Tools for Enhancing Awareness and

Initiating and Evaluating Change

Session 3

LL549Week 3

1. MEETING ETHICAL GUIDELINES AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

2. ESTABLISHING THE COACHING AGREEMENT

Setting the Foundation

3. ESTABLISHING TRUST AND INTIMACY WITH THE CLIENT

4. COACHING PRESENCE

Co-Creating the Relationship

5. ACTIVE LISTENING

6. POWERFUL QUESTIONING

7. DIRECT COMMUNICATION

Communicating Effectively

8. CREATING AWARENESS

9. DESIGNING ACTIONS

10. PLANNING AND GOAL SETTING

11. MANAGING PROGRESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Facilitating Learning and Results

Demonstrate an awareness of the range of assessments available

When to use assessments in coachingSpecific issue tools.Homework reviewStrengths and personal styles assessments.Guidelines for the proper use of assessments,

including user qualifications and principles of feedback.

Assignment for Week Four

Objectives and Agenda

Before you begin working with a clientWhen you start the coaching relationshipWhen a particular challenge comes up that

the client/you want to more fully understandTo help a client get unstuckTo evaluate change

When to Use Assessments in Coaching, Revisited

When a particular challenge comes up that the client/you want to more fully understand

To jump start the process of changeTo provide a comprehensive overviewTo enable the client to feel less overwhelmed

by the enormity or lack of clarity or… they have about this issue

To save time within the coaching session for doing the work

When to Use Assessments in Coaching, Revisited

To help a client get unstuckAn assessment can shine a light on areas a

client may not be aware ofAn assessment can give you information that

helps you guide the client to a new focusAn assessment can shift the way in which you

are coaching and get you out of your coaching ruts

When to Use Assessments in Coaching, Revisited

To help a client get unstuckPaul, a 45 year old accountant, has been

struggling with his time management. Each day he has things on his schedule he doesn’t get to, even though he considers them important. He calls himself a procrastinator.

Tool—From It’s About Time! The Six Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them.

Procrastination as an Example

The Six Styles of Procrastination.The DefierThe Worrier (2)The OverdoerThe PerfectionistThe Crisis-MakerThe Dreamer (1)

Paul’s Results

The DreamerVague thinking, “I wish…”, passive in taking

action, need to be special“Dreamers want life to be easy and pleasant,

so they automatically recoil from anything that might be difficult or distressing.” (Sapadin & Maguire, p.73)

“Dreamer procrastinators think of themselves as special people for whom fate will intervene, making hard work and efficiency unnecessary.” (p. 75)

Paul’s Styles of Procrastination

The WorrierIndecisive thinking, “What if?”, cautious in

taking action, need for security“Lacking confidence in their own abilities,

worrier procrastinators tend to avoid or delay doing things.” (Sapadin & Maguire, p. 109)

“Preferring the safety of the “known” to the risk of the “unknown” worrier procrastinators have a high resistance to change.” (p. 111)

Paul’s Styles of Procrastination

The DreamerAction: Notice when not taking action and

apply STAR:S-turning the vague into the SpecificT-turning the imaginative into the TruthfulA-turning the passive into the ActiveR-turning the romantic into the Realistic

He liked this tool from the book; SMART(Y) goals are commonly used.

The WorrierAction: Each day, do at least one thing you’ve

been putting off. (first thing each day)

 Paul’s Action Plan

What issue or challenge did you identify? What tool did you find to assess it? What does the assessment purport to measure?

Did you feel it measured what it claimed to?How long did it take to complete the assessment?Did you get the results immediately or was there

a wait?Was there a cost?What did you learn from the results?Is this an assessment you would recommend to

other coaches?

Homework Experience: Specific Issue/Challenge

At ICF past conferences assessment tools were displayed by various vendors (many with multiple tools)

The assessments included everything from the Myers Briggs to Emotional Intelligence inventories to Team Diagnostic assessments to a measure of Expatriate adjustment for coaching of global executives after relocation.

There are new assessments being developed all the time to address nearly any issue that a client or organization may bring to coaching.

The Range of Assessments

Available

To you as a coachTo your clientsTo you in building your coaching businessAt this point in the class, what value are you

identifying in assessments?

Value of Assessments as Part of Coaching,

Revisited

Homework review:What barriers do you assess there are to you in

using assessments in coaching?What concerns do you have about the use of

assessments?

Barriers to Using Assessments

Practice and ethical guidelines and boundaries affecting the use of assessments

Who is a qualified user?Tool selectionUse of information

The “Proper“ Use of Assessments

Who is a qualified user?One who has the appropriate training,

education, and experience in using this test for this purpose.

According to the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, qualifications of test users depend on the specific situation and user.

"Each test user must evaluate his or her qualifications and competence for selecting, administering, scoring, interpreting, reporting, or communicating test results. Test users must develop the skills and knowledge for each test he or she intends to use."

The “Proper“ Use of Assessments

Tool selection: The tool selected should align with the client's goal or purpose. The characteristics of the tool are appropriate for the intended

use and client and are of adequate technical quality (rigor) for this use.

Other criteria for selecting may include: Cost Timing (time to take, time to get report, right time to

administer) History of use Norms if needed, and Whether a credential is required to administer and interpret.

These questions are typically sufficient for most uses of assessments in coaching.

The “Proper" Use of Assessments

Use of information:Who will own the data from this assessment

tool?Does only the client have access to the

information, or will an employer or other interested party also have access?E.g., when MBTI and other test data are shared

across teams

How will you provide feedback to the client?Will you partner with another coach/assessor

in doing so?

The “Proper” Use of Assessments

In initial stages of coaching:“Feedback, based on the assessment, is shared

orally and, subsequently, in written form with the client. It is then used to formulate specific objectives for formal coaching.” (Orenstein, 2007)

Giving Feedback aboutAssessments

In the case of more formalized or complex assessments, feedback will often begin with:

An overview of the assessment itselfA clear explanation of the test results and of any

quantitative data or visual depictions (e.g., graph)In the case of some assessments (e.g., online

Values quiz, Strengths Finder 2.0), the client may have all the necessary tools to begin to interpret the results themselves. Your role as coach is to ask questions that expand their awareness and help them identify actions to take in response to their new understanding.

Basics of Effective Feedback on an Assessment Tool

Remember the basics—the client is the expert on themselves. As many coaches say “the client is inherently creative, resourceful, and whole.”

The assessment data include the client’s reaction to the assessment results (the story they tell).

You and your client are partners in determining what these results mean and how to best use them.

Basics of Effective Feedbackon an Assessment Tool

Powerful questions include:What do you notice?How much of this rang true for you?What is this telling you?What are the expected positives in these results?

What are the unexpected positives? (especially 360s with other raters). (Starting with positives can support openness.)

Basics of Effective Feedbackon an Assessment Tool

Powerful questions include:What do you want to pay attention to? What do

you find yourself wanting to avoid or disagree with?

What did you see that you were expecting in the results? What were the surprises?

Did this tool give you the information you were looking for?

How will you make use of this information?What does this assessment suggest about a next

step you'd like to take?

Basics of Effective Feedbackon an Assessment Tool

In Leverage Your Best, Ditch the Rest, Blanchard & Homan share their assessment "Scrubdown" and offer two levels of interpretation:

Item analysis-look at the items and those you said were "false". What gaps do these suggest in your life?

Pattern analysis-categorize the "false" responses into one of eight areas that help determine coaching priorities (e.g., Manage Your Gifts, Eliminate Your Tolerations)

What is the best approach for your client?

Example of Different Kinds of

Feedback on an Assessment Tool

Who I am and how it comes across in my behavior and preferences

Personality and StyleAssessments

Clifton Strengths Finder: http://gmj.gallup.com/book_center/strengthsfinder/default.aspx (you must purchase a book (about $15 on BN.com or Amazon.com to get access to this measure)

Value added with action plans generated on site, and with adaptations such as Core Clarity's visual presentation of the results.

VIA Signature Strengths: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/register.aspx

Looking at a Client's Strengths

Yields your top 5 strengths from a total of 34 options.

Example:Strategic: Sorts through clutter to find best

route, Sees patterns where others see complexity, Sees potential obstacles and around corners

Ideation: Fascinated with ideas, Enjoys changing perspectives, Always looking for connections, Gets jolt of energy with new ideas

Clifton Strengths Finder

Maximizer: Strengths fascinate them; Difficult for them to lower standards; Strives to get the most out of everything; Excellence, not average, is only standard of measure

Connectedness: Things happen for a reason; We are part of something larger; Considerate, caring and accepting; Sees connections between disparate things

Learner: Loves to learn, Loves short projects in new areas, Process of learning - not result or content - is exciting

Clifton Strengths Finder

Clifton Strengths Finder: Core

Clarity feedbackExternal (Others)

Inte

racti

on

Motiva

tion

Internal (Self)

CONNEC

TM

OBIIZ

E

REFLE

CT

ENERGIZ

E

Clifton Strengths Finder: Core Clarity feedback

STRATEGIC

I E T O D A I N

MAXIMIZER

CONNECTEDNESS

LEARNER

1

2 3

4 5

Given these five key strengths,Where does your client notice these playing

out in his life and work? For example, does the Maximizer (“Excellence, not average, is the only standard of measure”) trait cause him/her to hold onto a project longer than is effective?

How can your client leverage these strengths fully?

Clifton Strengths Finder Coaching Possibilities

Given these five key strengths,What choices will maximize his or her

opportunities to rely on these strengths?What are the shadow sides of these strengths?

Where might excessive reliance on them get in the way of results?

How do the strengths play out in teams? Where does your client want to seek out those with complementary strengths?

Clifton Strengths Finder Coaching Possibilities

VIA Signature Strengths: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/registe r.aspx

What is the impact for the client of recognizing his/her strengths as assessed by one of these measures?

What are the differences between the VIA and the Clifton? When would you use one, and when the other?

 Looking at a Client's Strengths:

Interpersonal Organizational

• Sociability• Recognition• Conscientiousness• Exhibition• Trust• Nurturance

• Alertness• Structure• Order• Flexibility• Creativity• Responsibility

Dedication Self-Control

• Ambition• Endurance• Assertiveness• Boldness• Coachability• Leadership

• Self-confidence• Composure• Tough-mindedness• Autonomy• Contentment• Control

Winslow Dynamics Profile Traits

Traits that define the unique aspects of our personality.

Influential Traits

Traits that define the unique aspects of our personality.

Influential Traits

Group ScoreNurturance

TrustExhibition

ConscientiousRecognition

Sociability

0 2 4 6 8 10

Interpersonal Traits

Group ScoreResponsibility

CreativityFlexibility

OrderStructureAlertness

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Organizational Traits

Group Score Leadership

CoachabilityBoldness

AssertivenessEndurance

Ambition

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Dedication Traits

Group ScoreControl

ContentmentAutonomy

Tough-MindedComposure

Self-Confidence

0 2 4 6 8 1012

Self-Control Traits

Your personal preferences for Being in the world/what energizes you (Introversion or

Extroversion) Experiencing things, gathering information (Sensing or

iNtuitive) Decision making (Feeling or Thinking), and Degree of closure desired (Judging or Perceiving)

One of the most heavily used and familiar of all the personal style instruments. Most people who’ve been in the work force for some time will be familiar with this. This may mean it is useful for shorthand communication.

(“Oh, you are an ISTJ. That explains it.”) This may contribute to not valuing the measure, or being

blind to the insights it can offer.

Looking at a Client’s Preferences: MBTI

Measures observable behavioral style. It tells us “how” people do things: Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness, Conscientiousness

All people exhibit all four behavioral factors in varying degrees of intensity, measured by the instrument on a scale from 0 – 100 %. The four combined measures form a person’s DISC profile.

Often used in combination with the PIAV (Personal Interests, Attitudes, and Values), an assessment that measures the relative importance of underlying motivators--the “why” of people doing things.

Looking at a Client’s Preferences: DISC

High Dominance style described in the interpretive reports.General Characteristics section: “He projects a self-

assured and self-confident image.” (high D)From Value to the Organization section: “Usually makes

decisions with the bottom line in mind” (D)From Descriptors section “Ambitious” (D)Each factor is understood in combination with other highs

and lows, for example: Optimistic and enthusiastic” (I); Mobile” (low S); “Careless with Details” (very low C) may be other qualities of this high D individual.  

References: Exemplari Professional Business Coaching www.exemplari.com; www.discprofile.com/whatisdisc.htm

Looking at a Client’s Preferences: DISC

How might you use these individually based assessments (Strengths Finder, Winslow, Signature Strengths, MBTI, DISC) in teams and organizations?

Expanding a Client’s Preferences to Organizations