| Volume 4. Issue 3 | MARCH 2008 |
COACHING & COACHING LANGUAGE GETS RESULTS!
“Leadership
is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute
to making
something extraordinary happen.”
Alan
Keith
Accountability is a word that is ever present in education community conversations today. It is a word that stimulates teamwork around developing clear goals, focused planning, action and measured results. Managing progress toward goals that lead to increased student performance is important business for education coaches and school leaders.
School organizations across the nation have grown in their ability to set clear goals, develop plans of action and establish priorities. But do these plans always “work”? The answer is NO, but why not? One possibility is that individuals and groups in the school-organization are not focused on the results. They don’t feel a deep-seated connection to the plan and initiatives are not executed or refined.
Coaching can make the difference. Whether Coaching ‘1 on 1’ or using coaching language with leaders and staff, students, teachers, parents - all who have a role in improving school results - helps keep everyone focused and inspired to execute their part. These conversations can be stimulated by powerful questions, acknowledgement, and self reflection or feedback. Examples follow.
Powerful Questions
- What is your role in the school plan? What contributions are you making so that the plan results in success?
- What specific goals, actions and timelines have you set for yourself?
- How will these lead to a significant increase in school-wide performance?
- What have you done so far?
- Considering where you are now and what you want to accomplish to meet your timeframe, what are you focusing on this week?…. next week?
Acknowledgement and Celebrations
- I invite you to share your gains and how these results make you feel.
- Listening to you, I sense the value you find in your work.
- You are taking many positive steps to increase achievement; you are clear about what’s working!
- You are making an important difference.
- It is evident that you are enjoying your work more, building on your successes and that of students.
Reflection and Feedback
- As you look at where you are going and the gains you’ve made, what made the difference?
- Honestly, where do you think we are in executing the organization’s plan? Do we need to make any shifts?
Let’s look at some major benefits or results of Coaching and using coaching language as a basis for conversations in our schools.
- Increases confidence by encouraging clarity about what is wanted, the current reality, and what will be done.
- Encourages individuals and like groups to connect what they want with what the school or organization wants to achieve.
- Increases self awareness and regulation.
- Develops decision making skills and the ability to recognize and address concerns and set backs.
- Encourages commitment to action.
- Encourages clarification around what is working and what is not.
- Reduces confusion, apprehension and anxiety often brought about by lack of aligned actions throughout the organization.
- Insures that everyone in the organization has an opportunity to contribute to student success.
How does a leader begin or expand the process of Coaching within their school or organization? They encourage and stimulate reflection, supporting all persons as they engage in self assessment toward their goals and the school’s plan. They stimulate meaningful conversations by developing powerful questions for individuals and groups to address within the school. They celebrate large and small successes. They give honest feedback and reinforce those who do the same. They expect and believe that everyone is executing their part.
Coaching conversations can be initiated at any time of the year. There is no ideal beginning or end. It is a continuous growth process that affects the “bottom line”, joy in the work and the success of individuals and the organization.
With Coaching, extraordinary results are achieved.
Marcia Vogelsang, Coach, Coaching School Results, Inc.
*Leaders can learn more about the coaching process and extend skills to implement coaching by attending one of the seminars/workshops in April 2008. See details in this newsletter.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
ATTENTIONTRAINING OPPORTUNITIES UPCOMING APRIL 10-13, 2008 DALLAS, TX AREA (FARMERS BRANCH, TX) Call or email for details: Kathy Kee 972-948-0450 Being Offered:
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Leadership Coaching for High Performance Leadership inspires high performance. This seminar will provide any leader with the most essential skills of coaching language that will produce reflective practice and increased performance. As we consider the many roles one has as a leader, powerful and effective communication skills are the link and source of effectiveness. Focus on the power of committed listening, paraphrasing, presuming positive intent, and communicative feedback while gaining depth of each skill in coaching labs that accelerate knowledge and skill. |
Services to Support Your District or SchoolCONTACT
|
"MENTORING
SUPPORT FOR
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COACHING SCHOOL RESULTSCONSULTANT SERVICES AND OPTIONS
Coaching
For Results, Inc. a.k.a. Coaching School Results is committed
to supporting educators in achieving their
goals. Our
talented group of successful school leaders represents experience
in all levels of school administration. Call us about how we
might serve to support your highest accomplishments. |
NOTABLE QUOTES
For
beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips speak
only words of kindness.!
- Audrey Hepburn
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
http://www.coachingschoolresults.com/newsletters/index.html
Newsletter Editor & E-News Contact, Kathryn Kee, Board Member
