CEMENT

Coaching Guide
Actively develop people at work
2008 Edition
COACHING GUIDE
Introduction

“Is the Cement Division good at developing its

people?”

We cannot answer the question by the yearly

number of training courses or the days spent in
training. The answer lies more in "how good we are
in applying our learning to the day-to-day activity".
And pushing that is what coaching is about, what
management is about too.

This "coaching-guide" wants to contribute to a more

deliberate and structured effort to develop "people
at work".

For you as "coach" it is a "job-aid" to establish

effective coaching relationships with your direct
reports. It helps you to set objectives, create and
follow up action plans, push people further in their
development.

For you as "coachee" who are starting a new job,

or taking on new assignments, or developing new
skills, it will help you to reflect on your progress.
The guide will show you how support and feedback
from your coach help you to apply new skills,
deepen understanding and adjust ineffective
behavior.

For the "Cement Division", it is crucial that we

create an effective coaching climate because that is
the only way to prepare people for "empowerment":
feeling responsible and taking initiative. Sending
them to training is one thing, helping them to apply
what they have learnt effectively, cope with the
stress of independent decision making, develop
effective working relationships, is something else.
Empowerment and coaching go together.

Helping you, managers and learning professionals,

to do that, is our mission and our contract to you.

Cement Division Training Director

INTERNAL PUBLICATION
Editorial Staff,
Cement Divison Training Department,
Dominique Decina.
Photographic Credits,
Lafarge Media-Library
Conception / Print,
Vassel Graphique

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 1

 COACHING GUIDE
Content overview

ESSENCE OF COACHING
03 What is coaching?
04 Who can benefit from coaching?
05 The effect of coaching
06 Different styles of coaching

PRACTICAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

07 Set up a coaching process
08 Feedback
09 GROW Model
SMART Model

10 Individual Development Plan (IDP)

11 Questioning and active listening

READING AND REFERENCE

13 Books & articles
Internet

TOOLS TO USE
16 Scenario of a "coaching session"
17 Learning Journal
Individual Development Plan (IDP)

19 Coaching contract
21 Coaching follow up
25 Reflection tool for the coach
27 Reflection tool for the coachee
29 A5 leaflet
31 CD

2I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER

ESSENCE OF COACHING

What is coaching?
The main objective of coaching is:
• To create awareness for the coachee of his own behavior,
“Coaching”:
the effect in terms of performance, and his progress. the action of guiding others
• To help the coachee develop ‘action strategies’ to cope with
towards the development of
the difficulties and challenges he meets in his job, technical their own skills and behavior.
and interpersonal.

The “Learning Cycle”

As a coach you create opportunities to try things out, to have a first
experience. Through your feedback and questioning you help the
coachee to process what he experienced and to build assumptions
about ‘how it works’. With him, you plan for action, follow up his results,
give him feedback and help him to process his new experiences.

• Create an experience: Objective,

assignment, project, real work
• From a training
activity, set EXPERIENCING
• Give feedback
application on what you saw
objectives for employee do
new learning • Question on
points what happened
• Help to find • Help employee
new ways of APPLYING PROCESSING
think about
doing it better what he saw
• Give new • Encourage
assignments sharing and
involving comparing with
new skills / peers, colleagues,
competencies experts
GENERALIZING
• Follow up
• Help to draw conclusions from experience
(expert, reference documents)
• Suggest readings, CBT assignments
• Prepare learning objectives for a training activity
• Enroll to a training session

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 3


Who can benefit from
coaching?
Everyone needs support, a listening ear, needs to look
at what he is doing from another angle through the
feedback and mirror of someone else.
Three situations however need specific coaching
support:
• New employees.
• Professionals who change jobs or get promoted.
• Professionals before and after attending a formal
Training session.
For coaching you need two active partners:
the coachee and the coach. Within that relationship,
the coach plays different roles
The Coach
“Whenever you perform a task which somebody else
could do, you prevent yourself from doing a task which
only you can do”.
1 - Mirroring
You play the role of the camera, and allow the
coachee to look at himself: the effect of his
behavior on performance and work relationships.
2 - Questioning
By questioning the ‘coachee’, the coach creates
awareness, brings the coachee to another level of
under-standing and helps the coachee to explore
alternatives for action.
3 - Supporting and Listening
Learning, especially on the job, creates stress.
The “fear of failure” could even make it impossible
for the coachee to learn. The coach "supports" the
coachee in three distinctive ways:
• Advice and consulting,
• "Moral support" for a coachee who needs to
know that making mistakes is part of the learning
process,
• "Sounding board" for the coachee to bounce off
his ideas, reflections, plans…
4 - Creating "stretch activities"
As long as somebody
is only confronted
with situations he
completely masters,
he will learn nothing.
And it is comfortable!
You have to set up learning
opportunities which are
challenging but which, at the same time, are "safe
enough" and do not over stretch the coachee to a
point where he starts to panic. Learning involves
some risk, but without jeopardizing the business,
or safety of others. Sufficient explanation, up front
training, pairing up with an experienced colleague
are situations to enable experimentation.
4I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER
ESSENCE OF COACHING
The Coachee
The coachee is co-owner of the relationship and
influences the quality of the support he gets.
Here is some advice on how you could improve
the relationship:
1 - Be Open and assertive
Once things are on the table, everything can be
solved, but if you keep your fears, frustrations
and uncertainties to yourself, they will become
significant obstacles to performance.
2 - Share success and failure
It is important to share these with your coach.
He can help you capitalize on successes and
help you to avoid failure in the future.
3 - Don’t wait till it’s too late
A small problem can become a really big one
with time: solve it or let people know about it!
Always plan action well before the target date,
not the day before.
4 - Prepare the coaching meetings
Try to define what you want, what your objectives
are and what you want to talk about. Use a
"learning journal" (see toolkit). It is a way of
creating for yourself an awareness of your
feelings ; select the issues you want to bring
in during the coaching meetings.
5 - Do not think "Why?" but "Why not?"
In front of challenges do not think "why do
I have to do that?". Challenges are learning
opportunities that will make you stronger
in your job.
6 - Communicate your "needs for support
and coaching"
Give feedback to your coach about how he
should act, and make his time useful for you.
THE COACHING
RELATION-SHIP
The coaching relationship has to
focus on the development of the
coachee. It is however possible that
the coahee doesn't necessarily see
the learning opportunities in the
challenges is he faced with. The
coaching relationship has to create
enthusiasm and commitment to
learn.
1 - Coaching time is coachee’s
time
As a coach, make sure the
coachee uses this time to
think, to reflect and to map
alternatives.
2 - Coaching is an ongoing
process
In order to be successful, the
relationship has to build up
with time.
Both coach and coachee
have to get acquainted and
be comfortable with this way
of working. The needs of a
coachee also change during
the process and the coach
has to adapt to those needs.
3 - The coach cannot take over
The coachee should not “pass
the monkey” to his coach. The
coach will help the coachee to
find solutions, alternatives, etc.
by himself, but will not solve
problems for him. The coachee
learns when he solves his own
problems. So, do not take this
learning opportunity away.
 ESSENCE OF COACHING

The effect of coaching The right approach comes

from experience and the best
Coaching creates a different atmosphere in a team, in a working relationship.
experience comes from using
a wrong approach.
It brings you and the coachee closer to each other, but that doesn’t mean that you lose your authority as the
boss. You are expected to keep your full managerial responsibilities, which of course includes coaching and
developing your direct reports

1 - Mistakes and Failures get a new meaning in a coaching context. Without risks, trials and errors or new
situations, no learning takes place. The coach has to create a climate in which mistakes are accepted as
part of learning. During the coaching moments these mistakes are exploited not in a negative way but in a
positive way, as an opportunity for moving forward and developing new insights for the coachee.

2 - Coaching provides a better assessment of the coachee’s competencies and progress.

This is useful for defining the ‘development needs’ and adapting the management style
to the coachee’s needs. It will also provide factual objective information for yearly appraisal interviews, for
instance.

3 - It gives you the possibility to celebrate progress and successes and to regularly reinforce "positive beha-
vior". Coaching is not about focussing only on "what goes wrong".

4 - It actively involves the coachee in his own development process and it offers a possibility
to create realistic career perspectives and expectations.

5 - Coaching makes the investment in formal training more profitable by setting learning
objectives linked to the coachee’s reality and following up on the application in the field.

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 5

 ESSENCE OF COACHING

Different styles of coaching

To be effective, a good coach should adapt his style to two of the coa-
chee’s characteristics:

• His level of competence and knowledge (“Skill level”)

• His level of commitment, confidence and initiative

These two factors will determine:

• How much ‘expertise’ you have to bring as a coach. To what extent

you have to ‘tell’ the coachee what to do and how to do it.
• How much ‘support’ the coachee needs in order to have enough
confidence to take risks, “have a go”, take the initiative etc.

This block-chart lists four different coaching styles. The coach will
constantly assess the progress of the coachee on both axes, so he
can effectively adapt his coaching style and gradually replace directive
coaching by more participative or consultative interventions.
CONFIDENCE-INITIATIVE (coachee)

HIGH

Consulting Delegating
LOW

Directing Participating

LOW HIGH

SKILL-LEVEL (coachee)

It is very important to discuss the required coaching style between

Empowerment:
coach and coachee. It sometimes happens that coachees get settled
Giving people “power”, which
into the comfortable situation of ‘Just do as I’m told’. It might be
means the faculty or capacity to
comfortable, but it is not the objective of coaching and it doesn’t
act, the energy to make choices
lead to empowerment.
and decisions.

6I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER

PRACTICAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

We will describe in this section some techniques, give you some tips and
examples and indicate tools you can use to support your interventions
as a coach. Further on in this guide, you’ll find a short description of
these tools and on the floppy disk there are all necessary templates
ready to use.

Set up a coaching process Coaching is important, but

never urgent. If you want it to
Although the situations in which coaching takes place might be very dif- happen, plan it in advance.
ferent a few ‘key moments’ are common for all cases.

1 - Start Up
It is important to have a "meeting" where you ‘set up’ the coaching
process. The objective of this "kick off" is:
• To create a common understanding of what coaching is
• To motivate the coachee to be an active player in the process
• To define the role of the boss in this process
• To agree on a plan for the coaching sessions
We would advise you to formalize this in a "coaching contract" (see
tools)

2 - Coaching sessions
To make sure you create some kind of regularity in the process, it is
good to schedule the coaching sessions well in advance (six months
or so). Good moments to do that are, for instance, just before the coa-
chee participates in a Training program, (to clarify the objectives) or just
after that, to plan their application. You can structure the session
along the GROW Model (described further in this section) and use
the “Coaching session scenario” (see Tools to Use section).

3 - Ad Hoc Feedback moments

It might be important to give immediate feedback after observing a
specific "activity". If the coachee intervened in a meeting, took a
specific decision, etc. these might be very powerful moments and an
opportunity for very specific feedback and for motivating coachees. It
shows the coach’s commitment and involvement in what the coachee
is doing.
The first time a coachee achieves a specific result or completes a cer-
tain activity successfully, is a very powerful moment for learning. The
art of coaching is recognizing some of those ‘turning points’ in the
behavior of coachees and by acknowledging them, building additio-
nal development opportunities to solidify these ‘newly acquired beha-
viors’ and moving the development forward.

4 - Process Checks
After a few months of coaching and several coaching sessions it
might be good to give the coachee a definite opportunity to give the
coach feedback on his coaching activity. It’s also a chance for the
coach to reflect on the overall process and the results of the coaching
process (see tools).

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 7


Feedback
Feedback is the process by which
the coach confronts the coachee
with his ‘observations’ and ‘fee-
lings’ and provides information to
the coachee on how his behavior
or performance is perceived by
others (including the coach).
A JOB-AID FOR
CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
To keep a feedback session
constructive use these simple
pointers:
• I saw you … (doing this or that)
• I felt ……. (convey your fee-
lings)
• I interpreted it as …….
(optional)
• I want you to or I suggest that
you… (express your expecta-
tions)
The objective of feedback is
to allow the coachee to change
the way he does things and
consequently the way he is
perceived by others.
For the coachee, feedback is
not only important, but sometimes
also very difficult. This has to do
with the fact that feedback is
information that can contradict
what the coachee ‘thought’ he
was doing, or conveying, as
messages to the outside world.
Feedback can reinforce and
encourage repetition of desired
behaviors, or it can discourage
behaviors that do not have the
intended effects. In other words,
it has nothing to do with
"criticism". Feedback is always
"well intended", it means to be
constructive. It gives information
about the effect of people’s
behaviors on others and so it
helps them to be more effective
in their actions and better
understood by other.
8I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER
PRACTICAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Some simple rules
for constructive Feedback
Play the ball, not the player (concentrate on behavior and not on the person)
TO DO TO AVOID
I see that you were not in the You were not in the meeting this
meeting this morning. morning. You’re such a "nutcase"
I understand you forgot it. I don’t one day you’ll forget your head
like it because... I want you to somewhere Make sure it doesn’t
make a note in your agenda. happen again.
Be specific in your comments
TO DO TO AVOID
You said to me "I’ll think about it". You’re never clear when you say
Does that mean you will consider something to me. What does that
it and if you find an answer you mean "think about it"?
will let me know?
Use Personal Statements
TO DO TO AVOID
I saw you a few times arriving You’re always late and then people
late to our briefings. I don’t like have to start explaining things
it because... again or else you are excluded
from things we are involved in.
Describe, don’t evaluate
TO DO TO AVOID
When John asked you to help You are a difficult guy to work with
him, I saw you asked him several and not very cooperative.
questions on why, what, etc.
before you agreed helping him.
I interpreted this as…
Give your feedback as soon as possible after the observation
TO DO TO AVOID
In the meeting we just had, you Remember, six months ago
said to the maintenance manager when you said to the maintenance
A FEEDBACK SEQUENCE
... manager...
Patrick, I read your new version
of the proposal you are writing.
Check that everyone understand what you said I see you did not use the spell
TO DO TO AVOID check. This makes me your
Could you give an example of what Do you understand me? proofreader. I feel this is not a
you could do now, that applies to Do you agree? good use of my time, so I want
the feedback I just gave you? you to systematically check your
texts for spelling before you ask
me to read them.
Create the opportunities for reacting and ventilating feelings
TO DO: TO AVOID
I understand this feedback Just say if you don’t agree?
might be difficult for you. Could It’s obvious you are not…
you describe for me what feelings
are going through your head at
the moment?
PRACTICAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

GROW Model SMART Model

An effective It goes through four logical steps for building Good action plans A simple checklist that will help formalize the
way of structuring the next "things to do" with the coachee. It is start with ‘SMART’ objectives in a way that they are:
your coaching important that it is the coachee who builds the objectives • Clear
conversation answers to the questions. The coachee’s • Operational
awareness of what is going on and responsibility • Possible to follow-up
for what’s coming next is key, for a successful
coaching relationship. Specific
GOAL • One outcome at the time
• Precise description of the standard
• What is the subject matter or the issue on which you would like to
work? Measurable
• In the long term what is your goal in relation to this issue?
• How will the reality be once you have achieved your goal? • Include meaningful quantitative data
• How will you know that you have accomplished your goal? • Include qualitative ‘observable’ changes, behavior, …
• Include qualitative ‘feedback sources’: customer satisfaction,
Reality
Accountable
• What is the present situation in more details?
• How much control do you personally have over this issue? • Does the employee have control over the levers to achieve
• What action steps have you taken so far? Results? the objective?
• What stopped you from doing more? • Empowerment? Autonomy for decisions?
• What are the consequences for you if things go wrong? • Can he create his own strategy for performance?
• What will happen with the other people who are involved?
Realistic and challenging
Options
• Not too much?
• Make a list of all the alternatives, large or small, complete and partial • Limit also the number of objectives SMART
solutions. (between 3 – 6) OBJECTIVES
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these in turn? • Not too far from the results of last year? CAN BE VERY
• Which of the possibilities will be the easiest for you? • Adapted to the competency, maturity STUPID
• Which of the possibilities will give you most satisfaction? of the employee?
• Enough support in place? So, before formali-
Will • Is it pushing the borders for the employee? zing, make sure
• Is it opening new areas of competence? that:
• What will you finally do? Which options do you choose to act on? • The objectives
• How will you know if you are successful? Time-Bound are consistent with
• What could prevent you from taking these steps or meeting the goal? the mission and
• What personal resistance do you feel to taking these steps? • Clear deadlines values of your team
• What could I do to support you? • Intermediary reporting moments foreseen or organization
• Who do you need to inform others about your actions? • They are suppor-
ting the business
objectives and
priorities
• The ‘performance
measures’ are not
pushing people to
do the opposite of
what you need
them to do

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 9

 PRACTICAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Individual Development
Plan (IDP)
1 - What is it?
The Individual Development Plan is a tool that helps to formulate the It is essential that the follow-up
issues or challenges coachee are facing, what coachee need to do, to looks at what the coachee does
reflect on what competencies the coachee need to develop further and differently, and not at how many
to identify the ‘learning opportunities’, on or off-the-job to help him learning activities he or she
learn to do that. It allows him to plan and follow up on his progress. went through

It is not a ‘static document’ made for eternity. It has to be reviewed

regularly, according to the progress made, the growing competency of
the coachee, and the new professional needs.
To formalize the objectives in the way that they are ; clear, operational
and possible to follow-up, you can use the SMART model.

2 - How to use it?

In the coaching process with your coach, it should become clear what
it is in your job that you struggle with and what the competencies are to
develop. At that moment you can start to build the Individual
Development Plan. You identify the objectives, establish when you will
be satisfied, the learning activities and a planning.
From then on it is good to look at it again in each coaching session to:
• Assess the progress made for each of the issues you work on
• Follow up on the
Challenge?
learning activities Specific new challenges in the objectives?
Specific problems revealed in the review?
• Identify new
learning priorities
Work situation?
What does he/she have to do differently?
This flow chart recaps What has to change in the work environment?

the main questions

to address when preparing Skills and Competencies?
What has to be learned to be able to change?
or revising an IDP. How will this new competency be used at work?

Learning situations?
What situation can we provide to learn?
What support do we put in place to learn?

3 - Benefits
• You create conscious development around a number of important
professional objectives
• You can follow up on them easily
• You create a balanced ‘development track’, not only based on formal
training sessions but very much linked to work experiences, coa-
ching, etc…

10I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER

PRACTICAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Questioning and active listening CREATE AWARENESS FOR

2 - How do you
SUCCESS
Peter discovered a fire in the

question properly?
One of the main objectives of coaching is to create
awareness for the coachee because it helps him building and without really
realize how his behavior is affecting his performance knowing how to handle it he
and his relationship with others. Remember, you question because you want the coachee took a few very good decisions
to reason, to compare, to evaluate, to conclude. and his actions probably saved
You could simply tell him what you see, but this would In order to create awareness. lives.
prevent the coachee from taking ownership for that To make this ‘instinctive’
insight. So let him think about a given situation, make So all questions that make that happen are good knowledge explicit in order
him explore possible answers and help to build his questions. to raise awareness about how
action steps. It is a far better way of making sure he to act and to support his self
will take responsibility for his decisions. • They can’t be answered by “yes” or “no” confidence, … here are some
• It’s not about remembering facts or figures questions:
The way you do this is through Questioning. But in • There are no “right answers” • Please Peter, reconstruct for
order to ask the right questions and stimulate the me, the different actions you
coachee’s awareness, it is also important to Listen Very often, this type of question starts with “what, how, took, when you heard there
Actively. why, when”. was a fire?
Why and How questions however, can be dangerous • Why did you take that

1 - What is active
in the dynamic of questioning because they put the decision?
coachee in a situation of having to justify, being • What was the immediate

listening? controlled, being blamed for things that went wrong.

People do not always say exactly what they mean.
They don’t do that to hide things but because they
cannot express things very well, or because feelings
of anger, fear, etc. get in the way.
Active listening is a way of showing empathy, putting
yourself in other people’s shoes and trying to get to
what’s behind the words.
Active listening means:
• Communicating acceptance and genuine interest by
non-verbal means: nodding, eye contact…
• Open questions (keep the dynamics going)
• Rephrasing and testing: “It sounds like you’re pretty
anxious about that meeting?”
The effect of active listening is that the coachee will be
encouraged to tell more, explore more and share more
with you.
You are communicating to him that:
• His feelings are acceptable
• Everything can be said here (open climate)
• He can trust you, it is safe
• You’re ready to help him solve the problem
• You don’t want to manipulate him
OPEN QUESTIONS TRIGGER REFLECTION
• How did you do that?
• How did people react on that?
• Why did you do this?
• What are the next steps for you now?
• How could you have done this
differently?
You can restate them as: “what are the reasons...”
effect?
• What would you do differently
or, “what are the steps…” in similar situations?
Remember to use questions not only to understand ACTIVE LISTENING
why something went wrong. You can also use IN PRACTICE
questions to raise awareness of correct behavior One day a new employee comes
in order to reinforce this. to you and says, “I don’t think
the Maintenance department
Some types of questions close the dynamic and is something for me”.
prevent people from reasoning.
The most frequently asked questions to avoid are: Coach: What makes you say that?
Closed Questions like: do you understand ?, are you Coachee: Maintenance is not
sure ?, do you know the temperature in the kiln?, interesting, I’d rather be in
Leading Questions which suggest the kind of answer production.
you as a coach want to hear. Coach: What have you been
They often make the coachee feel guilty because they able to do with the maintenance
suggest he is seeing things wrong. Example: Don’t you people until now?
think it would have been better to…? Coachee: Well, not much
Make sure that the questions you ask are ‘clear’ and actually. I’m just sitting in my
that the context and the reasons you ask them are office all day, and nobody comes
also clear. Otherwise, the coachee might start to guess to see me with suggestions about
why you asked that and fabricate an answer he thinks what to do…
you want to hear. Coach: How can we address
Give the coachee time to reflect on your question. this situation and create an
Silence after a question is very useful. Do not fill in opportunity for you to learn? …
the time by repeating or directly restating that
question. It breaks the concentration and the
coachee’s reflection.

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 11

12I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER
READING AND REFERENCE

Books & articles

• Kinlaw, D. C., (1999),
Coaching for Commitment: Interpersonal Strategies for
Obtaining Superior Performance from Individuals and Teams,
Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 158 p

• Peterson, D. B., e.a., (1996),

Leader as a Coach: Strategies for Coaching and Developing Others,
Personnel Decisions International, 142 p

• Silberman, M., (1998),

Active Training: A Handbook of Techniques, Designs, Case Examples
and Tips, Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer, 320 p

• Whitmore, J., (1997),

Coaching for Performance: A Practical guide to Growing Your Own
Skills, REV, 168 p

• Zigarmi, PK, e.a., (1985),

Leadership and the One Minute Manager : Increasing Effectiveness
Through Situational Leadership, William Morrow & Co, 111p

Internet
• http://en.wikipedia.org
• http://metasystem.eu/english
• http://www.limglobal.net

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 13

14I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER
TOOLS TO USE

In this section, we will very briefly describe 8 tools you can use during
your coaching process, as a coach or as a coachee. We will indicate
the objective of the tool as well as where it fits into the process. We will
provide you with a handy template. A floppy disk attached to this guide
will also allow you to produce your own materials.

1 - Scenario of a ‘Coaching Session’

Describes possible sequences and steps in a ‘Coaching Session’
• To use as a preparation for the sessions

2 - Learning Journal (for the coachee)

Lists a number of ‘reflective’ questions on your own learning
• To use in-between coaching sessions to capture important
experiences or feelings, to list the issues you want to bring
in during the coaching session and to start the ‘awareness’
on your own development process

3 - Individual Development Plan (IDP)

To clarify targets, be committed to completion dates, ensure
that no key points or actions have been omitted in the process
and provide a solid base for checking progress.
• To use on permanent basis and to be up-dated at each
coaching session

4 - Coaching Contract
To formalize the mutual agreement on the objectives of the
coaching session, mutual expectations, format and planning
of the sessions
• To use at the start of a ‘coaching process’ and gradually adapt
to the evolution of the coaching relationship

5 - Coaching follow up
To follow the progress of the coaching process
• To use during each coaching session

6 - Questionnaire to reflect on coaching

(for coach and coachee)
Lists a number of ‘reflective’ questions for coach and coachee
on how the overall coaching process is going
• To use after a number of coaching sessions to evaluate
the process, adapt the way of working and increase the
effectiveness of the coaching sessions. It can be used
to prepare a feedback moment

7 - A5 leaflet
To summarize the essential of coaching

8 - CD
All the tools you need for the coaching process
• To print and to complete when needed

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 15

 TOOLS TO USE

Scenario of a
"Coaching session"
STEP 1 - Create an open climate
• Presentation, welcoming
• Agree on the meeting’s timing
• Review the objectives of meeting and invite for input, changes

STEP 2 - Go over past activities

The coachee lists: (see coachee learning journal)
• The main strengths (maximum 5) that were confirmed during the
past period (example: I have a brief meeting every morning with
all my team and it works very well, I am comfortable now with this
organization)
• What he has learned during the past period (technical and non
technical) (example: I have realized how external communication
could be important, through this example...)
• What are the areas for improvement (max 5) (example: I don’t know
who my main customers are and what their exact needs are)

STEP 3 - Set up the future

(see Grow Model)
The coachee and the coach set up objectives for the coming period
(assignment, action plan) in relation with the areas to improve,
(example: I will organize a meeting with the sales director and visit
a client in two weeks / I will ask for and analyze the sales reports
for the last three months)

And then schedule them

• Who could help me?
• What tools do I need?
• Where can I find them?
• How long will it take to obtain a result?
• How will I measure the success?

The coach could ask:

• What goals will you set (example: increase the sales of the plant for
next year)?
• Which objectives do you want to prioritize and to discuss with me?
• What do you expect from me regarding these objectives?

STEP 4 - Conclusion
• Give and receive feedback on the session and what needs
to be improved before the next meeting
• Set a date, time and location for the next meeting
• Conclusion (positive attitude)

16I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER

 TOOLS TO USE

Learning journal
(for the coachee)
You could keep your learning journal on a computer or in a note book
Example
or binder. Think of capturing your new learning immediately on the
spot.
A - I have learned how to build
an effective emergency plan.
Here are some questions that you could come back to on a regular
B - I have a brief meeting every
bases : for example, in the beginning, every Friday.
morning with all my team
and it works very well, we
A - What have I learnt during the past period
must continue.
(technical and non technical)?
C - I need to know our main
B - In which situation did I feel comfortable? Uncomfortable? Why?
customers better and to
What can I do about it?
understand their needs.
C - What are the main strengths that were confirmed during the past
D - I don’t know who my main
period and that I now feel comfortable with?
customers are and what their
D - What are the areas for improvement?
exact needs are.
E - What should I bring up in the next coaching session?
E - I would like to discuss what
I need to do in order to know
my customer’s needs better.

Individual Development
Plan (IDP)
We suggest you use the following model for your Individual
Development Plan that you will find on the floppy disk enclose.

Should be realistic
and attainable.
Should be regularly
reviewed and updated.

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 17

18I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER
TOOLS TO USE

Coaching contract “Coaching”:

the action of
Contract between: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ guiding others
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ towards the
and ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ development of
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
their own skills
and behavior.

Background: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As a coach I am committed to: (taking into account the coachees expectations)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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As a coachee I am committed to: (taking into account the coach’s expectations)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This means (formal sessions, phone calls, visits, reporting…):

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Schedule:
• Frequency _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Duration _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Location _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Preparation _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date and location:

Signatures (signing is recommended, although not mandatory, it will reinforce reciprocal commitment):

the coach the coachee

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 19

 TOOLS TO USE

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20I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER

TOOLS TO USE

Coaching follow up
Name of the coachee _________________________________________________________ BU _______________________________________
Name of the coach_____________________________________________________________

Coaching session 1
Date: _____________________________________ Duration: _____________________________Location: _________________________________
As a coach I am committed to: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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As a coachee I am committed to: ________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Date of the next coaching session: ______________________________________________________________________________________

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 21

 TOOLS TO USE

Coaching follow up (more)

Coaching session 2
Date: _____________________________________ Duration: _____________________________Location: _________________________________
As a coach I am committed to: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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As a coachee I am committed to: ________________________________________________________________________________________

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Date of the next coaching session: ______________________________________________________________________________________

22I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER

TOOLS TO USE

Coaching follow up
Coaching session 3
Date: _____________________________________ Duration: _____________________________Location: _________________________________
As a coach I am committed to: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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As a coachee I am committed to: ________________________________________________________________________________________

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Date of the next coaching session: ______________________________________________________________________________________

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 23

 TOOLS TO USE

Coaching follow up (more)

Coaching session 4
Date: _____________________________________ Duration: _____________________________Location: _________________________________
As a coach I am committed to: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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As a coachee I am committed to: ________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Date of the next coaching session: ______________________________________________________________________________________

24I COACHING GUIDE I 2008 SEPTEMBER

TOOLS TO USE

Reflection tool for the coach

For each statement, circle the number that best fits your current situation (circle only one
number for each item). Have the coachee and the coach fill-out his/her own questionnaire.
Compare answers and discuss the difference, then decide on what you want to improve
in the coming period

To a Small To a Large
Degree Degree

Coaching sessions include agreement on objectives and action plans. 1 2 3 4

As coach…
I meet with my coachee on a regular basis, according to schedule, and
1 2 3 4
I make myself available in between coaching sessions when required.

I give to my coachee regular feedback on what I saw him do. 1 2 3 4

I will talk to my coachee, in a constructive manner, whenever I hear

1 2 3 4
something (good or bad) about him.

I help my coachee think through situations, rather than me doing

1 2 3 4
the thinking for him.

I create the opportunity for learning on the job and discuss any
learning points in the formal coaching sessions. 1 2 3 4

I help my coachee to learn from his mistakes 1 2 3 4

My coachee …
… challenges me: he does not take what I say for granted, he will
ask “Why?” or “What makes you say that?”, and try to go deeper with 1 2 3 4
me into the topic.

… speaks up when he sees things that look irregular (safety, quality,

1 2 3 4
environment, operating procedures,…).

… prepares the coaching sessions and the objectives of the following

1 2 3 4
period.

… behaves like he is actor of his own development. 1 2 3 4

… integrates what he learns as much as possible in his regular job,

1 2 3 4
and plans accordingly.

… gives me constructive feedback on my role as coach: What helped,

1 2 3 4
and what did not.

… talks to the Training Manager directly, if he has difficulties related

1 2 3 4
to his learning and to his development.

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 25

TOOLS TO USE

Reflection tool for the coachee

For each statement, circle the number that best fits your current situation (circle only one
number for each item). Have the coachee and the coach fill-out his/her own questionnaire.
Compare answers and discuss the difference, then decide on what you want to improve
in the coming period

To a Small To a Large
Degree Degree

Coaching sessions include agreement on objectives and action plans. 1 2 3 4

My coach…
… meets with me on a regular basis, according to schedule, and
1 2 3 4
makes himself available in between coaching sessions when required.

… gives me regular feedback on what he saw me do. 1 2 3 4

… talks to me, in a constructive manner, whenever he hears

1 2 3 4
something (good or bad) about me.

… helps me to think through situations, rather than doing

1 2 3 4
the thinking for me.

… creates the opportunity for learning on the job and discusses

the learning points in the formal coaching sessions. 1 2 3 4

… helps me to learn from my mistakes 1 2 3 4

As a coachee, …
I challenge my coach: I do not take what he says for granted,
I will ask “Why?” or “What makes you say that?”, 1 2 3 4
and try to go deeper with him into the topic.

I speak up when I see things that look irregular

1 2 3 4
(safety, quality, environment, operating procedures,…).

I prepare the coaching sessions and the objectives

1 2 3 4
of the following period.

I feel like I am actor of my own development. 1 2 3 4

I integrate what I learn as much as possible in my regular job,

1 2 3 4
and plan accordingly.

I give my coach constructive feedback on his role as coach:

1 2 3 4
What helped, and what did not.

I talk to the Training Manager directly, if I have difficulties related

1 2 3 4
to my learning and to my development.

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 27

 COACHING GUIDE

Coaching is important,
but never urgent.
If you, manager and coach,
need more information on this

If you want it to happen, guide, or about coaching do not

plan it in advance
hesitate to ask your local
Training Manager.
The coaching guide and tools
will be updated regularly.
The materials are available on

Give constructive feedback http://lo.lafarge.com.

The Cement Division Training

Department is available to help

Open questions trigger

Units, Teams and Managers
to implement a ‘coaching

reflection culture’ in their organization,

you can contact us through your
local Training Manager.

Structure your coaching

conversation using
the GROW model

Define SMART objectives

Practice active listening

ON

• How will you know if you are successful?

• Which options will you choose to act on?
Will

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of

• Make a list of all the options, alternatives.
Options
• What stopped you from doing more?

• What action steps have you taken so far?

• What is the actual situation in more details?
Reality
• What is your goal in relation to this issue?

• What is the issue on which you would like to

GOAL
session-GROW model
Setting a coaching
• What are the next steps for you now?
• How could you have done this differently?

each of these?

Results?

work?

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 29

TOOLS TO USE

This floppy disk contains all the tools you

need for producing your own materials, which
you can use during your coaching process.

2008 SEPTEMBER I COACHING GUIDE I 31

CEMENT DIVISION TRAINING DEPARTMENT
95, rue du Montmurier - BP 07
38291 St-Quentin-Fallavier Cedex FRANCE
Tel. (+33) (0)4 7482 1616
Fax. (+33) (0)4 7494 3478
www.lafarge.com