Podcasts

TopLeft Podcast Ep 17 | Creating a Coaching Culture

Written by Admin | Apr 26, 2024 3:03:48 PM

Host: Wim Kerkhoff
Guest: Nate O'Hara

 

SUMMARY

Creating a coaching culture and non-directive coaching.

  • Nate O'Hara found his role as a trainer for a retail company limiting, but a conversation with a coach he met through his company sparked a new lease of life and potential within his role.
  • Nate realized he couldn't not do coaching after experiencing a significant shift in perspective during a half-hour conversation with the coach, leading him to pursue coaching as a career.
  • Nate O'Hara's mentor created a non-directive coaching space that helped him unpack his own thinking and make commitments to his future.
  • Nate defines coaching as a non-directive partnership that helps individuals unlock their best ideas, commitments, and choices, with a belief that they have the answers within them.

Coaching and managing teams.

  • Wim Kerkhoff and Nate O'Hara discuss the tension between managing and coaching, with Nate emphasizing the importance of being explicit about which hat you're wearing.
  • Nate suggests inviting team members to explore challenges and opportunities through questions, while being clear about when you're coaching and when you're managing.
  • Nate O'Hara and Wim Kerkhoff discuss common mistakes leaders make in coaching, including getting distracted and not fully listening to clients.
  • They also touch on the importance of nonverbal cues and finding the right balance between visual and auditory inputs.

Effective communication and leadership in a management environment.

  • Wim Kerkhoff discusses the importance of empathetic listening in management, avoiding the pitfall of simply agreeing with an employee's excuses without addressing the root cause of the issue.
  • Nate O'Hara provides tips on how to support employees in a way that holds them accountable while also understanding their perspective, such as asking open-ended questions to unpack the situation and identify potential solutions.
  • Nate O'Hara and Wim Kerkhoff discuss the importance of using open-ended questions to understand an individual's motivations and behaviors.
  • They emphasize the use of the word "but" instead of "why" to elicit more constructive responses.

Coaching and leadership in a retail environment.

  • Nate O'Hara and Wim Kerkhoff discuss the importance of coaching in improving team performance, with Nate emphasizing the need to stay above the details and focus on the bigger picture.
  • Nate uses the metaphor of a traffic helicopter to describe his approach to coaching, paying attention to the unsaid and the impact of actions on the team and the client.
  • Wim Kerkhoff asks Nate O'Hara about his success stories, and Nate shares how he went from being a trainer to a store manager in a challenging retail environment, despite having no prior retail management experience.
  • Nate struggled with the draining nature of managing people and selling products, but found a way to motivate his team and grow the store through his values and coaching.

Unlocking potential through coaching in various settings.

  • Nate O'Hara shared his personal experience of unlocking the potential of others in a business setting, leading to increased fulfillment and success.
  • An organization with 100+ employees recently sought out Nate's coaching services, hoping for a more practical and creative approach to bringing learning into the organization.
  • Organization prioritizes learning culture, aligns towards common vision, seeks lasting impact.

Coaching and leadership in the workplace.

  • Nate O'Hara and Wim Kerkhoff discuss the importance of understanding the customer's needs and addressing them in sales conversations.
  • They emphasize the value of acknowledging when someone is feeling out of their depth in a conversation and finding a solution together.
  • Coaches can still have impactful conversations even without product or space knowledge, by listening and asking questions.
  • Nate O'Hara discusses the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and its role in maintaining a standard of quality in the coaching industry.
  • Nate offers to connect with potential clients and provides resources for further information.

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