Coaching Conversations : CASE STUDY IDEAS TO IMPROVE CREDIBILITY AND INFLUENCE

Saturday, 27 March 2021

CASE STUDY IDEAS TO IMPROVE CREDIBILITY AND INFLUENCE

CLIENT

The client wanted to explore ideas to improve credibility and influence in their role.

SESSIONS

The session explored the context and why they wanted to explore ideas to improve credibility and influence. It also inquired about evdence: "What is an example of..." and "How will you know..." to understand what the issue looks like, and what success would look like, ostensibly as objective measure of success for reflective practice.

The client shared their observations on what others did to demonstrate credibility and influence, and their skills, experience, attributes, behaviours. They compared this to their themseles. The coach and client explored what seemed to work and what didn't and the different strengths and weaknesses of others' approach and the clients - noting some of the key unique strengths (skills, experience, qualification, data) that the client had which others did not.

The unique strengths that the client had (but had not previously appreciated) provoked some awareness of opportunities. The coaching conversation moved on to the topic of meetings as a key forum for influence and explored what happens a. before, b. during and c. after meetings and what opportunities may exist to improve credibility and influence at each step. This identified opportunities for 1. circulating data ahead of the meeting, 2. having one-to-one pre-meetings, 3. managing the contents tone and direction of the meeting (by speaking first) or 4. managing the conclusion taking on-board everything said (by speaking last) each of which was explored for pros and cons and how that might be helpful.

This lead naturally to a conversation about the decision process or path: the sequence of events and time-frame in which decisions get made. The client realised that they did indeed have influence when they considered the process and time-frame. They had not previously considered the impact of their contributions.

This opened up a new dialogue about the sequence of events and time-frame in which decisions get made and how they may exert greater influence and demonstrate credibility. We briefly explored MBTI / DISC personality types and the learning and thinking preferences of each, and the impact of this on influence and persuasion.

REFLECTIONS

The session was a textbook approach of person-centred coaching, aided by the knowledge and self awareness of the client with only minor prompting and questions from the coach to open up areas that the client had already identified, but not yet fully considered or employed. The session reflected all the skills, resources and knowledge that the client already had, but provided a forum both to consider them more carefully, but also a 'call to action' to start using the ideas and employ reflective practice to gauge their success.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The Coach engages in training and continuing education pursuing and/or maintaining ICF (International Coach Federation) credentials. All coaching conversations are confidential and the abbreviated case above has been amended so as to protect the anonymity for the client whilst providing evidence of coaching practice, reflection and learning, for the purposes of ICF education, supervision, or oversight.

All coaching engagements follow ICF Policies and Principles Resources, Terms and Conditions https://www.adaptconsultingcompany.com/coachingtoolkit/client.php

The article below provides some context to the coaching style adopted.
https://adaptcoaching.blogspot.com/2021/03/finding-your-own-coaching-style.html

Glossary

Person-centered coaching
The goal of Person-centered coaching is to provide clients with an opportunity to develop a sense of self where they can realize how their attitudes, feelings and behavior are being negatively affected.

Useful reference
https://positivepsychology.com/client-centered-therapy/

Psychodynamic coaching
The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different structures of the personality.

Useful reference
https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2014-08-07-5-top-tips-to-systems-psychodynamic-coaching

Behavioral coaching
This approach seeks to identify and help change potentially self-destructive or unhealthy behaviors. It functions on the idea that all behaviors are learned and that unhealthy behaviors can be changed.

Useful reference
https://www.businessballs.com/coaching-and-mentoring/cognitive-behavioural-coaching/

Existential coaching
Existential coaching emerged from existential therapy, which focuses on the human condition as a whole. The approach is informed by existential thinkers such as Sartre, Kierkegaard, De Beauvoir and Fanon, and is the only form of psychotherapy based in philosophy. Existential work looks at what it means to be an individual, how we can use our inner wisdom to resolve issues, and how we can view our struggles as inherently human rather than as dysfunction or defect.

Useful reference
http://www.plexworld.com/coach02.html

FEEDBACK FROM CLIENTS

“I have really enjoyed working with Tim for a few sessions. After the chaotic 2020 we have all experienced, the thoughts in my head felt like the insides of a tumble dryer. I knew I had the solutions for some of the challenges I was experiencing, I just couldn’t tease them out. Speaking with Tim helped me to unravel some of the strands of my thinking and follow them through to identify several potential options as well as talk through the role I play in each scenario. Having someone listen without judgement and ask inciteful questions was invaluable at the time that I needed it the most. I have recommended him to others.”

I found Tim's approach to coaching extremely helpful in exporting ideas and thinking of solutions. Tim really helped me to identify the cause of a particular stumbling block I had, thus enabling me to address it and move forward.

Tim's approach will always help you explore and reveal more options and solutions. Tim knows how to motivate and guide you to find and achieve your goals. His ideas and way of thinking are built to help you eliminate any challenges you might face. Happy to have worked with him and would warmly recommend to anyone.

It’s great working with Tim, it took me a few sessions to understand that there was almost nothing he couldn’t help on. He’s encyclopaedic on concepts that aid all areas of working life. His ability to be a head of the conversation creates a clear and effective pathway for any idea or challenge that is presented to him. He helped me with understanding the potential of myself, improved how i communicate and manage information, whilst maintaining a deep integrity for detail and complexity. Like with all excellent educational experiences my first thought is, how I wish more people can access it. He’s helped specifically in two areas, to present a systems approach methodology to a governmental group, and to rationalise my ideas for a small food business that I am a director of.

Tim's style, manner and pragmatic approach has been very valuable. His contribution will have a positive and lasting effect on the way we work as a team.

Tim Rogers independent and external view provided an excellent sounding-board and some practical challenges to the delivery of the IT Strategy and the development of the Service Delivery Plan and related Key Performance Indicators. What was particularly helpful was the use of a coaching and collaborative style that kept us in the driving seat, but allowed us to call on Tim’s experience at strategic intervals. We believe this allowed is to achieve on 6 weeks what might otherwise have taken 6 months