Essential Knowledge for Personal Coaches by Dean Amory - HTML preview

PLEASE NOTE: This is an HTML preview only and some elements such as links or page numbers may be incorrect.
Download the book in PDF, ePub, Kindle for a complete version.

INTRODUCTION

This is the third part in a series of three books about

Personal coaching.

Part 1, “Personal Coaching” is about what Personal Coaching

is and offers a surview of the most popular models for

Personal Coaching (or “Life Coaching”) and Self Coaching.

Part 2, “Techniques for Personal Coaching and Self

Coaching” introduces you to the most powerful coaching

techniques in use and describes the most successful

questions and strategies for coaching.

Part 3, “Essential Knowledge for Personal Coaches”, is a

practical standard reference work highlighting the

knowledge and skills that are indispensable for anybody

who is considering life coaching as a career or as a serious

self coaching process,

Dean Amory's Complete Life Coaching and Personal

Coaching Course is your best guide for coaching your

coachees and yourself towards maximizing your life

potential and achieving a happier and more fulfilled life.

Personal Coaching is an invaluable training manual for

anybody who takes life coaching seriously.

877

4/ Useful Skills

4.1 PROBLEM SOLVING

The ability to respond effectively to problems is associated with

improved treatment outcome.

Supporting development of problem solving skills can be

clinically useful and is best achieved through:

- a combination of verbal and written information

- demonstration (when possible)

- learning through practice and feedback

Developing problem solving skills can consist of identifying

occasions when the coachee has solved other problems and

noting the steps they took.

Effective problem solving can be learned.

It consists of five steps:

1. Orientation

Stand back from the problem; view it as a challenge, not a

catastrophe. How might someone else solve this?

2. Define the problem

it is important to be specific

Coachee: ‘My wife and I do not get on’

Clinician: ‘Give me an example of what you mean’

Coachee: ‘She doesn’t like me being out on Friday nights’

3. Brainstorm solutions

At this stage, anything goes. Identify as many solutions as

possible — discourage evaluation and a search for quality.

878

index-10_1.png

4. Decision making

The coachee (with your help, but not direction) reviews the

positives and negatives of each of the options, and their ability to

implement them, and makes an informed choice of the best

option(s) to embrace.

5. Implementation

A plan of action is developed and the option is implemented.

Sometimes it is useful to rehearse the option (where possible) to

test out the viability of the strategy and to increase self-efficacy

(confidence).

It is not the coach’s responsibility to solve the coachee’s

problems, but to teach a skill that he or she can use in a variety of

circumstances.

IDEAL METHODE OF PROBLEM SOLVING

Whatever issue you are faced with, some steps are fundamental:

Identify the problem

Define the problem

Examine the options

Act on a plan

Look at the consequences

879

index-11_1.jpg

There are several stages to solving a problem:

1) Evaluating the problem

Clarifying the nature of a problem

Formulating questions

Gathering information systematically

Collating and organising data

Condensing and summarising information

Defining the desired objective

880

2) Managing the problem

Using the information gathered effectively

Breaking down a problem into smaller, more

manageable, parts

Using techniques such as brainstorming and lateral

thinking to consider options

Analysing these options in greater depth

Identifying steps that can be taken to achieve the

objective

3) Decision-making

deciding between the possible options for what

action to take

deciding on further information to be gathered before

taking action

deciding on resources (time, funding, staff etc) to be

allocated to this problem

4) Resolving the problem

Implementing action

Providing information to other stakeholders;

delegating tasks

Reviewing progress

5) Examining the results

Monitoring the outcome of the action taken

Reviewing the problem and problem-solving

process to avoid similar situations in future

At any stage of this process, it may be necessary to return to

an earlier stage – for example, if further problems arise or if a

solution does not appear to be working as desired.

881

index-13_1.jpg

Source: university of Kent

882

B. Robert Holland set out a typical problem solving process in his

manual “Sequential analysis” with the following steps:

Step 1

Analytical

Scientific

problem solving problem solving

What is the

Visualise the

Define the

problem? What

difference between

discrepancy

question do you

the results you get

between the results

want your analysis

and the results you

you get and what

to answer?

want.

you expect.

Where does the

Visualise the

State the traditional

problem lie? How

structure elements

assumptions of the

can be picture the

of the present

theory that give

current situation?

situation causing

rise to the

the result.

discrepancy.

Why does the

Analyse each

Create hypothesis

problem exist? How element whether it

that give

can we isolate the

is the cause.

alternative

problem?

structures to

eliminate the

discrepancy.

What can we do

Formulate the

Devise experiments

about it? What

logical alternative

that will exclude

options do we

changes.

false hypothesis.

have?

What should we do

Create a new

Reformulate the

about it? What

structure

theory on the basis

recommendation

incorporating the

of the experimental

can we give?

changes.

results.

883

Questions and observerations for Problem Solving and

Decision Making

1. Definition of the problem

1. What can you see that causes you to think there's a problem?

2. Where is it happening?

3. How is it happening?

4. When is it happening?

5. With whom is it happening? (HINT: Don't jump to "Who is

causing the problem?" When we're stressed, blaming is often

one of our first reactions. To be an effective manager, you

need to address issues more than people.)

6. Why is it happening?

7. Write down a five-sentence description of the problem in

terms of "The following should be happening, but isn't ..." or

"The following is happening and should be: ..." As much as

possible, be specific in your description, including what is

happening, where, how, with whom and why. (It may be

helpful at this point to use a variety of research methods.

Defining complex problems:

If the problem still seems overwhelming, break it down by

repeating steps 1-7 until you have descriptions of several related

problems.

Verifying your understanding of the problems:

It helps a great deal to verify your problem analysis for

conferring with a peer or someone else.

Prioritize the problems:

If you discover that you are looking at several related problems,

then prioritize which ones you should address first.

884

Note the difference between "important" and "urgent" problems.

Often, what we consider to be important problems to consider

are really just urgent problems. Important problems deserve

more attention. For example, if you're continually answering

"urgent" phone calls, then you've probably got a more

"important" problem and that's to design a system that screens

and prioritizes your phone calls.

Understand your role in the problem:

Your role in the problem can greatly influence how you perceive

the role of others. For example, if you're very stressed out, it'll

probably look like others are, too, or, you may resort too quickly

to blaming and reprimanding others. Or, you are feel very guilty

about your role in the problem, you may ignore the

accountabilities of others.

2. Look at potential causes for the problem

 It's amazing how much you don't know about what you don't

know. Therefore, in this phase, it's critical to get input from

other people who notice the problem and who are effected by

it.

 It's often useful to collect input from other individuals one at a

time (at least at first). Otherwise, people tend to be inhibited

about offering their impressions of the real causes of

problems.

 Write down what your opinions and what you've heard from

others.

 Regarding what you think might be performance problems

associated with an employee, it's often useful to seek advice

from a peer or your supervisor in order to verify your

impression of the problem.

 Write down a description of the cause of the problem and in

terms of what is happening, where, when, how, with whom

and why.

885

3. Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the

problem

At this point, it's useful to keep others involved (unless you're

facing a personal and/or employee performance problem).

Brainstorm for solutions to the problem. Very simply put,

brainstorming is collecting as many ideas as possible, then

screening them to find the best idea. It's critical when collecting

the ideas to not pass any judgment on the ideas -- just write them

down as you hear them. (A wonderful set of skills used to

identify the underlying cause of issues is Systems Thinking.)

4. Select an approach to resolve the problem

 When selecting the best approach, consider:

 Which approach is the most likely to solve the problem for the

long term?

 Which approach is the most realistic to accomplish for now?

Do you have the resources? Are they affordable? Do you have

enough time to implement the approach?

 What is the extent of risk associated with each alternative?

(The nature of this step, in particular, in the problem solving

process is why problem solving and decision making are highly

integrated.)

5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative (this is

your action plan)

1. Carefully consider "What will the situation look like when the

problem is solved?"

2. What steps should be taken to implement the best alternative

to solving the problem? What systems or processes should be

changed in your organization, for example, a new policy or

procedure? Don't resort to solutions where someone is "just

going to try harder".

886

3. How will you know if the steps are being followed or not?

(these are your indicators of the success of your plan)

4. What resources will you need in terms of people, money and

facilities?

5. How much time will you need to implement the solution?

Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and

when you expect to see certain indicators of success.

6. Who will primarily be responsible for ensuring

implementation of the plan?

7. Write down the answers to the above questions and consider

this as your action plan.

8. Communicate the plan to those who will involved in

implementing it and, at least, to your immediate supervisor.

(An important aspect of this step in the problem-solving process

is continually observation and feedback.)

6. Monitor implementation of the plan

Monitor the indicators of success:

1. Are you seeing what you would expect from the indicators?

2. Will the plan be done according to schedule?

3. If the plan is not being followed as expected, then consider:

Was the plan realistic? Are there sufficient resources to

accomplish the plan on schedule? Should more priority be

placed on various aspects of the plan? Should the plan be

changed?

7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not

One of the best ways to verify if a problem has been solved or not

is to resume normal operations in the organization. Still, you

should consider:

887

1. What changes should be made to avoid this type of problem in

the future? Consider changes to policies and procedures,

training, etc.

2. Lastly, consider "What did you learn from this problem

solving?" Consider new knowledge, understanding and/or

skills.

3. Consider writing a brief memo that highlights the success of

the problem solving effort, and what you learned as a result.

Share it with your supervisor, peers and subordinates.

Rational Versus Organic Approach to Problem Solving

Rational

A person with this preference often prefers using a

comprehensive and logical approach similar to the guidelines in

the above section. For example, the rational approach, described

below, is often used when addressing large, complex matters in

strategic planning.

1. Define the problem.

2. Examine all potential causes for the problem.

3. Identify all alternatives to resolve the problem.

4. Carefully select an alternative.

5. Develop an orderly implementation plan to implement that

best alternative.

6. Carefully monitor implementation of the plan.

7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not.

A major advantage of this approach is that it gives a strong sense

of order in an otherwise chaotic situation and provides a

common frame of reference from which people can communicate

in the situation. A major disadvantage of this approach is that it

can take a long time to finish. Some people might argue, too, that

the world is much too chaotic for the rational approach to be

useful.

888

Organic

Some people assert that the dynamics of organizations and

people are not nearly so mechanistic as to be improved by

solving one problem after another. Often, the quality of an

organization or life comes from how one handles being “on the

road” itself, rather than the “arriving at the destination.” The

quality comes from the ongoing process of trying, rather than

from having fixed a lot of problems. For many people it is an

approach to organizational consulting. The following quote is

often used when explaining the organic (or holistic) approach to

problem solving.

“All the greatest and most important problems in life are

fundamentally insoluble … They can never be solved, but only

outgrown. This “outgrowing” proves on further investigation

to require a new level of consciousness. Some higher or wider

interest appeared on the horizon and through this

broadening of outlook, the insoluble lost its urgency. It was

not solved logically in its own terms, but faded when

confronted with a new and stronger life urge.”

From Jung, Carl, Psychological Types (Pantheon Books, 1923)

A major advantage of the organic approach is that it is highly

adaptable to understanding the chaotic changes that occur in

projects and everyday life. It also suits the nature of people who

shun linear and mechanistic approaches to projects. The major

disadvantage is that the approach often provides no clear frame

of reference around which people can communicate, feel

comfortable and measure progress toward solutions to

problems.

Source:

http://managementhelp.org/personalproductivity/problem-

solving.htm

889

index-21_1.png

index-21_2.png

Problem Solving:

Definition, terminology, and patterns

by Hidetoshi Shibata Copy rights © H. Shibata all reserved,

1997, 1998

Problem Solving Terminology

Systems Thinking

890

Problem Solving is very important but problem solvers often

misunderstand it. This report proposes the definition of

problems, terminology for Problem Solving and useful Problem

Solving patterns.

We should define what is the problem as the first step of

Problem Solving. Yet problem solvers often forget this first

step.

Further, we should recognize common terminology such as

Purpose, Situation, Problem, Cause, Solvable Cause, Issue, and

Solution. Even Consultants, who should be professional

problem solvers, are often confused with the terminology of

Problem Solving. For example, some consultants may think of

issues as problems, or some of them think of problems as

causes. But issues must be the proposal to solve problems and

problems should be negative expressions while issues should

be a positive expression. Some consultants do not mind this

type of minute terminology, but clear terminology is helpful to

increase the efficiency of Problem Solving. Third, there are

several useful thinking patterns such as strategic thinking,

emotional thinking, realistic thinking, empirical thinking and so

on. The thinking pattern means how we think. So far, I

recognized fourteen thinking patterns. If we choose an

appropriate pattern at each step in Problem Solving, we can

improve the efficiency of Problem Solving.

This report will explain the above three points such as the

definition of problems, the terminology of Problem Solving, and

useful thinking patterns.

Definition of problem

A problem is decided by purposes. If someone wants money

and when he or she has little money, he or she has a problem.

But if someone does not want money, little money is not a

900

problem.

For example, manufacturing managers are usually evaluated

with line-operation rate, which is shown as a percentage of

operated hours to potential total operation hours. Therefore

manufacturing managers sometimes operate lines without

orders from their sales division. This operation may produce

more than demand and make excessive inventories. The

excessive inventories may be a problem for general managers.

But for the manufacturing managers, the excessive inventories

may not be a problem.

If a purpose is different between managers, they see the

identical situation in different ways. One may see a problem but

the others may not see the problem. Therefore, in order to

identify a problem, problem solvers such as consultants must

clarify the differences of purposes. But oftentimes, problem

solvers frequently forget to clarify the differences of purposes

and incur confusion among their problem solving projects.

Therefore problem solvers should start their problem solving

projects from the definition of purposes and problems

Terminology of Problem Solving

We should know the basic terminology for Problem Solving.

This report proposes seven terms such as Purpose, Situation,

Problem, Cause, Solvable Cause, Issue, and Solution.

Purpose

Purpose is what we want to