5

Create Options and Construct a Plan

At this point in the process, the coachee has received feedback and you have supported the coachee’s journey to a higher level of understanding through reflection and making connections among the data points. It is now time to formulate more specific goals and create an action plan. This chapter will follow a structured action plan, as shown in Table 5-1.

This is merely one way to design a plan. You may want to collapse the chart into only three columns (Goal, Actions to Take, and Status) or use a more fluid plan, such as the mindmap approach shown in Figure 5-1.

The impetus behind an action plan is to use a written method to capture thoughts. It is through the process of writing down actions, feelings, results, and ideas that the brain focuses, embraces the process, and assists the coachee in making things happen. The written format encourages reflection, and through reflection, learning happens. Practice and reflection hardwires learning in the brain. Without a mechanism to hardwire the brain, messages and learning pass through without moving us to action.

Table 5-1. Example Coaching Action Plan

Adapted from Bianco-Mathis, Roman, and Nabors (2008)

Figure 5-1. Mindmap Action Plan Approach

For example, you can read a book on time management and say to yourself, “Yep, that’s what I really need to do to better manage my time.” The knowledge is in your head. Then what? Do you do it? You will not do it unless you create a plan that motivates you to put the knowledge into practice. Here’s another example. We all have the knowledge of what is necessary to maintain a healthy weight. Does that mean we do it? What does it take to stay on a diet? A clear, positively stated goal and articulated steps to achieve it. That’s what an action plan and coaching toward that action plan provides.

A coachee may be writing a summary of a certain interaction and find himself having an aha moment: “Wow. Look at that. I didn’t realize I was angry when Donna approached me—and she had nothing to do with my anger. And yet, I took out my anger on her. I need to be more aware of that. Let me list some things I might do next time so I can share this with my coach.”

And as you will see, using an action plan assists in punctuating movement and benchmarking achievements along the path to the goal. We often underestimate and undervalue our movement toward a result because the end result is not in sight. Noting gradual movement toward the goal reminds the coachee that success is happening, one step at a time. This needs to be acknowledged and celebrated—and it can only happen with written documentation. This is an important concept to share with coachees who may initially balk at following an action plan, keeping notes, or maintaining a journal. What’s in their heads needs to be made explicit—or it stays stuck in their heads with no active, mindful reflection.

Whether you use the template in Table 5-1 or some other shortened version, all the data points within each column need to be addressed through dialogue and further note taking. The action plan becomes an anchor that allows the coach and coachee to focus on reflection and movement from one meeting to the next. It forces conversations to be more meaningful when specifics can be noted and analyzed, as opposed to coachees coming to meetings with vague comments, such as, “Yes, I did that. It was great,” “This isn’t working. I don’t see any progress,” or, “Yep, thanks. I’ll do that next time.”

When you read through the example plan, you can see further notes, explanations, and analysis included. This is a living document. If either you or the coachee has ideas between coaching meetings—or want to make sure a point made during dialogue is noted—adding such information to the action plan should be done.

Lastly, who should fill out the action plan? We have talked to many coaches, and their answers vary. The most prevalent and useful seems to be a joint effort between the coach and coachee. Usually, the coachee is given a blank template and is asked to do a first draft. Then through further questioning and interaction with the coach, the action plan takes shape and becomes a working document.

Goals and Measures

By establishing goals, the coachee can develop specific objectives and actions to populate her action plan. The concept of goals was first used as part of the management by objectives movement in the early 1980s with Peter Drucker. This included the idea of establishing SMART goals—goals that are specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, and time-bound. You can find various versions of the SMART concept in management literature; some authors use different wording for each letter, but the intent and use of the concept remains the same.

Because the concept of setting goals has been around for so long, we often forget how important it is to set goals. Let’s put this in context: Humans are the only species that can establish conscious goals (Parker 2015). Think about that a second. Stephen Covey (quoted in Falconer 2017) put it very poetically: “Goals are what take us forward in life; they are the oxygen to our dreams.” It is goals that target our journey, help us overcome procrastination, and motivate us when things get tough. That is why Weight Watchers encourages you to put a picture of a “healthy version” of yourself on the refrigerator, construction companies design models and place them in the front of the buying center, and corporations develop visions and strategic goals.

In coaching, we encourage you not to get overly concerned whether you designate a useful action statement as being a goal or a task or action step. More important is to write it all down. That is why we have chosen to use the terms area to work, goals and objectives, and actions, steps, and behaviors. If they are measurable and achievable—and designated actions between coaching meetings are noted and discussed—there is a path to success.

Table 5-2 shows different goal possibilities and characteristics. We will use this table to discuss the “musts” of goals, objectives, and actions. These points, originally described by Teri Belf and Giuseppe Meli (2011), provide a checklist that you and your coachee should follow.

Table 5-2. Sample Goals and Objectives

Adapted from Bianco-Mathis, Roman, and Nabors (2008)

First, goals and objectives must include desired results and a future state. The goal is not just to improve presentation skills. Rather, the parameter of “so that listeners rate the presentation as organized, focused on only three or four points, and actionable” brings a measurable structure to the goal that fits that particular need and culture. In this case, by explicitly stating the desired future state, the coachee is also stipulating the measure. This parameter emphasizes the future focus of coaching. It is movement forward toward future performance, not a judgment of the past. This will become very important when we look at more innovative performance management systems in chapter 7.

Second, they must be phrased using positive language. As we will see in chapter 7, using positive phrasing is something the brain “likes.” The brain picks up on the positive, gets energized, and wants to be part of the action. Moving toward the positive is much more energizing than running away from the negative. Thus, “Develop presentations that clearly stipulate three key points” is a lot more powerful than saying, “Make sure my presentations are not disorganized.”

Third, ensure that the action and results are within the coachee’s control—and stipulate parameters that clarify the constraints. The third example in Table 5-2 illustrates this well. A goal that is hard to reach and constricted by unacknowledged challenges sets the coachee up for failure before he even starts.

Fourth, goals need to be measurable. All the examples in Table 5-2 are measurable. A fallacy that persists is that measurable means there must be numbers or statistics. This is not true. Basically, something is measurable if it can be observed—seen, felt, smelled. This requires that the form or method of measurement needs to be indicated: an on-the-spot survey, follow-up phone calls, a specially designed feedback sheet, being observed, checkmarks on a calendar. If nothing exists, it needs to be created. The excuse “we have no way to measure that” is just that—an excuse.

Actions and Field Practice

The development of action steps can be a fun process. This step is sometimes referred to as homework or field practice because it takes place between the coaching meetings—actions the coachee takes to try out new behaviors, practice the use of skills that initially may feel foreign, or apply further new ideas. Questions that could be helpful during this phase include:

• What can you do at your next meeting that would demonstrate this behavior?

• When can you give this a try?

• If you did that, how would it help you meet your goal?

• What three actions might you take that others would notice?

• How might your staff react to that? What obstacles might arise? Would it be helpful to role-play?

• What resources might you reach out for that would support you in this effort?

• How might you gather more data about that?

• Is there something you can use that would remind you to ask more questions?

Action steps and field practice are benchmarking activities—proverbial baby steps toward the desired goal. For example, instead of suggesting that a coachee ask a question before barking out orders, you might assign homework during which she merely notes how many times she “barks out orders” during the next week, while tracking what was in her mind, what she was feeling, and the results of her “barking.” That’s all. Just the mindful “stop and look at what you are doing” is a major accomplishment in connecting a field assignment to a goal.

A partial list of field assignments includes the following:

• Journaling: Try the new behavior three times and after each situation, note what you did or said, what the reactions were, and what you learned.

• Assignments: Have a conversation with a co-worker; conduct interviews with three partners who got promoted last year; role-play the process with two of your co-workers.

• Feedback: Ask a co-worker to observe you at the next meeting and then give you feedback.

• Props: Take a notebook and consider it your “don’t interrupt” prop. Whenever you want to interrupt someone, write it down instead and then later bring it up.

• Research: Find three articles, videos, and experts on the skill set you wish to develop, such as strategic planning, and take notes on how you can incorporate those ideas into your process.

• Skill practice: Instead of conducting an entire follow-up survey, start by asking one question at the end of every conversation or phone call: “Was my advice helpful to you?”

• Role models: Find three people who are really good at networking. Watch them. Take notes and bring your ideas to your next meeting.

Making It Real

As this chapter illustrated, the development of an action plan is the cornerstone of formal coaching. However, it can be easily seen how managers and colleagues can take the concept of action planning and apply it in informal coaching settings. A plan can simply be a scheduled time to complete a task toward a desired goal, such as “Meet with Sally to get tips on completing assessment reports,” or putting checks on a calendar every time the coachee appropriately asks questions at a meeting. Adopting the habit of thinking in terms of SMART goals and objectives naturally leads to results that you and the coachee can see, feel, and track, as opposed to wishful thinking and anecdotal outcomes.

Also noted in this chapter was the necessity of being creative in your action steps and practice. Actions should support growth and at the same time be tailored to what the coachee will most likely do. This may include reading a book, watching an online webinar, or having a series of conversations with six different people. Slowly, through field work, the coachee can gain strength and confidence in moving forward and experiencing success at a new skill level. Please reflect on this chapter and develop ideas for how to incorporate what you’ve learned into your daily work.

1. Think of a scenario in which a goal was not achieved because of lack of focus and mindfulness. In this situation, you may use yourself or someone you have formally or informally coached.

2. Describe the scenario in terms of initial thoughts or notions around wanting something to be achieved, the lack of progress or results, and the reasoning behind the inaction. Then list any keywords, phrases, or mental thoughts that supported the failure to reach the goal.

■ Scenario:

■ Language:

3. Based on what you read in this chapter, develop a goal for the scenario that possesses all the components of a SMART goal, with supporting language and actions that would more likely lead to tangible results.

■ SMART goal and actions: