Coaching and Counseling: Tips for Success

1. What Is Coaching and Counseling: Working Definitions

Coaching and counseling is a fundamental component of the achievement of work and management goals. There are a number of definitions of coaching and counseling, and chances are your organization has a policy that defines them.For purposes of this course, the authors offer practical definitions that may be used that incorporate multiple aspects of these important terms.

2. Why Is Coaching and Counseling a Challenge?

Unfortunately, there are sometimes negative connotations related to the terms coaching and counseling. This course and chapter seek to help reframe these terms. All team members want to know how they are doing and if they are on the right path from the perspectives of their managers and of the organization. This chapter reviews some of the data, literature, and other information available to assist managers in achieving success related to coaching and counseling.

3. Pulling It All Together: What Does Effective Coaching and Counseling Entail?

This chapter integrates what we learned about coaching and counseling with practical applications, real-world examples, and strategies with feedback. Coaching and counseling will be demonstrated using different scenarios. No two organizations or team members are alike, and these interactive episodes seek to show this variation in action. Included in this chapter are sample positive as well as negative case scenarios. Practicing before coaching and counseling, maintaining balance and calm, deep breathing, and other strategies are presented to help new managers address feelings that many leaders and team members experience.

4. The Coaching and Counseling Session: Example and Documentation Considerations

The role-playing that occurred in the prior chapter will be reviewed and documented to provide a sample of what documentation might look like for practical application. Some organizations use a number of methods for documentation of such encounters, and this chapter will explain why the use of a SOAP format might also lend itself well to coaching and counseling sessions. A checklist for completion of related documentation will be offered. Information, concepts, and the other materials presented in this course can be applied immediately to practice and operations.