Business Coaching Handbook

8/2/2019 Business Coaching Handbook

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NASA

Business

Coaching Handbook

A Guide for NASA Human Resources Professionals

August2006


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Contents

I. Overview

Introduction......................................................................................................................................1

WhatIsBusinessCoaching?............................................................................................................1

NASAsStrategicApproachtoCoaching........................................................................................3

CharacteristicsoEectiveCoaches...............................................................................................4

TheBeneftsoBusinessCoaching.................................................................................................4

CandidatesorCoaching..................................................................................................................5

NASACoachingOptions.................................................................................................................5

InternalCoaching.............................................................................................................................6

ExternalCoaching............................................................................................................................7

SupervisoryCoaching......................................................................................................................9

II. The NASA Coaching Process

Step1:MeetwithCenterCoachingPOC......................................................................................10

Step2:CoachAssessmentandSelection.......................................................................................10

Step3:Coaching............................................................................................................................11

Step4:PeriodicAssessments.........................................................................................................11

Resources.......................................................................................................................................11

III. Participation Forms

FormA:CoachingApplication......................................................................................................12

FormB:CoachingPreerencesGuide...........................................................................................13

FormC:CoachingAgreement.......................................................................................................18

FormD:MidpointAssessment......................................................................................................20

FormE:FinalAssessment.............................................................................................................22

FormF:FollowupAssessment......................................................................................................27

FormG:SupervisoryAssessment..................................................................................................29


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Introduction

This handbook describes what business coaching

isandhowitisbeingmadeavailabletoNASAem-

ployees.NASAiscommittedtodevelopingitsgreatest

asset, itsemployees.Whilealreadyheavily invested

intechnicaltraining,NASAhasbecomeincreasingly

awareof theneedformanagerstobalancetechnical

skillswiththehumanresourcescapabilitiesthatwill

motivate employees to reach their full potential.The

practiceofcoachinghasbeensuccessfullyintroduced

What is Business Coaching?

Businesscoachingfocusesonaligningorganizational

and individual goals to improve individual perfor-

manceandmissionresults.Threedifferent typesof

coaching relationships areused atNASA: external,

internal,andsupervisory.Withexternalandinternal

coaching,thereisafacilitative,one-to-one,mutually

designed relationship between a coach andan indi-

vidual. Supervisory coaching occurs in the course

of day-to-day interactions between managers and

employees. Coaching benets the Agency by foster-

ingimprovedperformance,andbyproducingresultsthat areobservable,measurable, andcommensurate

with the performance requirements of the person

beingcoached.

Coachingismosteffectivelyemployedwhenitisused

todooneormoreofthefollowing:

1.Addressindividualandorganizationalchange

whichwillimprovemissionperformance

2.Enablepersonaltransformationand

career-roletransition

3.Supportthedevelopmentoffutureleadersfor

theAgency

4.Address a specic problem area or challenge

5.Facilitatethecreationofanorganizational

culturethatvalueslearning,creativity,and

continuousimprovement

Executivecoachingincludesprinciplesfromsports

coaching such as teamwork, personal excellence

andgoingforthegoal.Butunlikesportscoaching

executive coaching is not about competition. An

executive coach focuses on helping an individu-

allearnwhat ittakes forhim or her to improve

existing capabilities, setmeaningful goals, and be

accountable for his or her results. A coach helps

an individual identify, understand, and eliminate

barrierstomoreeffectiveperformance.

atmanyCentersasaneffectivemeansofdeveloping

theNASAworkforce.Becauseofthepositiveimpac

coachingactivitieshavehadtodate,NASAhasestab-

lishedcoaching asaprimarytool forimplementing

itsHumanCapitalStrategicPlan.TheNASACoach-

ingDevelopmentTeamhascreatedthisguidetohelp

humanresources (HR)professionalsunderstandand

usecoachingeffectivelytoimproveindividualandor-

ganizationalperformance.


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Business coaching is often confused with other

employee development elds such as mentoring

andconsulting.Thefollowingtableillustratesthe

differences between business coaching and other

formsofdevelopment.

Development Expertise Conversation

BUSINESS COACHING: A coach concentrates on personal

and professional success. How effective is the individual at

achieving their goals and getting what they want out of life?

Coaching is future-focused, aimed at identifying and under-

standing barriers and designing strategies and actions to

eliminate those barriers and improve effectiveness. Knowledge

resides with the individual being coached.

I know how to help you

identify and design

learning strategies and

actions that will work

best for you.

What have you tried?

How has this worked?

What else can you try?.

TRAINING: A trainer provides a structured program based on

personal knowledge. The focus is on the acquisition of specific

knowledge or skills. The trainer has the knowledge.

Here is what I know

about this subject.

Research and experi-

ence have shown this to

be the best way.

MENTORING: A mentor provides knowledge, information, and

advice based on his/her experience. The focus is on passing on

guidance that helped the mentor be successful in a similar

situation in the past. The experience resides with the mentor.

My experience has

been that you should

do it this way.

This is how I did it.

CONSULTING: A consultant gives expert advice.The focus is

on acquiring a specific technical expertise.The consultant has

the knowledge.

I know how, and this is

what you are paying me

to tell you.

This is how to do it.

TRADITIONAL SUPERVISON:A supervisor provides direction

and guidance regarding the execution of specific duties. The

focus is on understanding how to do the job a specific way.

Knowledge resides with the supervisor.

I know how, and this is

what you must do.

Do it this way.

COUNSELING OR THERAPY:A counselor or therapist

provides support in enabling individuals to deal with experiences

that are negatively impacting their lives. The focus is on recon-

ciling the past. Understanding resides with the individual only

after the counselor has supported the reconciliation process.

Knowledge eventually resides with the individual.

I know how to guide

you to psychological

well-being.

What happened in the

past that is inhibiting you

from getting what you

want out of life today?

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT: An expert guides and directs

actions based on experience and knowledge. The focus is on

actions or behaviors that are being executed poorly or incor-

rectly. Knowledge resides with the athletic coach.

I see what you are

doing wrong and I

can show you how

to improve.

You need to do this in

order to achieve the

results you want.


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Thescarcestresourceintheworldisleadership

talent,capableofcontinuouslytransforming

organizationstowinintomorrowsworld...all

peoplehaveuntappedpotential...withcoaching

andpractice,wecanallgetbetteratit.

NoelTichy,The Leadership Engine

NASAisimplementingcoachingAgency-wideaspart

ofitsStrategicHumanCapitalPlan(SHCP)initiative

inresponsetothePresidentsManagementAgenda.In

part,theAgendastates:...Agenciesmustmakebet-

ter use of the exibilities currently in place to acquire

anddeveloptalentandleadership....Humancapi-

talstrategieswillbelinkedtoorganizationalmission,

vision,core values,goals,and objectives.. . .High

performance will become a way of life that denes

thecultureoftheFederalservice....Thesystemwillattractandretaintalentedpeoplewhowill demand

and deliver sustained excellence and high levels

ofperformance.

Pillar 3.0 of theNASA SHCP is Learning: NASA

promotes a knowledge-sharing cultureanda climate

ofopenness, continuous learning and improvement.

FlowingfromthisareGoal3.1,NASAhasaclimate

ofopensharingofrelevantknowledgetofacilitatebest

practices, promotepersonal andprofessional growth,

andavoidfailures,andStrategy3.1.1,Strategicallyinvest in training anddevelopmentopportunities, in-

cludingcoachingandmentoring,andfosteraclimate

ofcontinuouslearningandimprovement.

TheSHCPPillar5.0,Leadership,statesthatNASA

ensuresithasleaderswhoareadaptable;whoinspire

motivate, andguideothers towardgoals;whomen-

torandchallengetheworkforce;andwhodemonstrate

high standardsofhonesty, integrity, trust,openness

andrespect.Goal5.1ofthispillarstatesthat,NASA

recruits,selects,hires,andretainsadiverse,high-per-

formingcadre of leaderswho are nurtured through

training and development opportunities, which

concurswithStrategy5.1.2,Providementoring

training,development,andcoachingopportunities

to equip employees to assume leadership positions

withintheAgency.

NASAsstrategyfordevelopingcoachingformission

resultsisthree-fold:

1.Toprovideleaders,managers,andsupervisors

withtraining,experience,andtoolstoincorporate

coachingconversationsintotheirdaily

professionalwork.

2.Todevelopinternalcoachingexpertiseasacost-

effective,cross-Agencyresourcetodrawfrom,

andtoensurethatNASAhastheexpertisetobe

asmartbuyerofcoachingservices.

3.Tocontinuetoutilizeexternalcoachesand

organizationaldevelopmentspecialiststobuild ontheAgencysinternalefforts.

NASAs Strategic Approach to Coaching


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Executive coacheshelp individuals set and achieve

desiredgoals andnecessary results. Coaches utilize

questionsandassessmenttoolstohelpindividualsbe-

comemoreeffective.Throughtheinsightgainedfrom

assessment tools andobservationsbythecoach, in-

dividualsbecomemoreself-awareof their strengths

andbarriers,anddevelopstrategiesandplanstoreachtheirgoals.

The role of a coach is that of a nonjudgmental,

strategicbusinesspartner.Thecoaching relationship

isbuiltontrust.Coachingconversationsmustremain

condential between the individual and the coach in

orderfor thepartnershiptowork.WhenNASApro-

videscoaching, therelationshipextendsto theindi-

viduals supervisor, who helps dene the performance

goalsandprovidesfeedbackonprogress.

Coaches at NASA must demonstrate knowledge

throughtheirpastexperienceandapplicationofbasic

competencies.NASAhasadoptedthecompetencies

identied by the International Coaching Federation

Characteristics o Eective Coaches

(ICF).First, thecoachmustmeet theethicalguide-

lines of theprofession.Other competencies include

theabilityto:

Establishacoachingagreement

Establishatrustingrelationshipwith

thecoacheeBefullypresent,attentive,andspontaneous

Expressactivelistening

Askpowerfulquestions

Beadirectcommunicator

Createandraisepersonalawareness

Designandcreateactionplansand

actionbehaviors

Developplansandestablishgoalswith

thecoachee

Managetheprogressofthecoacheeandhold

themaccountablefortheiractions

Inadditiontotheabove,effectivecoachesbelievein

thepotentialoftheirclientanddemonstrateapersonal

integrityinwalkingthetalk.

Therearemanyreasonswhyanindividualmaychoose

toworkwithabusinesscoach.Thismotivationcanbe

describedingeneraltermsasadesiretoimproveper-formance,rebalancepriorities,andincreaseawareness.

Improve Performance

Thereissomethingatstake(achallenge,stretch

goal,oropportunity)thatisurgentandcompelling

Thereisadesiretoaccelerateresults

Thereisaneedandadesiretobetterorganizeand

becomemoreself-managing

Thereisaneedtoimproveperformancethat

requiresmorethantheacquisitionofnew knowledgeorthedevelopmentofnewskills

Rebalance Priorities

Workandlifeareoutofbalance,andthisiscreating

unwantedconsequences

Thereisaneedforacoursecorrectioninworkor

lifeduetoasetback

Thereisadesireforworkandlifetobeless

stressfulorcomplicated

Increase Awareness

Thereisaperceivedgapinknowledge,skills,

condence, or resources

Anindividualhasastyleofrelatingthatis

ineffectiveorisnotsupportingtheachievementof

relevantgoals

Thereisalackofclarity,andtherearechoicesto

bemade

Theindividualissuccessful,butthissuccesshas

alsogeneratednegativeconsequences

Thereisadesiretoidentifycorestrengthsand

effectivelyleveragethem Theindividualwantstoparticipateinarigorous

andhonestself-appraisal

Resultsfromcoachingcanincludeimprovedperfor-

mance andworking relationships, better teamwork

and reduced conict. When coaching produces

betteralignmentbetweenpersonalandorganizationa

valuesandgoals,theresultsoftenincludeincreased

jobsatisfactionandorganizationalcommitment.

The Benefts o Business Coaching


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Optimalcandidatesforcoachingareexecutiveswho:

1.Realizethattheyneedtoimprovetheirperfor-

mancebutrequiremorethantheacquisition

ofnewknowledgeorthedevelopmentof

newskills

2.Areopentoparticipatinginarigorousand

honestself-appraisal

3.Arewillingtoaskforhelpandrealizethat

someoneelsecanassisttheminbecoming

moreeffective

4.Arewillingtodevotethetimeandefforttowork

withthecoachtomakechangesoveraperiod

ofmonths

5.Arewillingtotrustanotherpersonandtalk

abouttheirstrengthsandchallenges

Executivesconsidering coaching should thinkabou

career goals and how coaching could help achieve

them. Executives may also nd it helpful to ask

themselves questions that will clarify their expec-

tationsforthecoachingpartnership,suchas:Howdo

expectcoachingtohelpmereachmygoals?Arethere

other activities, such as training or mentoring, tha

better t my developmental needs at this time?

Candidates or Coaching

NASAsgoalincoachingistoequipemployeeswith

thetoolsandopportunitiesneededforself-develop-

ment.Acoachservesasacatalysttotheindividuals

development. Inperforming asastrategicbusiness

partner, a coach demonstrates credibility and the

ability to forge partnerships of trust, inspire com-

mitment, focus on goals that matter, promote per-

sistence,andaskthetough,strategicquestionslead-

ingtoperformancebreakthroughs.Becauseofthis,

NASAworkstoensurethatemployeeshaveaccess

tocoacheswho possessabroaddiversityofback-

grounds(jobfunction,gender,culture,etc.).NASA

hasbothaninternalandexternalcoachingcapacity

Ultimately,selectionofacoachwillbebasedupon

thecoachsexperienceandskillandhis/herabilityto

relatetotheindividualbeingcoached.NASAbuilds

itscoachingcapacityinternallyandexternallyasde-

pictedinthefollowingdiagram.

INTERNAL COACHING CAPACITY

Certified Coaches

Organization Development

Human Resources Management

Community

SUPERVISORY

COACHING CAPACITY

Managers

Supervisors

Group Leaders

EXTERNAL COACHING CAPACITY

Professional Coach

Experts who serve the NASA

community at largePosition-related experts

NASA Coaching Capacity

NASA Coaching Options


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Internal Coaching

Internal coaching is a facilitative one-to-one, mu-

tually designed coaching relationship between a

NASA civil servant certied coach and a key NASA

employee who is accountable for highly complex

decisionswithwidescopeofimpactontheNASA

organization,government,andindustryasawhole.

Theprimaryimpetusforengagingincoachingisor-

ganizationalperformanceordevelopment,eitherof

whichmayhaveapersonalcomponentaswell.The

resultsproduced from this relationship areobserv-

able,measurable,andalignedwiththeperformance

requirements the individual (or NASA organiza-

tion)hasestablished.Coachingservicesarearranged

throughNASAHeadquartersortheCenterCoaching

PointofContact(POC).

Inadditiontothecharacteristicsofaneffectivecoachdiscussedpreviously,NASAhasestablishedthefol-

lowingstandardsforselectinginternalcoaches.

Coaching CertifcationAllinternalcoachesmust

have coaching credentials from an ICF-certied

trainingprogram.

Tested ExperienceThe coachmusthave the ap-

propriatelevelofcorporateexperiencetounderstand

the developmental, political, and environmental

needsoftheemployee.

Skilled at Problem DiagnosisIfdiagnosticinstru-

mentsareused,thecoachmustbeappropriatelycer-

tied to administer those instruments to assess gaps

help identify blind spots for the individual being

coached, determine outcomemeasurements(score

cardsforaccountabilities,pre-andpostassessmentstomeasure360-degreefeedback),andfacilitatecom

municationandfeedback.

Results OrientedThe outcomes of thecoaching

relationship should specifyhow the coaching suc

cesswouldbemeasured,evaluated,andrealizedby

individual performance improvement and NASA

missionimpacts.Additionally,acoachingagreemen

fortheemployeeshouldbeestablishedupfrontand

rened throughout the coaching relationship.

Knowledge and Application of Coaching Compe-tencies, including Interpersonal Competencies

Thecoachmustdemonstrateknowledgethroughpas

experience and application of competencies previ

ously identied.


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External Coaching

External coaching has all the same components as

those identied for internal coaches with the excep-

tion that the relationship is between a key NASA

employee and a trained and certied coach hired

fromoutsidetheAgency.Insomecases,NASAwill

use noncertied coaches based on previous perfor-

mance.Thesecoachingservicesareprocuredthrough

NASAHeadquartersortheCenterCoachingPointof

Contact(POC).

Inadditiontothecharacteristicsofaneffectivecoach

discussedpreviously,NASAhasestablishedthefol-

lowingstandardsforselectingexternalcoaches:

Tested ExperienceCoaches are required to have

therequisitenumberofdocumentedyearsofcoaching

expertise intheskill areato beaddressed. ICF cer-tication is preferred. Ideally, the coach should have

workexperienceatorabovetheleveloftheindividual

beingcoached.Thishelpstoensurethatthecoachhas

theappropriatelevelofcorporateexperiencetounder-

standthedevelopmental,political,andenvironmental

needsoftheindividual.

Skilled at Problem DiagnosisThecoachshouldbe

appropriately certied to administer a variety of diag-

nosticinstrumentstoassessgaps,helpidentifyblind

spots for the individual being coached, determineoutcomemeasurements(scorecardsforaccountabili-

ties,pre-andpostassessmentstomeasure360-degree

feedback),andfacilitatecommunicationandfeedback

Whenprocuringthecoach,thecontractlanguagewil

specifythetypesofdiagnosticinstrumentsthatwillbe

usedaspartofthecoachingeffort.

Results OrientedThe outcomes of the coaching

relationship should specify how success would bemeasured,evaluated,andrealizedbyNASAmission

results.Additionally, a developmental plan for the

individual should be identied up front and rened

throughoutthecoachingrelationship.

Familiarity with Industry and GovernmentAt

aminimum,thecoachshouldhaveaworkingknow-

ledgeofNASAsstrategicgoals,theNASALeader-

ship Model, and the Ofce of Personnel Management

(OPM) Executive Core Qualications (ECQ). This in-

cludesbroadlyunderstandingtheinternalsystemcon-

structsofNASA(science,engineering,administrative)

aswellas theexternalenvironmentinwhichNASA

operates,suchastheFederalgovernment,leadership

challengesinthepublicsector,andunderstandingthe

localenvironment.

Knowledge and Application of Coaching Compe-

tencies, including Interpersonal Characteristics

Thecoachmustdemonstrateknowledgethroughpas

experienceandapplicationofcharacteristicsandcom-

petencies previously identied.


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Required Qualifcations or External Coaches

Thecontractorwillbeprovidedthefollowingmatrixasameansforratingandrankingpotentialcoaches.

% of Rating Rating Areas Excellent Meets Fails to Meet

10 Number of Years of

Experience

10 + 7-9 5-6

10 Certification ICF approved Other coachingcertification or relevant

graduate degree

Related universitycourse work

(human behavior, OD,

psychology, etc.)

20 Skill and method of

problem diagnosis*

Very high degree of

proven ability. Use of

valid & reliable tools &

methods

Usually high degree ofproven ability

Moderate degree of

proven ability

25 Ability to achieve

results*

Always meets goals

identified in Coaching

Agreement

Meets goalsidentified in Coaching

Agreement toa degree

Usually meets goals

identified in Coaching

Agreement

10 Familiarity with

industry and

government

Broad experience

in both industry

and government,

specifically with

technical/scientific

organizations

Broad industryand government

experience

Broad industry or

government

experience

20 Knowledge and

application of coach-

ing competencies,

including interpersonal

characteristics

Possesses all of the

characteristics of

effective coaches

identified in the NASA

Coaching Guide to a

high degree of skill

Possesses all of thecharacteristics, some

to a lesser degreeof skill

Possesses most of the

characteristics, some

to a lesser degree

of skill

5 Discretionary High degree

of additional

qualifications

Some additionalqualifications

Minor additional

qualifications

Total 100%

*DegreeofprovenabilityinProblemSolvingandAbilitytoAchieveResultswillbeascertainedthrough

examplesoftangibleevidence.


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NASA has identied coaching as a basic supervisory

competency.Supervisorycoachingiseffectivewhen:

1.Itbecomesawayofconductingeveryday

communicationandisnotanevent,and

2.Itisfocusedonincrementalperformance improvementthroughincreasingself-awareness.

Animportantroleofthesupervisoristocoachem-

ployeesinthecourseoftheireverydayinteractions.

All NASA managers, supervisors, and team leads

are expected to have a level of prociency in coach-

ing their employees. This real-time coaching in-

volves day-to-day observation with immediate,

practical feedback on performance and behavior.

A supervisor may pinpoint performance problemsorareas andskills needing improvement.Real-time

coaching can boost an employees condence and

enablehimorhertobetterunderstandhis/herstrengths

andhowtousethem.Coachingshouldalsobeapart

ofdevelopmentalplanningdiscussions.Thekeytoan

effectivesupervisorycoachingrelationshipistrust.The

employeeneedstoknowthat the supervisorhashis/

herbestinterestsaswellastheorganizationsneedsa

heart.Coachinghelpsemployeesreachtheirfullpoten-tial,whichmovesthemandtheorganizationforward.

If done properly, supervisory coaching is not an

additionaltask.Itisawayofbuildingunderstanding

betweensupervisors andemployeesthrough day-to

dayconversations.Supervisorycoachingstrengthens:

Performance

Sharedunderstandingofpriorities

UnderstandingofAgencyandCentermission

andgoals

Workingrelationships

Two-waycommunications

Supervisory Coaching


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Formal coaching relationships arebased onwritten

agreementsbetweenthecoachandtheindividualbe-

ing coached. Thiswritten agreement delineates the

goalsandmutualexpectationsforhowthecoaching

relationshipwillwork.Theindividual,coach,andsu-

pervisormustbein agreementregardingthedesired

resultsofthecoachingrelationship.

NASAHeadquartersandCentersshouldaligntheir

coachingeffortstothephilosophyandstrategyout-

linedintheseguidelines.Thecoachingprocessmay

begininavarietyofwaysincludingconversations

withhumanresourcesspecialists,supervisoryrefer-

rals,orbyemployeerequest.Ingeneral,theprocess

consistsofthefollowingadditionalsteps.

Step 1: Meet with Center Coaching Point ofContact (POC)

If the employee is condent that he or she can benet

fromcoachingandiswillingandreadytoparticipate

inthecoachingprocess,thenextstepistosetupa

meetingwiththecoachingPOCathisorherCenter.

Priortothismeeting,theemployeewillbeaskedto

completea coachingapplication(FormA).This re-

questformisdesignedtohelpthePOCbetterunder-

standtheindividualsneedsandprofessionalgoalsas

he/shebeginsthecoachingprocess.

During the meeting with the POC, the individual

needstocompleteapreferencesguide(FormB).This

questionnaireisdesignedtohelpthePOCidentifythe

learningoptionthatisbestsuitedtomeettheindivid-

ualsdevelopmentalneeds.

Step 2: Coach Assessment and Selection

BasedontheinformationprovidedinStep1,apoolofpotential coaches will be identied for the employee.

The individual will then review the coaches identied

andconductinterviews.

Selecting a Coach

Eachcoachhashisorherownuniquestyle,person-

ality, strengths, preferences, andweaknesses. Simi-

larly,eachindividualhashisorherownuniquedevel-

II. The NASA Coaching Process

opmental needs, personality, preferences, andlearn-

ingstyle.Forthisreason,selectingthebestcoachis

an important rst step in ensuring the success of the

coachingengagement.

The best way to select a coach is to review the

biosoftwoorthreecoaches,andthenconductascreen-

ing interview with those that meet the individuals

personalcriteria.Bothduringthescreeninginterview

andthroughout thecoaching process, theindividua

should continue to rene and adjust his/her assess-

mentofhowthecoachishelpinghim/hertoachieve

thestatedobjectives.

Screening Interview Questions

Describeyourcareerhistory

Whatcoachingeducationandtraininghave

youcompleted?

HaveyouworkedwithFederalagenciesbefore?

WithNASA?

Haveyoucoachedindividualsatmylevel?

Canyouworkwithmetohelpmeunderstand

howtoworkmoreeffectivelywithothers?

How will you maintain my condentiality?

Describeyourcoachingapproach

Whatassessmentinstrumentsdoyouuseaspart

ofthecoachingprocess?

Howwillyoumeasureimprovement/success?

Howwillyoukeepmeaccountableforresults?

Howdoyounormallycommunicatewith

coachingclients?

Whattypeofclientsdoyouworkwith

mosteffectively?

Whataretheessentialskillsforbeinganeffectivecoach?

After the interview process is completed the indi-

vidual will contact the Coaching POC to nalize

selectionofacoach.


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Step 3: Coaching

Atthebeginningoftherelationship,thecoachtypically

conducts anassessment.Assessmentsaretoolsused

togatherinformationaboutanindividualsvalues,be-

haviors,competencies,goals,interests,andpotential

opportunitiesfordevelopment.

Thisassessmentcanrangefrombeingveryformaltoinformaldependingonwheretheindividualisinthe

developmentprocessandhis/herpastexperience.

An informal assessment may consist of a brief

questionnaire, face-to-face discussion, or simple

observation.The coachwill determine the appro-

priate assessment instrument tool to use in the

coachingprocess.

Assessmentsareused inacoaching relationshipasawaytoprovidevaluableinformationtoguideandfo-

custherelationship.Assessmentsprovidenewexplana-

tionsforbehaviors,discovernewpossibilities,generate

a baselineof information about the individual being

coached, build the coach/client relationship, and fa-

cilitate identication of the coaching intervention. All

assessment data will be kept condential between the

clientandthecoach.

Once assessments are completed, the coachwill re-

viewthedatawiththeindividualbeingcoachedandprovidefeedback.Thecoachandcoacheethenwork

togethertocreateadevelopmentplanandasetofob-

jectivesbasedonthedataresultsandtheindividuals

goals.Thecoachandindividualwillalsoidentifythe

rolesofstakeholders(includingtheindividualssuper-

visor and the coaching POC); signicant milestones

relatedto their progress; andmeasuresof success.

Additionally,thecoachandtheindividualwillwork

outthetermsandlogisticsofthecoachingrelation-

shipandgainappropriateapprovals.(SeeFormC:

CoachingAgreement.)

Step 4: Periodic Assessments

Midpoint Assessment

TheMidpointAssessmentwillbeconductedhalfway

intothecoachingcontract.Thisassessmentisdesigned

totracktheprogresswiththecoachingcontract,re-

lationship,andcoaching process. During this phase

someofthefollowingquestionsmaybeasked:

Whatisworkingwell?

Whatneedsimprovement?

Howcanwedothingsdifferently?

Areweontracktoaccomplishingourgoals?

After this assessment, the coach sends the com

pletedassessmenttothecoachingPOC.(FormD:

MidpointAssessment.)

At this time, the coachandcoacheewilldetermine

whethertostoporcontinuethecoachingrelationship.The coach gives the coachee the nal assessment form

tocompletealongwithapreaddressedenvelopeand

instructions. This information is kept condential, and

onlyaggregateddataisgiventothecoachandNASA

AsampleFinalAssessmentformisincludedintheback

ofthisguide(FormE).Atthistimeanassessmentfrom

thesupervisormayalsobeobtained(FormG).

Followup Assessment

The nal phase of the coaching assessment process is

theFollowupAssessment.Thisisnormallyconducted

sixmonthstoayearaftertheendofthecoachingcon-

tract.AFollowupAssessmentformisincludedatthe

backofthisguide(FormF).

Resources

Foradditionalresourcesregardingcoaching,visit: http:/

nasapeople.nasa.gov/training/coachmentor


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Form A: Coaching Application

Name:

E-mailaddress:

Phonenumber:

Position/title:

Lengthofservice:Senior Executive Service (SES) member? YES NO

Preferred characteristics of coach (gender, background, style, special expertise, etc.) or specic preferred coachinthelocalgeographicarea:

Professionalgoals:

Goalsandreasonfordesiringcoaching:

Listanyrelevantassessmentsyouhaverecentlyhadthatcouldbeprovidedtothecoach:

Haveyoueverhadacoachbefore?Ifso,whatwasyourexperience?

Howsoonwouldyouliketogetstartedwithacoach?

Otherconsiderations(typeofcoaching,availability,etc.):

Supervisorsname: Supervisorse-mail:

Supervisorssignature: Date:


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Form B: Coaching Preerences Guide

Please circle the number below that most accurately reects your attitude regarding each question.

1. To what extent would it be benecial for you to receive advising from a person higher up in the

NASAhierarchy?

2. To what extent do you feel that condentiality is important when addressing your work priorities?

3.Towhatextentdoyouthinkthatsomeoneinapositionofauthoritydirectingyourworkhabits

andschedulewouldbeuseful?

4.HowimportantisitthatapersonadvisingyouhasathoroughunderstandingofNASAs

organizationalpoliciesandprocedures?

5.Howimportantisitthatyouhaveaclearmeasureofyourprogressafterreceivingadvice?

6.Towhatdegreeisthegoaloftheadviceyouareseekingprimarilyforpersonaldevelopment?

7.Towhatdegreeisyourpersonallifenegativelyaffectingyourjobcapability?

Not at allbeneficial

Moderatelybeneficial

Highlybeneficial

1 2 3 4 5 6 7



Highlybeneficial

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Not at all Somewhat Very much

1 2 3 4 5 6 7


1 2 3 4 5 6 7


16/33

8. I need to learn and practice specic new job skills that I lack.

9.Towhatextentdoyouthinkthatsomeonesimplytellingyouwhattodoatworkwouldbe

benecial for your improvement at work?

10. To what extent would it be benecial for you to receive advising from a person who will have

the ability to evaluate your job performance at an ofcial level now or in the future?

11. To what degree is condentiality important to you in the process of receiving advice

andfeedback?

12. To what extent is a friendly, collegial relationship between you and an advisor benecial for your

improvementatwork?

13.Howimportanttosuccessfuladvisingisanadvisorsexpertiseontheparticularsofyourwork?

14. To what extent do you think that evaluation of your work performance would be benecial

forimprovement?



Highlybeneficial

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Stronglydisagree

Agreesomewhat

Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7



Highlybeneficial

1 2 3 4 5 6 7



Highlybeneficial

1 2 3 4 5 6 7



Highlybeneficial

1 2 3 4 5 6 7


17/33

15.Towhatdegreeisthegoaloftheadviceyouareseekingprimarilyforcareerdevelopment?

16.Ibelievethereislittle,ifanything,thatIcandotoimprovemycurrentworksituation.

17. Training in a specic area is less important to me, at this time, than advice on my general

careerpath.

18.Ineedtodiscusstheinternalpoliticsofmyorganizationandhowitaffectsmycareerpath.

19.Towhatextentisitimportantthattherelationshipbetweenyouandyouradvisorisan

equalrelationship?

20. To what degree is condentiality important in your being comfortable enough to openly discuss

yourworkpriorities.

21.Towhatextentisastrongpersonalrelationshipimportantbetweenyourselfandtheperson

advisingyou?


1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly

disagree

Agree

somewhat

Strongly

agree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Stronglydisagree

Agreesomewhat

Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Stronglydisagree

Agreesomewhat

Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7


18/33

22. To what extent would it be benecial for you to work with someone who has more experience in

your eld than you have yet acquired?

23. Clear benchmarking of my progress at work would be benecial.

24.Towhatdegreeisthegoaloftheadviceyouareseekingprimarilyforthedevelopmentofa

particularareaorstructurewithinNASA?

25.Towhatdegreeisyourworklifenegativelyaffectingyourpersonallife?

26. There is a specic area of knowledge that I wish to acquire for my work.

27.Itisimportanttometohaveadvicefromasuperiorwithintheorganization.

28.Towhatextentwoulditbehelpfultohaveadviceanddirectionfromapersonwhoisina

positionofauthorityinyourworkarea?

29. To what extent do you feel that condentiality is important when addressing how to make

changesinyourwork?



Highlybeneficial

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Stronglydisagree

Agreesomewhat

Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7


1 2 3 4 5 6 7


1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Stronglydisagree

Agreesomewhat

Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Not at allhelpful

Somewhathelpful

Extremelyhelpful

1 2 3 4 5 6 7


19/33

30.Towhatextentiscleardirectionandplanningofyourworkfromasuperiormoreimportantthan

havingtheabilitytoplanyourworkwithyoursupervisor?

31. To what extent does an advisors expertise in your specic area of work impact their credibility

ingivingyouadvice?

32. To what extent would a clear and quantiable measure of your work and progress be benecial to

yourwork?

33.Towhatdegreeisthegoaloftheadviceyouareseekingforthedevelopmentoftheorganization

forwhichyouworkatNASA?

34.Ineedtodiscusssomepersonalmattersaboutmysenseofwell-being.

35. There are specic skills that are important for me to acquire for my work.

36.Itisimportanttometoreceivecareeradvicefromasuperiorwhocouldhelpguidemycareer

development.


Somewhatbeneficial

Verybeneficial

1 2 3 4 5 6 7


1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Stronglydisagree

Agreesomewhat

Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7


1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Stronglydisagree

Agreesomewhat

Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7


20/33

Form C: Coaching Agreement

We are voluntarily entering into a formal coaching relationship partnership, which we expect to benet NASA

andus.Thefollowinghighlightsthefeaturesofourpartnership:

1.Coachingpartnershipobjectives:

2.Coachingmilestonesrelatedtoobjectives:

3.Measuresofsuccessrelatedtoobjectives:

4. Specic role of the coach and key stakeholders:

Coach:

Client:

Otherkeystakeholders(manager,peers,directreports,andcustomers):


21/33

5. Specic logistics of the coaching partnership: (Please include expected start date, end date,

contact locations, durations, frequency, total time estimates by activity, travel logistics and cost

estimates, methods for staying in contact, etc.)

6.Theclientwillgainthecommitmentofhis/hersupervisorby:

7. We will honor the following condentiality agreement:

Thisagreementremainsineffectfor12months.Theagreementmaybeterminatedatanytimeby

eitherthecoachortheindividualbeingcoached.

Signature: Signature:

IndividualBeingCoachedCoach

Instructions:PleasecompleteandreturnacopyofthisformtoCambriaConsulting

(fax:617-523-7817;E-mail:[email protected]),aswellastothecoachees

localCentercoordinatorforthecoachingprogram.


22/33

Form D: Midpoint Assessment

1.Whatcoachingactivitieshaveyouparticipatedinsincethestartofthecoachingprocess?

2.Towhatextenthavethesecoachingactivitiescontributedtoyourgoalssofar?

3.Iamontrackinaccomplishingmycoachinggoals.

4.Therehavebeenchangesinmygoalssincebeginningcoaching.

5.Iftherehavebeenchangesinyourgoals,whatarethey?

6.Asaresultofthecoachingthusfar,IhavehadanimpactonthemissionofNASA,

myorganization,and/ormyownpersonalmission.

Very little Moderately Very much

1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


23/33

7.Whatwasthisimpact,ifany?Howdidthecoachingcontributetoorenableit?

8.Thecoachingrelationshipisworkingextremelywell.

9.Thecoachingrelationshipisnotworkingwell.

10.Whatneedsimprovementorisntworking?Identifyconcerns,disappointments,andareas

forrevision.

11.Mycoachiswillingtoadapttochangesinourcoachingrelationship.

Name:Date:


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


24/33

Form E: Final Assessment

Results of Coaching

1. My coach helped me to set focused and clearly dened goals.

2.Towhatdegreedidyouaccomplishthegoalsthatyouset?

3.Whatgoalsdidyouaccomplishthroughcoaching?

4.Arethereanygoalsthatyoudidnotachieve?Ifso,whatarethey?

5.Whatnewskillshaveyoulearnedthroughcoaching?

Not at all Moderately Completely

1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree

Neither agreeor disagree

Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5


25/33

6.IhaveappliedthenewskillsIhavelearned.

7.Whatbehaviorshaveyouchangedorwhatnewbehaviorshaveyoulearned

throughcoaching?

8.IhaveappliedthenewbehaviorsIhavelearned.

9.Ihavebecomemoreopen-mindedinhowIapproachmyworkasaresultofcoaching.

10.Iammorewillingtoparticipateinlearningordevelopmentalactivitiesasaresult

ofcoaching.

11.Asaresultofcoaching,IhavehadanimpactonthemissionofNASA,myorganization,and/or

myownpersonalmission.

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5


26/33

12.Whatwasthisimpact,ifany?Howdidthecoachingcontributetoorenableit?

Coaching Relationship

13.Whatproblemsdidyouencounterwithyourcoachorthecoachingprocess?

14.Howwereproblemswithyourcoachorthecoachingprocessaddressed?

15.Mycoachwasveryeffectiveinhelpingmeachievemygoals.

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5


27/33

16.Inwhatway(s)wasyourcoacheffectiveinhelpingyouachieveyourgoals?

17.MycoachandIwerecompatible.

18.Mycoachgavemeconstructivefeedback.

Supervisory Relationship

19.Ireceivedencouragementandsupportfrommyimmediatemanager/supervisortoparticipatein

thecoachingprocess.

20.Inwhatway(s)didyourmanager/supervisoroffersupportorencouragement?

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5


28/33

HR Relationship

21.Ireceivedencouragementandsupportfromhumanresourcestoparticipateinthecoachingprocess.

22.Inwhatway(s)didhumanresourcesofferyousupportorencouragement?

Name: Date:

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5


29/33

Form F: Followup Assessment

1.Thegoalssetbymycoachandmecontinuetobeuseful.

2.Towhatdegreehaveyoumasteredthegoalsyousetwithyourcoach?

3.Towhatdegreeareyouutilizingtheskillsyoulearned?

4.Towhatdegreeareyouutilizingthebehaviorsyoulearned?

5.Iammoreopen-mindedinhowIapproachmyworkasaresultofcoaching.

6. Have you identied new goals and are you working on achieving them?

7.Areyouinterestedinengaginginacoachingrelationshipinthefuture?Ifso,why?


1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5


30/33

8.Iammorewillingtoparticipateinlearningordevelopmentalactivitiesasaresultofcoaching.

9.Towhatdegreehaveyoubecomemoreinterestedinlong-termdevelopmentsinceyourcoaching

experience?

10.Howcanthehumanresourcesstaffhelpyoutocontinuewithyourowndevelopment?

Name: Date:

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Not at allinterested

Moderately Extremelyinterested

1 2 3 4 5


31/33

Form G: Supervisory Assessment

Employee Coached

1.Therehasbeenanimprovementinmyemployeesperformanceandeffectivenesssinceengaging

inexecutivecoaching.

2.Therehasbeenanimprovementinmyorganizationsperformancesincemyemployeeengaged

incoaching.

3.PleaserateyouremployeesperformanceimprovementinthefollowingNASALeadershipModelExecutiveDisciplineCompetencies.Circletheappropriatenumberforeachcompetencylisted.

Knowledgeoftechnicaldiscipline

Abilitytocommunicateandadvocatediscipline-relatedknowledge

Abilitytoactivelyleadandmanagechange

Abilitytomaximizehumancapitalandbuildemployeecommitment

Abilitytoachieveprogramgoalsandobjectives

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement

Exceptionalimprovement

1 2 3 4 5

Stronglydisagree


Stronglyagree

1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5


32/33

Judgmentanddecision-makingability

Abilitytobuildtrustandsupportiverelationships

Abilitytomanageself-development

Abilitytounderstandandleveragetheinformalorganization

Abilitytodesignprocessestoachieveresults

Ability to anticipate and fulll customer needs

Ability to efciently allocate and manage resources

Abilitytounderstandandrespondtointernalandexternalstrategy,policy,andregulations

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Little

improvement

Moderate

improvementExceptionalimprovement

1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5


33/33

Knowledgeofinformationtechnology

Abilitytocaptureandshareknowledge

Knowledgeofpoliciesthatregulateinternationalpartnerships

Understandingthecultureofinternationalpartners

4. Please cite a specic example of the employees improved performance or effectiveness that can

beattributedtothiscoaching:

Employeename:

Supervisorname:

Supervisorsignature:Date:

Little

improvement

Moderate

improvementExceptionalimprovement

1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Littleimprovement

Moderateimprovement


1 2 3 4 5

Documents

Business Coaching Handbook