Emerging Coaches & Leaders Action ToolKit
Your Action Toolkit keeps you connected beyond your Groops sessions with key group connection concepts to review, discussion questions to continue to reflect on or talk about, and takeaways or things to try to apply new skills and knowledge together.
Groop 1: Building Rapport, Utilizing Strengths, and Defining a Vision
Group Connection Concept
Key Aspects of Psychology-Based Coaching
Psychology-Based Coaching helps people achieve a higher level of well-being and performance in life and work by combining the theories and practices of psychology.
It is a growth promoting relationship, focused on the now (dynamics in the room) and the future (where we are going) rather than the past (which is more common in therapy). This helps individuals, teams, and organizations navigate challenges and maximize potential.
Unpack the why that drives your leadership and coaching and how this purpose shapes your behaviors. Two coaching skills to practice are:
1. Building Rapport:
Coaching requires trust and rapport in order to create behavior change. This is built by:
Holding unconditional positive regard
Showing empathy
Walking the talk
Slowing down
Paying attention
Being honest
Keeping confidentiality
2. Creating a Vision: For Yourself + Your Coachee:
Visions serve as the foundation of planning and goals. We must know what we’re working towards to get there. To do this, first start with your own self reflection using the questions below to guide you.
Group Discussion Questions
Continue the Conversation
What motivates you to be a coach?
What are your values as a coach?
What past experiences shape how you coach?
What strengths and strategies will help you?
What support do you need to do this work?
Takeaways or Things to Try
Take Action Together
This week take the Via Strengths Survey – use this to connect with your coachee to continue practicing building rapport, utilizing strengths, and constructing a vision.
Ask your coachee:
What change do you want to make?
How might this change feel / look?
What motivates you to make this change now?
How does this change align with your values?
What strengths might help you along the way?
What support do you need to get to your vision?
Next time, we will share visions in the group and reflect on our practice.
Groop 2: The Fundamentals of Motivational Interviewing
Group Connection Concept
Key Aspects of Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is a strengths-based approach to relationships and uses techniques such as asking questions, active listening, and finding and articulating a goal of the relationship or engagement.
It is not a technical skillset but a way of being with people. And the core practices are:
Partnership: “We are going to work on this together.”
Evocation: “I will create space for you to share your needs and wants with me, including what you hope and what you fear.”
Acceptance: “I value you as a person - what you know and who you are.”
Compassion: “I want to understand and respect your experience.”
Unpack the “Why” by using OARS:
Open-ended questions draw out and explore the person’s experiences, perspectives, and ideas. “Why?” “How?” “What if?”
Affirmation of strengths, efforts, and past successes help to build the person’s hope and confidence.
Reflections are based on careful listening and trying to understand what the person is saying by repeating, rephrasing or offering deeper guesses about what the person is trying to communicate.
Summarizing ensures shared understanding and reinforces key points made by the other person.
Group Discussion Questions
Continue the Conversation
Practice OARS this week in your personal and / or professional lives:
Open Ended Questions: Use “How” or “What” questions - “How important is this to you?” “What might you try?”
Affirmations: “I appreciate you sharing this with me.” “It takes a lot of strength to acknowledge…”
Reflections: “It sounds like you’re feeling….” “You are concerned about….”
Summaries: “I’m hearing you say that….. This feels hard right now because…. You’re hoping to…..Does this summary sound right to you?”
Takeaways or Things to Try
Take Action Together
Meet with your peer coach to practice Motivational Interviewing.
This conversation should end with a set goal.
Review their vision + ask what steps they would like to take.
Ask how they could get there and what has stood in the way before.
Reflect what you’re hearing (“What I’m hearing you say is ____”).
Highlight strengths when you hear them. Ask how strengths can be applied here (“I remember you mentioning you have a strength of creativity. How can you use that to be successful?”).
REFLECT! Use OARS.
Summarize the conversation at the end.