When things don't go to plan

By Paula Jones-Hunt

The Olympic Games have caused more than a bleary eye in the workplace and for many of us it is an opportunity to watch sports we don’t normally get to see, to see champions rise to the challenge, witness a ‘come from behind’ win and cheer on the best athletes from all around the world.

The athletes have trained hard, they have prepared themselves physically and mentally and for some, all that hard work accumulates into hundreds of a second or minutes in their events.

It is no wonder that when things don’t go to plan, like the Australian 4 x 100 mens swimming relay team missing out on a medal, that emotions are high and there is great disappointment from not only the athletes, but also the families, the rest of the team and the Australian public.

There has been a lot of focus and discussion on how James Magnussen and others reacted after their loss, now lets remember that the relay team finished their race and within five minutes were speaking with a reporter about what went wrong. James found it difficult to comprehend what had just happened, to access his words and articulate what went wrong. For this he, and other members of the Olympic team, have been criticised by the media and vocal talk back radio (experts).

How do you react when things don’t go to plan? How might you react if instantly there was a microphone in front of you asking for answers?

Think about how you react when your colleagues don’t perform as well as they should. Do you jump on them right away expecting an answer? Do you identify what has happened and give them an opportunity to first reflect and then respond?

Whilst James is an elite athlete, we have to appreciate that he, like all of us, may need time to reflect before he can articulate what went wrong.

We need to acknowledge in the workplace that mistakes happen and give people time to reflect so that we can ask great coaching questions in order to move forward.

What great coaching questions can you ask yourself to improve your performance when things don’t quite go to plan?

What great coaching questions can you ask to help individuals gain awareness about what went wrong and to find a new way to move forward to greater success?

Luckily for most of us we don’t have the world watching when we make a mistake or our plans don’t work out. Perhaps we should forgive James, and others, for their reactions immediately after their events and continue to support them in the Australian way.

If we do this in the workplace, then we build a culture that we can be proud of.

Returning to Base Camp

By Paula Jones-Hunt

I recently heard a story about the journey of climbing Mount Everest. As this story was told to me, it takes a massive effort to reach the first milestone that climbers call “base camp”. From here they will attempt the next level. In most cases they attempt this next level a number of times, before successfully completing it. After each attempt to climb the next level they return to “base camp” to assess their options.

When businesses and managers introduce change, whether that be a cultural change, process improvement or new program, the success of the program can be linked to a number of factors including: the planning involved, the implementation plan and ensuring that the momentum you have created, continues.

What if during the implementation there was the opportunity to return to base camp to regroup and continuing the momentum?

Returning to base camp gives you an opportunity to take stock of what has already occurred, what challenges have been faced, opportunities to make changes and improvements. A chance to see the forest for the trees! A chance to acknowledge that not everything has gone to plan and an opportunity for stakeholders to have further input to the way forward.

Even if you are a manager who is wanting to try something different. Sometimes the every day gets overwhelming and whatever you are trying to do differently or implement gets lost along the way. Don’t give up on it. Take a moment to breathe and return to base camp!

Ask yourself the following questions:

When it was working well, what was I doing?

What wasn’t working well and what could I change to make it work better?

What could I stop doing in order to focus on what I want to achieve?

What is the best way to move forward from here?

Whilst momentum may have slowed, by returning to base camp you will re-engage your team/stakeholders, re-energise everyone involved and allow the momentum to gain speed once again!

What initiatives/projects/changes are you working on that would benefit from a return to base camp?

What have Sir John Whitmore and Bon Jovi got in common?

Sir John Whitmore and “Bon Jovi” Moments                

By Paula Jones-Hunt

In August of this year I had the absolute honour of being invited to attend a dinner where the guest of honour was no other than Sir John Whitmore, the guru of coaching. Not only was I invited to attend, but I was asked to speak about my experience of introducing coaching and a coaching culture into my workplace.

When I was thinking about what I would say, I was reflecting on how I came across coaching and how it has changed my life.

When I was 11, I heard my first ever Bon Jovi song, “Living on a Prayer” and at that moment my life changed! Not only did the music “rock my world” but how gorgeous is Jon Bon Jovi? I remember that moment as clear as day. I have loved Bon Jovi since and they have been with me  through all the important days of my life. I walked down the isle to marry my husband to a Bon Jovi song, my birthing plan consisted on ensuring I had my “Best of” Bon Jovi CD and the truth is I just LOVE them.

I got the same feeling when I was first introduced to the GROW model! A light bulb switched on in my brain and I changed my outlook on how I worked in HR, how I built relationships and how I self-managed myself.

To me, Sir John Whitmore is the “Bon Jovi” of the business and coaching world. The GROW model “rocks my world” as much as the music Bon Jovi makes. And from now on whenever I have a light bulb moment I will refer to them as “Bon Jovi Moments”. Moments that change your perspective and bring you happiness in your life.

When I realised this, I just knew that I had to let Sir John know exactly how I felt! So in my presentation I told him (and everyone there) exactly how coaching had changed my life! It was quite a funny moment when I told Sir John Whitmore “you are my Bon Jovi!!”

The greatest success I have experienced has been to live vicariously through the successes of the Managers I have worked with. To empower them to develop their own strategies for people management and helping them to empower the people they manage. All of this is accomplished through my coaching skills, which all began with a tool developed by my coaching guru, Sir John Whitmore.

What “Bon Jovi” moments have you had?

Time to face the baby boomer crisis

Succession planning, knowledge transfer and building internal capability – facing the baby boomer crisis

By Natalie Ashdown

It’s one of the biggest and well-documented issues facing Australian organisations today - the pending retirement of the baby boomers from the workforce. I have spoken to a number of clients and it’s estimated that up to 40 per cent of the workforce will enter into the retirement zone in the next five years. This is particularly prevalent in government organisations where long-serving members with 40 years of service are getting ready to retire.

The pending retirement has major implications for workforce planning, including succession planning and knowledge transfer, because when these people leave, so does 30 to 40 years of experience and tacit organisational knowledge. Whole departments are facing a skills shortage and, in some instances, the skills are not being replaced or are not easily replaced.

The ‘younger generations’ don’t want to be told what to do! X-generation managers and leaders have fought their way to the top in a very competitive, climb the corporate ladder world, and in many instances are highly educated to MBA level. The Y generation have their own unique way and style of management so ‘old-style’ management is not going to cut it with these ‘younger generations’.

My research confirms that there is also a large group of baby boomers who are not ready for retirement, may never really ever stop working, and want to continue to make a difference, contribute to the organisation and build a legacy, something which they can be very proud of. They have a good 10 years left in the tank, but they don’t want the managerial responsibility and they want to do it easier than the last 30 years! They are over the politics, the 60-hour weeks, missing the family; they want to spend more time doing what’s important, including focusing on family and health and, in some instances, service to the community.

This is where coaching becomes vitally important. Coaching at the departmental level enables the baby boomers to bring out the best in the people around them, transfer knowledge where appropriate, and give guidance and mentorship where it is requested.

Coaching baby boomers to become coaches enables them to focus on their future and to set some real goals and direction for the forthcoming years; it allows them to contract back to the organisation as coaches and mentors, helps with the retaining of subject matter expertise in the organisation, enables knowledge transfer and, most importantly, gives the baby boomers a new lease of life.

In addition, developing baby boomers into coaches in the organisation and continuing to invest in their learning and development is an extremely strong way for the organisation to demonstrate to their most distinguished people that they are valued. Rather than have these people serve out their last five years taking sick leave and becoming increasingly bitter and twisted, they are re-inventing themselves and finding a new lease of life.

I call it the ‘grey-haired factor’.  In working extensively in the area, transferring coaching skills to this senior group of people across a number of organisations, it is clear that the amazing contribution that this generation can continue to provide, both personally and professionally, through coaching and mentoring cannot be underestimated.

Natalie Ashdown is the CEO of the Open Door Coaching Group and author of the latest book on corporate coaching Bring Out Their Best – Inspiring a Coaching Culture in Your Workplace.

Contact Natalie at www.opendoorcoaching.com.au

What are you doing to address the baby boomer crisis?

How I discovered story coaching...

by Natalie Ashdown

I attended the ICF Global Conference in Las Vegas in September 2011 and was looking to attend sessions that would stretch my coaching skills and to explore areas of coaching that I had not previously had exposure to – the topic on story coaching caught my eye!

But as all good stories go, a marvelous sequence of events and personal discoveries shaped my introduction to story coaching.

As adventure would have it, I didn’t initially have clear goals for going to the ICF Conference which is very unlike me!  I felt like I should have set business outcomes and planned meetings and business contacts to "maximise my time in America".  But alas the best I could do was: that I knew that I had to go overseas; I had to find out what was happening in the coaching world outside of my box (Australia) and I knew that I HAD TO GO to America!  

I had to explore, find out new things, expand my skills and learn.  

Eventually I narrowed it down to a simple goal: Find my “next big thing”.

So I find myself at breakfast, scouring the program for “story coaching”, only to hear the announcement that the session had been cancelled.  I was a little disappointed and headed off to opening plenary - Sir Ken Robinson. 

What a privilege to once again hear Sir Ken Robinson speak.  He spoke about one of America’s greatest male gymnast Bart Connor and how as a young boy he described stepping into the gym for the first time to be “intoxicating”.  The ropes, the horses, the bars, the rings, everything about it – he loved and he had discovered in this moment “his element”. Connor’s bio can be read here:  http://bartandnadia.com/bios/48-barts-bio

I will post the full story that Sir Ken shared about Connor shortly!  Suffice to say that Sir Ken wove a story throughout his talk that inspired and truly made me happy to be coaching, to be alive and to be living in my element!

At the end of the break, another announcement – the story coaching session was back on the agenda, but it had been moved to a new location, a room at the far end of the building – I found it eventually!

The story coach leading the session was Lisa Bloom.  You can find her website here: http://story-coach.com/

Cut a long story short (if you pardon the pun) by the end of Lisa’s 90 minute presentation I felt a sensation that I had experienced only once or twice in the past 8 years.  Well the first time I felt this way in my recent history was when I discovered coaching, 8 years ago now. And more recently when I delivered a keynote talk and workshop in Malaysia (in March 2011). 

I knew, in my heart and body that I was awakening.  To what, I’m not sure, but to something that I knew for certain would be my “next big thing”. 

For me, discovering story coaching was like in the words of the young Bart Connor “intoxicating”.

I introduced myself to Lisa at the end of the session.

I felt emotional.

I hurriedly told her the story shared by Sir Ken. 

And I told her, I just had a “gymnasium moment”.

What is your gymnasium moment? Share here!

Coaching culture in Australia...let's get blogging!

Here we are!  An exciting new blog world!  We are going to celebrate coaching in Australia and around the world together!  Let's get going!

Australia has been slower to pick up coaching as a methodology for change and transformation than our European and US counterparts. About ten years ago coaching in Australia was limited to the top executives of companies and the practice of life coaching had started to emerge. Over the past ten years, however, coaching has grown to become a widely accepted part of executive and leadership development, and it has permeated through a number of companies in various forms, including two-day programs and other programs that introduce coaching to front-line managers.

There is a group of leaders in Australia who are inspiring and transforming their organisations using coaching methodology, and this book tells of their journey to implement coaching into their organisations and to create a culture where coaching is normal, accepted and the preferred way of having conversations.

That word ‘preferred’ is a really important one! When it is a person’s preference to use coaching skills, to ask questions rather than giving solutions, to hold back and listen, and to prefer to coach and grow people rather than simply making them do what you want – that’s when you have a coaching culture in place.

All over the world, leaders are transforming their organisations by introducing coaching skills and a culture of coaching. My new book Bring Out Their Best - Inspiring a Coaching Culture in the Workplace is a celebration of this movement, particularly in Australia. So in this blog I want to share the real-life Australian case studies as told by these leaders and I congratulate them and acknowledge you, the reader, for embracing the journey!  You can find out more about the book at www.opendoorcoaching.com.au

Let's get going! Share your great coaching culture stories today!