that the needs of both ____ and ______ are met
the employees
the public
The ______ rank is a natural springboard for coaching
fire officer
The main qualification is that a coach must have _______
some skill, knowledge, or ability beyond that of the client.
The primary non-acedimic qualification for coaches is the desire to
see peple break out of unproductive patterns, manage change, learn new skills, embrace new roles in response to change, and stretch into unfamiliar territory.
An organization’s culture is the collective:
attitudes,
beliefs,
values,
behaviors that define “how we do things around here.”
Truly effective leaders
Set clear direction for the department,
Role model the core values of the department
Coach people to alignment and optimal performance on the above
Another reason for using coaching comes from the fact that the fire service industry has witnessed
many management failures
A fire department will benefit from coaching by increasing
Cost Effectiveness Flexibility, Transfer of Learning Mentoring Skill Practice Feedback
Less than ___% of stated objectives are remembered within 7 days of training. Within 60 days, there is less than ____% retention of stated objectives.
20%
5%
To retain information, training must be presented
more often
Coaching provides a much higher rate of transfer because the skills and knowledge are
targeted and immediately used on the job
Both coaches and mentors have the competence to pass on knowledge and skills through
example, inner authority, and dialogue
Certain benefits can be derived from team coaching that are not available in one-to-one coaching, namely
the opportunity to practice skills safely.
practice new skills in a supportive environment prior to trying them out on the job
________ coaching teaches officers better communication skills, increases their understanding of personal style differences, delivers 360 degree feedback practices, and gives them experience in team building.
team
_____ provide an opportunity for members to receive feedback.
groups
_______ feedback is often more powerful than individual feedback.
Group
There are 5 different kinds of coaching
individual pair team group organizational
______ coaching indicates that a given set of learning objectives applies to only one person. It also lends itself to inner work that is related to self-efficacy, self-esteem, perceptual accuracy, and interpersonal attractiveness.
Individual Coaching
______ coaching can form a partnership that maximizes the strength of their relationship or help the two people gain direction in their departmental mission.
It can be a powerful way to help a leader and one of his or her supervisors to strategically plan for departmental or team improvement
It provides a process for dealing with conflict.
Pair Coaching
______ Coaching refers to a department or smaller segment of a department in which the members have regular contact with each other and share common goals and mission.
Team Coaching
These groups may be composed of managers or supervisors of the various departments, various emergency management units, or an organization composed of fire chiefs from around the state.
Group/Shift Coaching
________ Coaching recognizes that behavior is explained by motivation and emotional factors, not simply rational reasons that are implied with the traditional transactional leadership approach.
Constructive Coaching
______ always present challenges to the team coach.
Intact teams
An effective _______ must possess skills and knowledge in the psychology of group development, family dynamics, and conflict management.
team coach
The goal of ______ is usualy educational or visionary in nature and membership varies more frequently than does the membership of intact teams.
Groups
_______ is becoming more vital function in today’s fire departments.
Succession Planning
The roles of fire officers who are involved in career coaching within fire departments include:
Creating succession plans for the organization Facilitating personal insight Educating Action Planning Counseling
Understanding ______ is a must, especially for managers and supervisors who, sooner or later, will direct the activities of culturally diverse employees
cultural differences
_____ theory is a theory of personality development, as well as a theory of psychology.
Alderian
Coaching is intended to:
Help clients perform to their personal best.
Help departments create and hold a competitive advantage through high performing employees.
Create an atmosphere of ongoing learning through mutual accountability and feedback at all levels of the department.
Instill the spirit of service to one another and to the community at large.
What challenges do coaches face?
Challenges can be those that require _____, meaning that a behavior, action, or attitude has been designated as problematic and needs to be corrected.
Or, the challenge can be _____ meaning that the coaching is used to forestall a problem or build strength toward a targeted goal.
Remediation
Proactive
Most rotten behavior is created or at least maintained, by an ongoing,
cyclical system of interactions
People do what they do because ______ within the context of other people.
it works
Feedback loops can be ____ or _______.
negative or positive
_________ Feedback loops reduces deviation or change. _____ feedback loops amplify it.
Negative
Positive
The role of the _____ is to establish and create a setting of mutual respect, dialogue, inquiry, and of goal setting on the way to performance improvement.
coach
In coaching, the bottom line is ___________ enhancement and, to the extent possible, targeted changes are measured.
performance
The goal of coaching meetings is to facilitate alternative possibilities and experiences for:
Helping fire officers see the influence of their immediate sphere of influence - the system.
Helping fire officers learn how to positively impact the system, given the reality that challenges are systemically influenced.
Helping officers overcome what they are doing that gets them the responses they do NOT want.
The quality most people desire in leaders is _____, grounded in respect, and the number 1 value they look for in a leader is _______.
credibility
integrity
Both coaching programs and relationships fail due to a variety of causes and problems, which can be categorized into:
Contextual
Interpersonal
Procedural
Contextual problems for schemes relate primarily to issues of _____,.
clarity of purpose
Clarity of purpose within the relationship is critical for _______ the relationship.
energizing
Two Schools of Coaching:
Traditional -
Developmental-
United States-originated, involving a considerable level of sponsorship or hands-on help, tapping into the authority or influence of the senior partner, with a focus mostly on career progress and primarily a one-way learning experience.
United States-originated, involving a considerable level of sponsorship or hands-on help, tapping into the authority or influence of the senior partner, with a focus mostly on career progress and primarily a one-way learning experience.
United States-originated, involving a considerable level of sponsorship or hands-on help, tapping into the authority or influence of the senior partner, with a focus mostly on career progress and primarily a one-way learning experience.
______ School of Coaching - United states originated, involving a considerable level of sponsorship or hands-on-help, tapping into the authority or influence of the senior partner, with a focus mostly on career progress and primarily a one-way learning experience.
Traditional School of Coaching
_____ School of Coaching - much more of a two-way learning partnership, with the expectation that the client will do things for hi or herself, with the focus more on developing the less experienced person’s capability, and owing its origins more to European experience.
Developmental school of coaching
______ problems for coaching programs arise from the reactions of people, who are not included in the pairings, for example, the client’s direct supervisor or peers.
Interpersonal
_____ problems arise from the ay the coaching program or the relationship is managed.
Procedural
A core skill for a coach is to recognize when to lead and when to enable the client to
lead discussions.
Coaches and clients should be matched based on
Client’s preference
Coach’s preference
Personality Assessment
How to avoid major pitfalls?
Preparation Selection Training Process Ownership Post-Training Support Measurement
The most successful in=company coaching programs train both___
the coaches and clients
Training coaches alone raises the success rate to around ____%
65%
Training coaches and clients and educating officer coaches about the program, pushes the success rate above ____%
90%
_____% of the coaching programs do not meet one or more of the following criteria:
Achievement of a clear business purpose
Achievement of most clients’ personal development objectives
Learning by most of the coaches
Willingness of both parties to engage in coaching again and many coaching programs and relationships meet NONE of these.
40%
Much of the displaced aggression prevalent in the fire service may be attributed to
critical incident stress
Critical incident stress has a ____ effect
cumulative
Coaches need to be aware of potentially unresolved stress in fire officers and must
prepare to deal with it effectively
Most experts agree that _____, _______, and ______ about the incident soon afterward, help manage critical incident stress.
physical exercise,
a work routine,
talking
_______ for firefighters and the fire service family should be a top priority
Pre-incident education
Ins that can do you in:
Intolerance
Inflexibility
Indiscretion
Ineffectiveness - The worse of all the above
Those who treat employees with _____ are inviting legal action.
intolerance
One challenge to coaches is to ensure that _______ officers are replaced with officers who embrace change and can evolve with modern practice.
Inflexible
Nothing matches _______ when it comes to publicly ruining careers.
sexual misadventures
_______ does long term damage to the fire service and the career of the fire officer. It is a failure to perform, failure to do the job of planning, monitoring, and evaluating. They are unable or unwilling to do those things required to make the department function at its best.
Ineffectiveness
Managing ______ of the department consumes most fire officer’s time.
the daily operations
The measures of effectiveness are:
planning
monitoring
evaluating
Outs that can force you out
Out of shape
Out of touch
Out of line
Out on a limb
Many fire officers have discovered that the solution to being out of date is simple -
learn to use the internet effectively
The primary lesson in local politics is to know when to
keep your mouth shut and your ears open
The 2nd shortest way out on a limb is to
defend an unpopular political position in a public forum.
Isms will get you every time:
Ageism
Sexism
Racism
Classism
A ___ is more stable than a dyad, but a ______ creates an odd man out
triangle
____ generated by anticipating or being the odd man out is a potent force in triangles
anxiety
_____ contribute significantly to the development of departmental conflict
triangles
Any two people in a relationship go through cycles of closeness and distance. It’s when they are _____ that triangles are most likely to develop.
distant
One of systems approaches greatest contributions to coaching and organizational change is to stress the importance of
understanding people’s behavior and performance within a social context.
Once you begin to view people within _______ their behavior will seem less strange and will come to be understood as an inevitable, even necessary aspect of the way they or an entire team interacts.
the sphere of influence of their social context
____ is an ally to the coach
crisis
_____ is the tendency for systems to remain the same
negative feedback
The first step in coaching was to _____
formulate an accurate hypothesis of the problem
Effective coaches do not _______ without conducting a broader more thorough analysis of these potential influences
form opinions too early
The sooner the coach can ______ the sooner the issue can be re-mediated
formulate a hypothesis
A _____ assumes a broader sphere of influence; that a person’s behavior affects another person who, in turn, reacts and affects another and so on. The “real” problem is never the behavior of one individual although the challenge will be presented as such.
Systemic focus
____ teaches us that when we behave, we have an effect on others who, in turn, react further affecting the system, and so on.
Systems theory
From a _______ the real problem tends to be the way things get reacted to, not what is said, but the way things are said.
systems perspective
Most communication is
nonverbal
____% of our communication is non-verbal
80%
It is always a good idea to look at the ______ for the source of concern
highest level of influence
There are several different, but _____ work styles or behavior patterns common in people.
predictable
Many departments are turning to _______ and _____ for both firefighters and officers.
behavior assessments and personality trait testing
In the late ‘90’s only ____% used assessments. Today, that figure is climbing to ____%
5%
45%
These assessments measure individual attitudes, values, personal interests, and behavior with ____% accuracy.
85%
Successful officer development programs first begin with ____
self-analysis
The Extended DISC identifies eight unique behavior patterns/styles people fall into:
Implementor -insures actual fulfillment by concrete measures
Conductor-guides, directs, manages, shows the way
Persuader-induces, argues others into opinion
Promoter-initiates and advances new growth, undertakings
Relater-connects, establishes relationships between people and events
Supporter-advocates, maintains, tolerates, defends
Coordinator-brings together, joins for a common goal
Analyzer-studies the factors of a problem/situation in detail to arrive at a solution
_______ also help individuals reduce conflict and get along better.
assessments
The conscious choice of _____ is one mark of an effective leader
behavior
There are 4 main goals that determine behavior:
power
fun
intimacy
peace
Drivers seek ________.
power and challenge
Influencers seek _______.
fun and excitement
Steadfasts seek
relationships and intimacy
Conventionals seek
quality and peace
____% of the employees who lose their jobs will lose them over personality conflicts. Only ____% will lose their jobs because they lack the technical expertise.
85%
15%
Successful fire departments are always illustrated by
successful relationships
______ is the key element for Driver-Driver relationships.
mutual respect
______ in a fire department sounds odd, but never the less, one of the most important issues to understand.
Intimacy
______ relationships are the most common and the most complimentary relationships among the styles.
Driver-Conventional
The goal in the ______ is to develop:
- awareness of which traits you should develop from the other personalities,
- awareness of the motives, needs, and wants of all four of the basic personality styles,
- flexibility in choosing appropriate stylerelated behaviors for given situations
change process
The self-centeredness of the _____ and the selfishness of the _____ presents certain fire service problems, namely that neither tend to give much that the other needs or wants.
Influencer - Driver
In a fire department, ______ and _______ have a most difficult time admitting their inadequacies.
Drivers and Influencers
The majority of fire service personnel are ____ and ______.
Conventionals and Steadfasts
In the fire service, the ______ - ________ relationship allows a great deal of closeness, more than any other of the personality combinations.
Steadfast-Influencer
The _______ style is prevalent in the fire service due to the emergency nature of the job and the opportunity to be admired.
Influencer
Fire chiefs should put ____ in charge of teaching assignments.
Conventionals
________ are an incredible moodsetter for the department and every chief should strive to have at least one on staff.
Influencer
_____ believed that personality was formed by early life experiences. This “drive theory” believes that wer are “driven” by past events that exert their influence on each of us by pushing us along in an effort to reduce tension from the repressed memories of traumatic childhood experiences.
Sigmund Freud
Behavior can be understood from a much simpler framework, one that takes into consideration the following 2 precepts:
motives determine needs and wants
needs and wants determine behavior
In order to be most effective, the superior officer’s/coach’s approach should match the
specific needs of the subordinate
There is a high correlation between the subordinate’s personality and the
style of coaching that is most effective
____ and ______ are more resistant to change, while ______ and _____ are initially more receptive to the change process
Drivers and Steadfasts
Influencers and Conventionals
_____ and _____ are far more likely to successfully commit themselves to performance improvement strategies once their resistance is removed.
Drivers and steadfasts
_____ and _____ are more inclined to slip back into their old behavior patterns or feel unmotivated to complete the performance improvement process.
Influencers and conventionals
To sum it up don’t give these styles what they want. Drivers and Steadfasts want immediate action and behavior modification, but they should get _______ instead. Influencers and Conventionals want a relaxed, attitudinal approach, but they should get ________.
a time consuming attitudinal adjustment instead
a direct process, requiring commitment and behavior modification
______ refers to why the coaching conversation is occurring and what the goals and objectives are
purpose
When the coach fully understands the purpose of the coaching conversation, it is easier for him to decide such things as:
the direction that coaching should take,
what self-sabotaging patterns should be altered
whether the focus should be inner change or outer change,
which stretch goals should be established in order to stimulate growth
which coaching methods and techniques can aid in the process of performance improvement
The general purpose of all coaching is to help someone, or a group,
get better at something, so their performance is improved.
Fire service personnel sometimes fail to explore _______ factors that translate into ineffective performance as well as the available inner resources for coping.
Emotional
the ____ serves as a roadmap for the coach
purpose of coaching
The client and the coach must be clear about both the _____ and the _______.
general purpose of coaching
specific purpose of each conversation
The coaching process can be broken down into 5 steps:
Careful Contracting Comprehensive Assessment Feedback and Action Planning Active Learning Reviewing and Sustaining Success
______ should take place before the individual coaching begins.
A contracting meeting for the purpose of defining expectations
Those who should attend the contracting meeting include:
the appropriate chief,
HR representative
and the person receiving the coaching
The objectives of the contracting dialogue include:
ID of success factors for a specific officer or team’s current and potential role.
Agreement regarding confidentiality boundaries
ID of specific results expected
Confirmation that the chemistry is right
Clarity regarding roles and responsibilities
Agreement regarding milestones and timelines
Agreement regarding financial terms
The second step in the officer coaching process is the _____
assessment of each individual officer
______ are one of the best approaches to understanding the challenges facing the officer being coached. Another excellent approach is ________.
Face-to-face interviews
Shadowing
The ultimate value of the _______ is that the results clearly illustrate areas of strength as wll as those requiring attention.
assessment process
The first order of business in an effective feedback session is to
revisit the agree-upon objectives and to review the ground rules.
Properly preparing the officers for _____ is key to ensuring their willingness to listen, accept, open up, and move into action planning.
feedback
During the feedback dialogue session the coach will continue to refer to ______ then compare them to current performance.
operations requirements,
leader attributes, and
expected service results
The aim is to work within a framework that directs the feedback toward
key objectives
The feedback session typically follows these stages:
Reaffirm ground rules and establish rapport
Review coaching objectives and service context
Describe how to interpret results
Give the officer opportunity to review results
Discuss surprises or frustrations
Highlight strengths
ID development needs
Agree on areas of improvement
Begin development-planning process
The action plan must focus on behaviors that contribute to specific business outcomes and includes:
Strengths, and why they are important in the person’s current role
Development areas
Action steps required, or interventions needed in areas requiring improvement
The type of coaching style that will best suit the development process
Suggestions for active learning or experiential development suggestions
Ways in which direct reports, boss, peers, and others can help
A process for following up with key stakeholders
Key milestones
Once the action plan is complete, _____ will be invited to endorse it.
Key stakeholders
Active learning - Once the key stakeholders agree with the action plan, the coach guides and reinforces the developmental strategies, which can include techniques such as:
action learning role-play case study simulation video feedback shadowing and journaling
_______ is usually supported by a series of monthly meetings involving the coach, fire/officer, and key stakeholders.
Active learning
Approximately ___ months after the feedback session, an abridged version of the initial assesment is conducted to determine the impact of the process on the individual and the organization.
6
_____ is critical for the entire coaching process
follow-up
_____ a solution is the key to increasing in one’s ability to think, understand, learn, choose, and make decisions-in other words self-trust, and self-reliance
co-creating a solution
There is more to coaching than solving a problem. The process for _______ is ultimately what gives the client the confidence to solve other problems as well
addressing a problem
_____ is arguably the most important phase in the coaching process.
Contracting
____ is important in the first phase of contracting
joining
Listening skills
Concreteness - inviting the subordinate to get more specific about the challenging issue
Empathy - your effort to show you understand the subordinate’s concerns
Confrontation - pointing out discrepancies between what the subordinate is saying and what she actually does
Respect - having a deep belief that he or she has the capacity and the resources to handle and resolve the situation
Testing the fire officer’s ability to take responsibility.
A distinguishing characteristic of ______ is that the focus of conversations is on the client’s personal responsibilities for the present problem. Thus they tend to place responsibility on someone or something else, failing to explore inner resources for solving the present problem.
Constructive Coaching
The officer’s greatest leverage for change is
his own response to the issue
the use of _____ is one of the most powerful coaching skills.
immediacy
It is during _____ that you give your own feedback and observations to the subordinate
initial phase of coaching
It is sometimes helpful to address the act of ____ directly through the use of immediacy
retreating
Once you and the subordinate officer have settled on a coaching contract, you need to
clarify goals for the contract
Focusing on ____ is essential
specific outcomes
It is important that the fire officers not confuse _____ with the department’s outcomes, because fire officers and firefighters do it all the time.
personal goals
There are two kinds of goals fire officers need to work on:
service goals-getting external results
personal goals-what the officers have to do differently in how the conduct themselves in order to get the service results for themselves and their shift or battalion
The officer’s personal goals, the challenges they face in pulling off the service goals, must follow the external _____
department’s goals
The entire department gains credibility when the recipients of coaching link personal goals to
departmental service achievements.
Service goals and their measures can be organized into 3 areas:
Bottom line
Work Process
Human relation goals
_____ goals are the reason the department exists, to serve, educate and maintain a sense of community safety
Bottom line goals
______ goals address how the work is accomplished, from the beginning to the end of procedures, projects, and processes in order to achieve the bottom line goals.
Work process goals
____ goals focus on how people collaborate to accomplish both the bottom line and the work process goals
Human relation goals
As a coach, you need to strongly encourage the officer subordinate to identify a _______ for each department goal
measure
It is the coach’s responsibility to ensure that the goal-setting conversation is _____ for best results, starting with the department’s issues and sequencing to the officer’s personal challenge to achieve results.
sequenced
This sequence links ______ results with ______ and with behavior changes in officers. This is vital in this age of fiscal accountability and public demand for services, they are vital for departmental success.
service results with shift behaviors
Throughout the coaching process, you can inquire about all three:
the department’s results
the units results
and the officer’s changes
______ goals are the toughest to measure
human relations goals
Without clear _____ neither the supervisor or subordinate officer is focused enough to choose the most effective course of action
clear goals and measures for those goals
Most officers in fire departments live in a _____ mode - act first, ask questions later, analyze things even later than that
fire-ready-aim
Goals are simple and obvious to understand, but difficult to____
pull off well and consistently
Fire officer ______ in seeking specific goals has more to do with their own reactions to doing the hard work of aiming themselves and their shift, of honing in on specifics
hesitancy
When officers connect _____ they also build in their own feedback system
improvements in their leadership to specific work goals
By the end of_______ a coaching contract would take shape and have specific goals and objectives.
the first meeting
To work with difficult personnel, grasp the GREAT 6 concept:
Get a contract to coach
Relationship before reprimand
Expect great performance
Analyze self as a possible part of the problem
Treat everyone as valuable
6 things a Coach/Leader can do about resistance to change
Getting a contract to work doesn’t refer to anything written. Rather it is a verbal agreement between coach and client about
what the client needs in order to improve
Most “problem” personnel are merely attempting to counter-balance to life forces:
the need to be a unique individual and the need to belong, to be accepted.
This attempt to balance results in problematic workplace behavior
In most cases, the real work place symptoms are often unrecognized, usually undiagnosed and therefore
never addressed
People join organizations, but leave _______ supervisors
under-performing
mean spirited
unethical
uncaring
The coach is equally responsible for performance outcome. As a result, coaches must understand these two vital and complex issues:
Why some people do not perform up to their capabilities.
How to create an encouraging environment that allows people to create and achieve according to their innate desires.
Coaching for _______ is the most challenging task faced by coaches and leaders today.
performance improvement, particularly those who underachieve or misbehave
6 things a supervisor can do to encourage an employee to change:
Lay out the desired behavior change in a calm, objective way.
Acknowledge the employee’s ambivalence about making the change.
Continue to hold the person accountable for their job performance.
Confront the person on their resistance when you see it or hear it.
Put the ball in their court.
Celebrate success.
The ____ meeting between a superior officer and the subordinate is often the most important and usually the most difficult
first
One of the most important considerations for the first conversation is how to make the transition from the
traditional leadership style to one that initiates a coaching relationship.
It is important for all leaders to address ______ before doing anything else.
the obvious change in their style
There are 5 ways to begin a coaching relationship:
- start with a brief statement about what coaching is and why it is important.
- begin with a brief statement about coaching and then begin contracting.
- begin with a brief, broad statement about coaching and then asking the client what his or her goals are.
- start with a brief statement about coaching and then get a sense of the client’s awareness of his or her role in the challenge.
- start in an unusual way that grabs the client’s attention
_____ is a bit unusual and uncomfortable for people that have never done it before, but with a little prodding it is an invaluable tool
role-play
there is essentially one goal when role-playing and that is to
solve the client’s present problem
We highly recommend utilizing a ______ prior to beginning any coaching relationship
personality assessment
Most leadership struggles stem from two sources:
personality style differences
blind spots whereby people are not aware of the negative effects of their interaction on others
An important task for the coach during the first and second meetings is to
establish a positive tone for the meeting
Coaches must be sure that the _______ is clarified during the first meeting.
purpose of the coaching
_______ is particularly important if there has been no voluntary selection of coach and client
clarification
The purpose of coaching includes:
Preparation for a new position
Succeeding a ranking officer who is retiring
Correcting poor performance
Ongoing leadership training
Preparing for leadership following an operations positions
Coaches should clarify the purpose of the meeting at the
beginning of each meeting
During the first meeting, the coach should explain ______ throughout the life of the meetings
what his or her role will be
Coaches should clarify during the first meeting
how they plan to do things
The ______ of the coach is an important issue that should be discussed
attractiveness
______ refers to the level of respect and trust given to the coach by the client
attractiveness
____ means the topic being discussed during the meeting
content
_____ is the less visible qualities possessed by the client that include voice tone, trustworthiness, ethics, demeanor, congruence between spoken words and actions, warmth, etc.
process
It is very important that the coach explain to the client what _____ and _____ are, the differences between the two, and how time will be devoted to each area.
content and process
Be crystal clear about your
coaching motivation
Superior officers who _______ do tremendous harm to their overall leadership reputation.
misuse coaching or who lack awareness of their motives
_____ is by far the most important issue for establishing trust
confidentiality
______ sets the tone for the following meeting and can send the message that the client’s learning is collaborative
wrapping up the meeting
Before entering the second meeting there are several important questions the coach should ponder:
What is the purpose of this meeting?
How should I followup on the client’s thoughts from the first meeting?
Is the client feeling free to work or is he/she there because they feel ordered to do so?
Is our relationship conductive to work?
How should I open the meeting in order to set a working tone?
_____ continue to set the tone for the second meeting.
Coaches
Perhaps the most common error new coaches make is assuming that coaching meetings must
accomplish a task
It is important for the coach to understand that the ______ has much to do with what is discussed
way a meeting is opened
Specific skills are essential for good coaching
Active listening Reflection Silence Clarification Summarizing Mini-Lecturing and Information Giving Modeling and Self-Disclosure Delegation
______ entails assessing and understanding not only the content of the spoken words of the speaker, but the voice and body language as well
Active listening
________ is to restate it, conveying that you understand the content, the feeling behind it, or both
reflection
The purpose of reflecting is
to help clients become more aware of what they are saying
to help clients understand themselves and their behavior
to help clients understand the connection between their behavior and their work performance
to help clients understand the impact of their behavior on others
The use of ____ clarifies and deepens the client’s understanding and communicates that the coach is in tune with what the client is attempting to say
reflection
It is important to use reflection with another, odd skill known as
silence
_____ is a useful tool because you can use the client’s discomfort to place responsibility on them to talk
silence
Little progress can be made until the client is doing at least ___% of the work
50%
______ means to pinpoint the key issues in the client’s statements. It is important to use when the client’s discussion is meaningless or rambling or when the client is confused.
clarification
_____ is a must for all coaches and involves pulling together the myriad of things clients talk about into a coherent, cogent statement that serves to focus clients’ attention toward solutions. It is a good problem solving tool. It tightens the focus and allows the client to focus only on those issues that are relevant to the challenge at hand.
summarizing
A _____ does not stimulate a rehashing of what has already been said but is rather a stimulus for further exploration.
summarizing
_____ enables people to learn from you and from the discussion that follows.
Mini-lecturing and information giving
_____ is useful for getting clients to open up and helps to develop trust. One of the best ways to teach desired behaviors is by modeling those behaviors to clients
Self-disclosure and modeling
There are managerial functions you should never delegate:
motivation training team building organizing praising reprimanding performance reviews promotion
Coaches who view_____ as a primary tool for change, and who hone this skill to perfection, stand a greater likelihood of success from one coaching engagement to another
themselves
Techniques are the tools, but human qualities are the supreme qualification of the good coach -
compassion
sensitivity
encouragement
Without _____ coaching is merely teaching
connecting
A powerful strategy for counteracting the self-defeating feedback loop between self-esteem and actions back to self-esteem is
confirmation
Confirmation can be either
positive or negative
Coaches _____ either the positive or negative qualities of their client
confirm
_____ is the one area where the client is allowed to step back an look at contributors to performance, not simply results, results, results, under any and all circumstances
confirmation
Arguably the most confirming method to have emerged in recent years and one designed specifically for ______ is Playback Theater
storying
_____ is most effective in team coaching
Playback Theater
Four easily recognizable goals include
power
influence
security
perfection
10 factors to help you achieve cooperation
Understanding the source of each person's motivation and why the do what they do The ability to make other people feel important The ability to be tactful and courteous Self-confidence A positive viewpoint The ability to develop people Giving heart-felt praise Being open minded Having genuine enthusiasm Possessing good listening skills
The essential elements of effective pay systems are the ____ and _____.
balance and linkage
____ means that the pay system should never be allowed to get out of control
balance
___ means that there should be a clear and recognizable link between pay and performance
linkage
______ focuses on the connections between goal or objective achievement and performance
Expectancy theory
______ is the belief that people want to achieve things, i.e. to create stability, simplicity, and order in their environment
Gestalt theory
Job characteristics that contribute to motivation
variety autonomy Responsibility Challenge Interaction Task significance Goals and feedback
______ is the most vital leadership skill in the fire service today and one that coaches must develop
encouragement
Encouragers are described as people who listened without judging or condemning. They:
are effective listeners focus on positives cooperate accept use humor and hope stimulate recognize and reward effort are interested in feelings base worth on just being
Discouragers were described as people who were not effective listeners. They:
are ineffective listeners focus on negatives compete and compare threaten and manipulate use sarcasm and embarrassment humiliate recognize only well-done tasks are disinterested in feelings base worth on performance
______ is the key ingredient underlying all positive personal and professional relationships
encouragement
The goal of encouragement is to aid the individual to move from a philosophy of ____ to the more productive _____
i cant
I will
Alfred Adler stated that people do have the capacity for constructive change in their lives and that this change is more likely to occur in a relationship with a person who is
encouraging
To encourage a person:
optimism - a sign of power and potential
permanence - the belief that things that cause negative or bad events in life are permanent
Pervasiveness - the tendency to catastrophize
Personalization - when bad things happen, you blame yourself
It is important that clients take a
self inventory - this identifies strengths, resources, and potential. It accesses and builds self-esteem
Discouragement is a result of high standards that contribute to the feeling that they are not quite enough. Some examples include:
Overambitious
Pessimism
Comparisons
Negative pessimistic thinking falls into the following 4 general categories
to always be right
to always be appreciated
to always be approved by others
to always be in control of oneself
The Extended DISC is an excellent tool for quickly identifying a person’s
assets
The following skills are useful in encouraging and supporting clients:
Listen and attend to others
Clarify the message before talking with others
Use put-ups instead of put-downs
Respond reflectively, while continuing to stay with the other person’s feelings
Look for similarities and places where you can universalize with the client
Give people honest feedback about how they are coming across to you
Encourage clients for their strengths, not their perfections
Help clients to see perceptual alternatives or more positive, effective ways they can look at the world
Agreement skills create a
bond
Two sources of similarities include
common struggles
common interests
Getting people into a yes mood
practice questions that generate a yes response
Making we references
use we, our and us statements
Starting with and instead of but
and keeps both parties in agreement, rather than judge
Your client is more prepared to list _____ than _____
weaknesses
strengths
Your ability to help them develop _____ is one of the most important skills for gaining long-term performance and harmony around the department
perceptual alternatives
Much discouragement is the result of two basic mistaken beliefs about self, others and life.
The first error is in the failure of people to face and accept reality as it is.
The second is in the failure of people to realize all of the possible alternatives still available to them once they face and accept that reality.
An encourager focuses on:
attempts tries any movement beginnings observing struggles recognizing intentions
4 ways to help fire clients be goal oriented:
Assess what they do when they run into problems, then help them act, not catastrophize.
Help clients look at what they do, how they think, and how they feel.
Help your fire client get on course.
Help them to understand that, no matter the circumstances, we create our own experience.
THe Core of Leadership:
Vision Integrity Trust Values Vulnerability Motivation
all motivation is
self-motivation
Help them think like a leader -
Assess your current attitudes and beliefs about self-responsibility - an excellent way to approach this challenge is “sentence completion”
Banish from your vocabulary the expression “It’s not my job”
Refuse to indulge in confusion
Be committed to continuous learning
Over value in exchange for cooperation
Give the employees whom you supervise the resources to be self-responsible
Communicate clearly
Listen with full attention
Empathize with people
Focus on assets
Develop your clients alternative perceptions
Encourage team spirit
Recognize the power of conveying confidence in people
____ and ____ account for more than half of the workforce.
Baby boomers and Silent (veterans)
4 generations and their birthdates
Veterans (1922-1943)
Boomers (1943-1960)
Xers (1960-1980)
Nexters (1980-2000)
_____ make up the larges percentage of the population and workforce
Boomers
_____ do not work. They have little do to with performance improvement and even less to do with motivation.
Performance evaluations
10 reasons to use feed forward
We can change the future
It can be more productive to help people be “right” than prove the were “wrong”
Feed forward is especially suited to successful people
Feed forward can come from anyone who knows about the task
People do not take feed forward as personally as feedback
Feedback can reinforce personal stereotyping and negative self-fulfilling prophecies
Most of us hate getting negative feedback and we don’t like to give it
Feed forward can cover almost all of the same “material” as feedback
Feed forward tends to be much faster and more efficient than feedback
Feed forward can be a useful tool to apply to managers, peers, and team members
____ can often be preferable to feedback in day-to-day interactions
feed forward
12 coaching skills:
Questioning
Contracting the work
Joining
Getting familiar with the client’s challenges
Concreteness
Empathy
Confrontation
Respect
Testing the client’s ability to own their part of the issue or objective
Encouraging clients to set measurable goals
Clarifying the purpose of coaching and/or coaching meetings
Verbalizing expectations
The most important coaching functions include____
sensitivity to others, giving full attention to the speaker, problem solving rather than blaming, and encouraging mutual communication.
Fire service personnel prefer to solve their own problems rather than
simply being told what to do and provided with the solutions
___% indicated that they view either advancement, job satisfaction, or overall happiness in their career as being closely tied to the chief
96%
Command staff place the greatest importance on those coaching functions that _______ whereas non-command staff place the greatest importance on _______. One tends to be task oriented while the other is relationship oriented.
directly improve performance
relationship elements including listening, attention to their ideas and input, encouragement and praise, and understanding the chief’s likes and dislikes.
