Coaching, Mentoring and Managing: A Coach Guidebook

Guidelines for Counseling .................................................................................

Following is a set of guides for you to use when planning an

effective counseling session. Notice the many similarities with

coaching and mentoring discussions.

1. Put the associate at ease through a warm approach and
   open body language.


2. Clearly define the reason for the discussion. If possible,
   have the associate state the reason.


3. Eliminate judgmental words like “should,” “must,”
   “ought.”


4. Ask open-ended questions about the associate’s reactions.


5. Paraphrase the content and the feelings expressed by
   the associate.


6. Summarize key points to clarify understanding.


7. Encourage the associate to identify alternatives to
   resolve the issue.


8. Be attentive to the associate’s feelings and attitude.


9. Demonstrate empathy, show confidence, provide support.


10. Schedule a follow-up meeting to review and
    recognize progress.
    Any one of these steps could encompass the entire meeting.
    Likewise, the meeting could fly with the associate pleased to have
    you acknowledge his issues. Set aside a block of private time for
    the session. The issues may not be able to be resolved in one
    setting. Judge receptiveness of your associate and the wear and
    tear of the meeting when allotting time. You may want to refer the
    person to resources or do some thinking and then come back. You
    may want to refer the person to your personnel or employee
    assistance department if the problem is beyond your ability to
    address.

Coaching, Mentoring and Managing

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