7 - Coaching and Training

Probably my best quality as a coach is that I ask a lot of

challenging questions and let the person come up with the
answer. – Phil Dixon

Although they are often used interchangeably, coaching and training are two different things,.
Training is a structured lesson designed to provide employees with the knowledge and skills
to perform a task. Coaching, on the other hand, is a process designed to help the employees
gain greater competence and to overcome barriers so as to improve job performance.

You might picture it as when you were school. During physical education, the gym teacher
(trainer) taught you how to play basketball. However, after learning how to play, you might
have tried out for the school team. Although you had a basic understanding of the game and
its rules, the coach taught you the finer points of the game.

So, as you can see, training and coaching go hand-in-hand. First you train your team with lots
of technical input and support, and then you coach them with tools, such as motivational
pointers, so they can reach higher levels of performance.

Both training and coaching help to create the conditions that cause someone to learn and
develop. People learn by such means as examples, models, forming a picture in their minds of
what they are trying to learn, gaining and understanding necessary information, applying it to
their job, or through trial and error.

Both coaching and training have a few things in common:

• An evaluation period to determine the knowledge, skill, and confidence
levels.

• Defining objectives that can periodically be measured. It helps to break

them into step-by-step actions that can be easily learned. That way, the
learners are able to build upon their previous learning, instead of learning a
long, complicated process all at once.

• Clarifying direction, goals, and accountability. To foster accountability,

involve the person or team in the decision making process.

• Encouraging peer coaching by reminding your team that everyone has a

stake in each other’s success.

• Coaching and training is more than telling people how to do something, it

involves such techniques as skill-building, creating challenges, removing
performance barriers, building better processes, and learning through
discovery (the aha method).

What I hear, I forget.

What I see, I remember.
 What I do, I understand.
- Kung Fu Tzu (Confucius)

• Deal with emotional obstacles by helping the learners through change,

reviewing and pointing out ways that they hold themselves back, and
comforting when they become confused.

• Give feedback by pointing and hinting towards solutions; try to stay away
from critiquing errors.

• Lead by example! Demonstrate the desired behaviors.

Learning

Motivation
The first condition of learning is that the person must be motivated to learn. You cannot teach
knowledge or skills to someone who is not motivated to learn. The learner must feel the need
to learn what you are teaching. Most employees are motivated to do a good job. They want to
be able to perform their tasks correctly. Their motivation is being able to perform their job to
standards in return for a paycheck, benefits, challenges, job satisfaction, etc.

Explain how the learning will help them on the job, become promotable, etc.

Involvement
The next condition of learning is to involve them in the process.

Learning is not a spectator sport. – D. Blocher

Keep their attention by actively involving their minds and emotions in the learning process.
Have them participate by actively practicing skills and discussing knowledge. You cannot
keep a learner’s attention with a long lecture. Normally, the learners’ minds will start to
wander if a lecture is more than 30 minutes. If you lecture too long, very little will be
remembered. Instead, give brief lectures (less than 10 minutes), demonstrate, and then have
them practice – Tell, Show, Do.

Provide feedback throughout the practice period until they can do it on their own. If it is a
large complicated task, then break it down into short learning steps.

The road to wisdom?-Well, it’s plain and simple to express:

Err
and err
and err again
but less
and less
and less.
- Piet Hein, Danish inventor and poet.
Steps to Training and Coaching:

• Give brief instructions (Normally less than 10 minutes)

• Break complicated tasks into small learning steps

• Demonstrate

• Have the learners practice

• Coach until they can do it on their own

• Providing feedback

• Provide Support

Hersey and Blanchard (1977) and developed a Situational Leadership model that aids the
leader in providing the correct level of supervision and motivation. They first developed one
together, and later, Blanchard took off on his own with a slightly modified version. Both
models are correct, they just view the process from different perspectives.

But anyway, a good leader provides the correct amount of training, coaching, and motivation
depending upon the learning level of her students. The process follows a pattern similar to
this:

The Learning Cycle is based upon supervision and arousal:

• Supervision – The employee’s skill and knowledge level determines the
amount of supervision or “directing.” On one end of the spectrum is over-
supervision; on the other end is under-supervision. Under-supervision leads
to miscommunication, lack of coordination, and the perception by
subordinates that the leader does not care. Over-supervision stifles
initiative, breeds resentment, and lowers morale. The goal is to provide the
correct amount of supervision and this is determined by the employee’s skill
and knowledge level.

• Arousal – The task performer’s skill and knowledge level also determines
the amount of arousal or emotional support. This “cheerleading” raises or
lowers the task holder’s arousal level (the inner-drive within our self-
system). The arousal level determines the amount of motivation that drives
our behavior. A certain level of arousal motivates us toward change
(learning). However, too much or too little will over or under stimulate our
behavior. Also, the more “brain-power” a task requires, then less arousal is
required as “over-simulation” will occur and vice-versa. You want some
mid-level of arousal to provide the right climate to learn. Each situation
calls for a certain amount of arousal. Too little arousal has an inert affect on
the learner. This can be compared to a coach pumping her players up for a
game. There is not a whole lot to learn at this time, so she uses a lot of
motivating techniques. While on the other hand, too much has a hyperactive
affect. For example, an algebra professor does not use the same amount of
motivating techniques as the coach as it would be too distracting to the
learners.
The learning cycle can be thought to go something like this:

1. The Avid Beginner – The learners are enthusiastic to learn a new skill and
may be somewhat apprehensive because they are about to enter a change
process. They need clear instructions and lots of feedback because the task
is new, and just a little bit of support to calm the stress of change (learning
something new).

2. The Disillusioned Beginner – Next, the level of technical support from the
coach becomes somewhat lesser so that the learners may experiment with
the learning style that works best. The learners have reached failure a few
times, which means emotional support must increase to keep their
confidence high. This period is difficult for the coach as a lot of technical
support and emotional support has to be provided. Technical support is
needed so that the failures do not become learned (bad habits are hard to
break) and emotional support is required so that the learner does not give
up. The emotional feedback needs to be specific, such as: “You did a
excellent job with the…, now you need to…”; not: “You are doing just fine.
Keep trying.”

3. The Reluctant Learner – At this point, the learners have become capable
in performing their new skill. The amount of guidance drops to just a few
pointers so that they can experiment with the new skill. But, they are still
not confident! The amount of emotional support stays high to help build
confidence.

4. The Expert – Only a small amount of direction and support are required as
the learners are now beginning to take ownership of their new tasks and
responsibilities. They are allowed to perform and encouraged to take on
new responsibilities and new assignments…which causes the learning cycle
to repeat itself…

High

Reluctant Disillusioned
Learner Learner
Support

Avid
Expert Beginner

Low High

Supervision (Instruction)
The Learning Cycle
Training and Coaching Tips

Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Training Styles (VAK)

We learn through three main sensory receivers - vision, listening, and touching (kinesthetic).
Each subject, depending upon the context ant content, has a method for delivery it. This
allows all learners to easily master a subject.

Auditory Delivery Methods

• Begin new material with a brief explanation of what is coming. Conclude
with a summary of what has been covered. This is the old adage of "tell
them what they are going to learn, teach them, and tell them what they have
learned."

• Use the Socratic method of lecturing by questioning learners to draw as

much information from them as possible and then fill in the gaps with your
own expertise.

• Leave plenty of time to debrief activities. This allows them to make

connections of what they leaned and how it applies to their situation.

The visual delivery method has two modes -- linguistic and spatial. Visual linguistic is
learning through written language, such as reading and writing tasks. Visual spatial learning
with charts, demonstrations, videos, and other visual materials. To integrate this style into the
learning environment:
• Use graphs, charts, illustrations, etc.

• Include outlines, agendas, handouts, etc. for reading and taking notes on.

• Include plenty of content in handouts to reread after the learning session.

• Leave white space in handouts for note taking.

• Invite questions to help them stay alert in auditory environments.

• Post flip charts to show what will come and what has been presented.

• Emphasize important points to cue when to take notes.

• Eliminate potential distractions.

• Supplement textual information with illustrations whenever possible.

Kinesthetic is touching and moving. To integrate this style into the learning environment:
• Do lots of hands-on-training.

• Use activities that get the learners up and moving.

• Use colored markers to emphasize important points on flipcharts or

white boards. Ensure the colors are bright enough for everyone in the
room to see.
 • Give frequent stretch breaks (brain breaks).

• Provide highlighters, colored pens and/or pencils.

• Guide learners through a visualization and enactment of complex tasks.

Whole Brain Learning Theory

Our brain is divided into two hemispheres - the left brain and the right brain. The left side of
our brain is the Dr. Spock of Star Trek (the logical side), with characteristics that are:
judgmental, linear, logical, systematic, and verbal. It provides:
• Time orientation
• Language skills
• Mathematics
• Sequential processing
• Analysis
• Detailed
• Quantitative

Our right side is our Henry David Thoreau (the creative side), with characteristics that are:
creative, intuitive, holistic, playful, and visual. It provides these functions:
• Emotion
• Visual-Spatial orientation
• Art and pattern awareness
• Intuition
• Kinesthetic
• Synthesis of information
• Interpersonal

Learning should be orchestrated so that the left and right sides of the brain cooperate. You
must combine the technical step-by-step side of the learning objective with interpersonal and
experimental activities so that both sides of the brain become involved in mastering the
subject matter. Getting both sides of the brain to work on a new skill helps us to learn faster
and retain new skills longer.