A coaching skills training course delegate was recently explaining his frustration at the lack of interest and motivation his staff were showing when being coached. He explained that the normal reaction to being coached was for his staff to cross their arms, lean back in their chairs and adopt an almost ‘bet you can’t coach me!’ attitude. No doubt these same people would leave the coaching conversation thinking ‘See. I’ve won. You can’t coach me!’ How sad.

I suggested that he adopt a less well known coaching tool called Transposing to help him work this through.

Transposing works by getting you to adopt another person’s viewpoint and ask: What am I thinking, what am I feeling and what do I want?

I asked the manager to think of one particular individual – let’s call him Doug. Transposing Doug made us realise that he was thinking “Oh God, what have I done wrong? If I’m being coached, I must be seen as underperforming!”

We also figured that Doug was feeling anxious and uncertain. His interactions with management at the company in the past had usually resulted in a ‘telling off’ in some shape or form. No wonder he was acting like a beaten dog and holding himself stiff until the next beating arrived.

The real revelation happened when we considered what it was that Doug might want. We realised that given his prevailing thoughts and feelings, he would want to get out of the meeting as soon as possible; with his dignity intact.

The real reason why Doug was so reluctant to get involved was now obvious and the manager and I were able to devise a way he could position coaching to overcome these thoughts and feelings. It happened that Doug was a massive sports fan and so his manager pointed out that Tiger Woods, David Beckham and so on were all incredible performers with very little wrong with their games, and yet these same people valued their relationship with their coach above all others. He also pointed out that sports coaches were rarely, if ever, better performers than there clients, but that this was not the point. This lead to Doug realising that coaching was not about his manager just telling him what to do, how to do it, and pointing out all his mistakes. Instead it was an opportunity for Doug to explore his working life and find ways forward in the areas he found he found difficult or frustrating. In fact at a subconscious level Doug began ‘transposing’ his boss, appreciating how difficult it must be to provide coaching to such a truculent group. This mutual empathy is a wonderful by-product of the transposing tool and I’m happy to report that Doug’s relationship with his manager is now flourishing.

By the way, another good reason for walking a mile in your coachee’s shoes is that if things don’t work out, you’ll be a mile away and you’ll have their shoes!! Matt Somers is a leading voice on coaching in the UK where he writes, presents, trains and consults on all aspects of Coaching at Work. An author and regular conference speaker, he is currently producing a range of resources to help with the people side of working life; many of which can be accessed for FREE at http://www.mattsomers.comfree wii console

Ask anyone to define the word coach and you will get a wide variety of responses. Some will say a coach is a sort of tutor or instructor, but others will say it’s a large, multi-wheeled railway carriage. Unfortunately, the second definition is about as helpful as the first in deciding what coaching at work is all about.

To receive ‘coaching’ and to be a ‘coach’ are both very popular terms right now but they are both widley misunderstood. Coaching is ultimately about raising the levels of human performance and, as such, has connections with teaching, training, counselling and mentoring. However, there are subtle but important differences that we need to understand.

Essentially, coaching comprises two main facets. First it is performance focused. It is about doing the job as well as it can be done, hitting targets, getting results and doing the right things in the right way. Secondly,it is person centred which means that it is the individuals being coached who are seen as having the important insights. In the most fundamental terms then, coaching is not about ‘putting in’, rather it is about ‘drawing out’.

By using coaching we can tap into the huge reserves of talent and potential which lay dormant in most people. As managers, we can develop people without having to rely on passing on our own skills and knowledge, which may already be out of date. Without an ability to coach we are left to trust the tired old methods of teaching and instruction which are proving increasingly ineffective in the world of constant change to which we are all having to adjust.

When most people think about coaching, they think about a sports coach shouting and yelling at the players and trying to help them succeed without being directly involved. In sport,the role of coach is crucial in helping people perform at their peak, and even the most accomplished sportspeople such as Tiger Woods or Roger Federer still gain huge benefit from a good relationship with their coach.

The role of the organizational coach is much the same. Whether the coaching is delivered by a manger as a general part of their duties or by a specific coach, they will still be trying to achieve results through others. In thinking about coaching in this way we can see that there is great benefit to be had from having someone in the organization who has the skills and abilities to draw the best out of others. If it were possible to have everyone in an organization improve their performance by as little as one or two per cent then the results would be staggering.

Many organizations are now taking the power of coaching very seriously and appointing people to the specific role of coach. Whilst managers may have the skills and abilities to coach well they are often preoccupied with more task oriented matters and can struggle to find the time to coach effectively.

Increasingly we are able to tap into coaching outside our organizations. There are many small consultancies offering Executive Coaching, where top-level managers in organizations can have regular weekly or monthly sessions with a trained coach to help them work through their current issues. It can often be of great benefit to have a coach who does not work in the organization and who is, therefore, not involved in the same issues. Similarly, some people are now seeking the services of Life Coaches to help them work through personal problems, achieve goals and strike an effective work/life balance.

Whatever the context, we can see that coaching is intended to be a means by which one individual seeks to help another move forward and develop in some way. Matt Somers is a leading voice on coaching in the UK where he writes, presents, trains and consults on all aspects of Coaching at Work. An author and regular conference speaker, he is currently producing a range of resources to help with the people side of working life; many of which can be accessed for FREE at http://www.mattsomers.com whitesmoke software

Coaching in all it’s different forms- life, business, career- originates out of the field of Sports Coaching. In 1974 Timothy Gallwey wrote a book titled The Inner Game of Tennis which wasn’t so much about tennis but about the inner qualities of the tennis player which drive him to win. In sport and in life there are two opponents; the other player, and the self (self referred to here as our own beliefs and self talk about what we are capable of). The tennis player, and the player of life, has to compete with both. Through this book people began to understand that as human beings, our level of achievement in anything be it tennis, business, wealth, or happiness, is in direct proportion to what we really think of ourselves deep down. And so personal coaching for the mind was born and is now used throughout the world to bring out the best in individuals and corporations, and unleash the human potential for excellence. The thing to note about Life Coaching is that it is coaching to enhance your personal qualities, not directing or teaching of someone else’s ideas. A good sports coach doesn’t say to his pupil ‘No that’s not how you do it, here let me show you!’, and goes on to try and mould the student to be like him. Instead he identifies and maximizes the pupil’s unique strengths, and helps them transform any weaknesses into positives. He ‘coaches’ them on improving their own style of playing the game so that they are functioning at their ultimate best. Similarly Life Coaching is not about telling you how you should be living your life. No coach will claim to be a life expert and if they do they are coaches to be avoided. Sure, Life Coaches are highly trained in human behaviour and will usually achieve great results in their own style of living, but the only expert in your life is you. As does the sports coach, the life coach will help you tap into your strengths while turning the tables on any weaknesses so that every aspect of your unique game of life is being controlled by you. Coaching is increasingly used in companies to maximize and develop their best people. It’s not the systems that make a company powerful and continually reaching its targets, it’s the people that make up the company, the puzzle pieces that make up the whole. Systems are great to keep the company operating smoothly however without people working at their most efficient that’s all the company will do- operate smoothly. Coaching, all the way from the executives to the most junior employee, will bring out the best in people and create powerful results. You may have noticed that all top athletes have a coach. They are at the top because their coach pushes the forward and supports them in staying there. All entrepreneurs have a coach, keeping them on a clear path to increased success in their chosen ventures. Most coaches have a coach! Because to bring out the best in others we must be constantly striving to better ourselves. Coaching using NLP (the study of human excellence and how to replicate it in others) is the way of the future. It is the fastest way to achieve anything from overcoming a current challenge in your life, to realizing your biggest goals and dreams. Find the coach that best suits your goals, who gives you the level of support you need, and who is genuinely committed to their craft; and you will find passion and purpose within you that you never knew existed. This new power that is unleashed from within you, your true human potential, allows you to function at a higher level mentally, physically, spiritually, financially, in every area of your life. And the changes are, without a doubt, deep and lasting. Here are a couple of motivational quotes to get you started on your journey: ‘It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste time.’ – Henry Ford ‘Success is not for the timid. It is for those who seek guidance, make decisions, and take decisive action.’ – Jose Silva ‘If you don’t act now while it’s fresh in your mind, it will probably join the list of things you were always going to do but never quite got around to.’ – Paul Clithero Joanna Sherwell, a qualified Life Coach and NLP Practitioner, is Head Coach of Untapped Potential Coaching & Development in Melbourne, Australia. She is passionate about assisting you to unleash your true potential, fulfill your goals dreams, and live the life you deserve. Visit http://www.untappedpotential.com.au to find out more.how to loose weight fast

If you watched the 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Tournament at Bay Hill then you saw the world’s greatest golfer win in dramatic fashion after 286 days while he was recovering from knee surgery. Without a doubt, his 16 foot birdie putt in front of thousands, worldwide media, and flashing cameras at dusk was a dynamic backdrop for the world’s greatest golfer to clinch another victory. Upon further analysis this victory was not anything out of the ordinary.I know many who would argue this point but the fact is the greatest golfer in the world was expected to win, that is why he is the best in the world. Winning the tournament was just a routine that he has gone through over and over since he was a child, through college, and now as a veteran professional golfer. The anticipation of a dramatic win on the last hole was expected because of his history. This is exactly what he has trained for all of his life and should be no surprise to anyone.In each of our lives we have something special that we do better than the majority of other people. In fact, we might not know that what we do better than others is special because it is just a typical routine for us. The key is that we all have an innate ability to do something extraordinary and amaze others but most of us have never tapped into the power that lies within ourselves. People are always distracted with everyday life so being able to tap ones inner potential is difficult. Professional athletes know their strengths and weaknesses which enables them to constantly improve their abilities to excel even further. Knowing your abilities allows you to go beyond the norm to achieve even greater results in your life, business or sport.Understanding the characteristics that allow you to excel in areas that most others find difficult is a great method to discover your inner power that will accelerate your success. The biggest barrier is that you may not realize those characteristics because it may be hidden in your everyday routine. Track your daily activities at home, work, or play and analyze the common traits that exist while you are running smoothly in your daily routines. Most will begin to notice the results and then you can harness those traits to achieve even greater success. Coach J, The Zen of Winning, is Head Coach for Maximum Performance a leading global success and high performance coaching organization which specializes in achieving extraordinary results for life, business and sports. Using the proven winning formulas of success from professional sports combined with only the most effective elements of life, business and executive coaching Maximum Performance gets real results through proprietary coaching programs that gives all their clients the winning edge to succeed and achieve the extraordinary.

Maximum Performance and Coach J inspires people and organizations ranging from professional athletes, executives, world champions, entertainers, professional sports teams, entrepreneurs, global corporations, business owners, students, and moms. Each coaching program is specially designed for each individual or organization since no one Maximum Performance Coaching Program fits all.

For success tips, free life coaching e-book, and additional resources please visit http://www.WeMakeChampions.com

then get more valuable resources for success at Coach J’s blog at http://www.WeMakeChampions.com/bloganti-virus

The Effect of Life Coaching on Performance

With the aid of a life coach, you can undoubtedly improve how you perform in every aspect of your life. It is

with the skills you learn from the life coach that you can turn your life around and greatly improve upon

yourself and your place in the world.

But what is it exactly that a life coach does? How does he or she make an impact on the way you function

in the world?

Everyone’s experience with a life coach is bound to be different. After all, we’re talking about the methods

of motivating individuals to achieve the success they know they deserve but haven’t yet had the gumption

to go for. Life coaches often focus on your individual issues and help you work through them, much like a

therapist would. However, this is not a clinical or medical experience. A life coach helps you cope with your

daily life and take the steps necessary to move forward.

When it comes to performance, however, a life coach has a unique role. He or she will guide you through

all the steps necessary to prepare yourself for a life change. In fact, a life coach will probably know more

about your hopes, fears, dreams and goals than your loved ones. That is because a life coach is paid to

listen to you. You don’t have to listen to their problems or reciprocate in any way. Your meetings with a life

coach are all about you and your needs.

So when you meet up with a life coach, you can expect to evaluate your goals in life and to come up with

realistic plans for obtaining those goals. It is with this sort of focused attention you can really take

advantage and get the most out of the experience. That is not to say that talking to your friends is not

helpful. Rather, you can just receive a different sort of attention from a life coach that can better get you

and keep you on track.

When considering performance, a life coach can help you come up with a “game plan” of sorts. For many,

life coaches play an integral role in their development on a sports team so that analogy is pretty apt. They

can help you visualize your success, develop a detailed plan for obtaining success and encourage you

along the way to keep pursuing your goals. The support and guidance of a life coach is really invaluable

when it comes to improving your performance in any and all aspects of life. For over 15 years, Coach Jim Guerci has focused his entire agenda around helping people create lush lives of peak
performance, academic excellence, and spiritual awareness. Coach Jim Guerci is an acclaimed Master NLP
Practitioner, Certified NLP Hypnotherapist, and life coach who has been helping individuals make effective life
changes for over fifteen years. Visit Coach Guerci’s website s http://www.peakperformanceguy.comhttp://www.teacherguy.orghttp://YUSinc.comhttp://www.PeakPerformanceGuy.com for more information.WP Robot