- Email: [email protected]
Coaching: An essential leadership skill for the advanced practice nurse
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LEADERSHIP
Abstract Leadership in the 21st century requires that individuals lead in creative ways that enhance and support their employees’ growth, development, and performance. Employees have reported that they need to feel respected and valued. As a member of the nursing leadership team, the advanced practice nurse (APN) is on the front line, involved with staff on a daily basis, and able to coach staff in a variety of different situations. Using coaching as a leadership skill assists the APN in making a significant contribution to the health care field and to employee growth and development. c 2001 by Copyright W.B. Saunders Company
Coaching: An Essential Leadership Skill for the Advanced Practice Nurse By Karin M. Gracey, MSN, RNC, CNNP
T
he health care environment is continually changing. Every health care system is dealing with downsizing/right-sizing and restructuring on a continuous basis. In addition, the nation is in the midst of a nursing shortage, and the nursing profession is “aging” without an adequate influx of new nurses into the profession. The marketplace has become a highly competitive arena in which nurses can pick and choose among many different career options and are not necessarily staying in any one job for an extended period of time. Nurses have realized the need to take control of their working lives and futures and that employers will not necessarily be there to look after them for the duration of their careers.1 Nurses are looking for work environments and leaders that help them to actualize and foster their professional goals and help them to grow and develop within the profession. This report describes the use of coaching as a technique for supporting nurses’ professional development.
Leadership in the 21st Century
T
From Hutzel Hospital, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI. Address reprint requests to Karin M. Gracey, MSN, RNC, CNNP 444 N. Fox Hills Dr #2, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48304. E-mail: [email protected]. c 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company Copyright 1527-3369/01/0103-0009$35.00/0 doi:10.1053/nbin.2001.25909
he challenge that faces many leaders today is how to motivate and empower employees so that they feel valued and respected in their practice and are performing at a high level of practice consistently. As Wilkinson2 states, “the workplace of the 21st century requires a different set of skills from those that characterized the industrial age, and a different kind of leader. In an economy where knowledge, creativity, and innovation are prized, people are the new bottom line. Harnessing their potential is more desirable then confining or controlling it. The successful leader of the 21st century will foster personal and professional performance. It is the leader whose skills and expertise enhances and fosters personal and professional performance in others who will be the successful leader of the 21st century.” An essential leadership skill that helps to achieve this is coaching. Coaching has been used in the business and management areas for the last decade,3 and the personal coach has become known in the business world as a “new type of helping professional.” The field of personal coaching as a profession is proliferating, with more than 10,000 coaches nationwide and over 3,000 personal coach web sites on the Internet.4 A coach gives expertise, experience, and wisdom, whether it be an independent personal coach or an advanced practice nurse (APN). The APN is seen as a leader in the nursing profession, and coaching is a leadership skill that can be used in a variety of different ways in the clinical
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Coaching: A Leadership Skill for the APN
setting. A leader sets the tone for all mentoring, precepting, and coaching activities within the organization.5 Leaders focus on drawing out a person’s strengths by clearly explaining the expectations of the position, motivating, and helping to develop the person so that she or he can learn and continue to grow.6 Coaching by an APN can play a pivotal role in guiding nursing performance and practice both on an individual and a team level. The APN acts as an important coach in the role of career coaching—coaching that helps staff members take control of their careers and plan for their futures in nursing. It is imperative that today’s nursing leaders be able to coach employees effectively in the work setting and work to enhance their practice and performance.
Coaching and Mentoring Defined
W
hat exactly is coaching? How does coaching differ from mentoring? Haynor5 has said that both coaching and mentoring are important relationship skills for leaders to have, to use and to value. Donner, Wheeler and Waddell1 define coaching as “an ongoing, face-to-face process by which the manager (leader) and employee collaborate to achieve increased job knowledge, improved skills in carrying out job responsibilities, a stronger and more positive working relationship, and opportunities for personal as well as professional growth for the employee. Coaching can consist of a combination of teaching, training and counseling.” Coaching has been said to help clients set priorities and goals, take action, make changes, and reshape their lives. It increases worker productivity. At the heart of coaching is the concern for the development of the individual, which in turn helps the manager/leader or the staff nurse to reach his or her full potential.7 Coaching can have an individual effect and have an overall effect on the nursing staff as a team. Coaching is more often a shorter-term relationship than mentoring, which is described in more detail later. Coaching tends to have very specific objectives to accomplish. Coaching helps individuals to think about and plan their career moves, cope with novel or unusual situations at work, settle into a new role, work through periods of change or innovation, refine their approach to situations at work, and actively develop themselves.3 Coaching8 serves as a vehicle for performance feedback, setting goals and building performance plans with individuals, conducting periodic performance reviews, motivating employee performance, and delegating accountability to empower and increase productivity. Coaching is not an explicit teaching session but an opportunity to assist persons to discover their own potential and improve their performance by helping them to learn. Mentoring occurs when a senior person with experience and position provides information, advice, and emo-
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Table 1. Coaching and Mentoring Coaching Can come from a peer or superior Usually related to a specific event, new assignment, or new challenge Usually has specific objectives Generally of shorter term Designed to bring about insights into behavior and activities
Mentoring Traditionally done by a senior person within the same organization Occurs spontaneously, cannot be forced or assigned, and there is no direct reporting relationship Focus is on growth and development Extends over a period of time: often 3 to 10 years Designed to support professional development
tional support for a prot´eg´e, in a relationship that lasts for an extended period of time and is marked by a substantial emotional commitment by both parties. The hallmarks of mentoring are the duration of the relationship and the power differential of the parties involved.1 Mentoring tends to occur spontaneously and is beneficial to both parties. The focus is on professional growth and development and traditionally involves a senior person within the same organization as the mentee. Mentors are typically trusted advisors you turn to periodically throughout your career for counseling (Table 1). The APN can utilize both mentoring and coaching as leadership skills in practice. In contrast to mentoring, coaching can specifically be used for guidance related to a specific event, new assignment, or new challenge, with specific objectives in mind. The advantages of coaching are numerous. Coaching employees helps to develop skill and positive attitudes. It actively involves employees in decision making and helps to bring out the potential in them. Coaching develops good relationships built on trust. Coaching also encourages more delegation and less supervision and increases the APN’s and the coachee’s productivity.9
Examples of Coaching in Business and Health Care
E
xamples of coaching are found in many places— from articles about personal coaches in the weekend newspaper4 to the leadership and management bookshelves in the local bookstore. The business world has numerous examples of using coaching in the work setting. Zbar10 provides examples of coaching in the Information Technology (IT) sector as a tool to build motivation and success at all levels in the organization. Wilkinson2 describes the new leader (the CEO) as one who is “softer, guiding rather than
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controlling, coaching and mentoring rather than managing by diktat.” Shelton11 explains that the best talent flows to the best companies. Talent is best leveraged in 7 ways, one of which is coaching and mentoring, and the primary role of management is to support, serve, discipline, and leverage the talent. Using coaching as a strategy in the workplace does this best. Nursing also cites examples of using coaching in the health care setting. The nurse manager often acts as a “career coach”1 by providing available times for nurses for career planning and career development. Coaching helps nurses to improve job performance and satisfaction3 and helps maximize performance in employees.12 Nursing leadership and management texts address the roles of coaching and mentoring as essential leadership skills.13 Mentorship in nursing is widely cited in the nursing literature to enhance nursing education and leadership development. The APN is in a key position to use coaching as a leadership skill in his or her daily practice. The key components of the APN role—clinical excellence, research, education and consultation—lend many leadership opportunities for the APN to use coaching in his or her daily practice.
Approaches to Coaching
C
oaching offers a challenging and rewarding experience. Recognizing and understanding individual differences as well as generational differences will assist the APN in becoming a successful coach. Weston14 points out that understanding employees’ beliefs, attitudes, and values about the world and the workplace can assist a manager (APN) in more effectively communicating with and coaching employees. One of the factors that influence employees’ perception of work is the generation in which they were born. Having a clear understanding of the differences in generational life experiences and values will guide the leader to better understand and work with the employee in maximizing the coaching experience. The generations are categorized as the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomer Generation, and Generation X; Weston gives strategies for the successful coaching of each. Lachman12 also suggests that having an awareness of one’s own beliefs, as the coach, will help one listen more effectively for others’ beliefs that may block their professional growth. You also will need to select a coaching style based on the coachee’s needs and the objective of the coaching session. Coaching styles range from instruction to pulling out the coachees’ existing strengths. The coach does most of the talking in the instruction type of coaching, whereas, when coaching to pull out the employee’s existing strengths, listening is most effective. The coachee’s motivation and skill level will help to guide in determining which style to use. It is important for the coach to be able to move easily between the 2 styles.
Table 2. Steps in the Coaching Process Step 1: Goal Definition—Definition of coaching goals. Step 2: Analysis—What is the present situation? Step 3: Exploration—What are the different options aimed at obtaining the goals? Step 4: Action—Moving forward; identify and commit to a course of action. Step 5: Learning—Implementation of the agreed-on actions. Step 6: Feedback—What has been learned?
Typically the coaching process occurs in a series of defined steps. Eaton and Johnson9 have structured the coaching process into 6 steps: definition, analysis, exploration, action, learning, and feedback. For any 1 coaching goal, there is a cycle of these 6 steps. The coaching process has been compared with the nursing process. The first step, definition, is when the coach and coachee agree what the coaching goals are. Goals need to be specific, measureable, achievable, relevant, and timed. The second step, analysis, assists the two to examine the “present reality”: where the coachee is at the present time with regard to the coaching goal. Within the third step, exploration, the two explore different options available to achieve the goals. During the fourth step, action, they identify what tasks need to be done to accomplish the goal and then commit to a course of action. Often times the first 4 steps can be achieved in a single coaching session. During the fifth step, learning, the coachee begins implementation of the agreed-on actions to reach the desired goal with the support of the coach. In the final step, feedback, the coach and coachee hold a feedback session and consider what has been learned and how the learning can be built on (Table 2). Girvin3 offers 5 steps, very similar in nature to the steps proposed by Eaton and Johnson.9 Those 5 coaching process steps include: agreeing on the context, assessment and analysis, reflection and development planning, action planning, and evaluation. Frequently the final stage of a coaching cycle initiates a new cycle by defining the next achievable goal that the coachee has identified through the learning process of being coached. Coaching is often an unending process, with each new achievement the coachee reaches leading to a platform for the next challenges and potential coaching sessions.
Tips for Coaching Success
D
eveloping successful coaching skills is a continuous process. Haas7 comments that there are several prerequisites for good coaching and team building: r Coaches need resources—they need to learn how to coach before getting into coaching, and coaching needs to be valued throughout the organization.
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Coaching: A Leadership Skill for the APN
r Coaching takes time—this is key to success. r Coaches must earn and maintain team respect. They must establish credibility through proficiency both clinically and administratively. r Coaches need the trust of their team members. Team members must perceive the coach’s commitment and concern for the members’ development. r Coaches need tolerance. They must recognize that team members need feedback on what went well and what did not. They need to expect the team members’ best efforts but should not criticize them for mistakes or shortfalls.
Coaching sessions are most successful when advance preparation is done. Although coaching can be spontaneous or formal, initiated by the coach or coachee, it is important that the stage is set for success. Sufficient planning is required when arranging a planned coaching session, including agreeing on the timing of the session—when and how long will you meet, allowing for sufficient time for the session, booking at least 2 meetings ahead to ensure continuity and follow-up, and meeting regularly for short coaching sessions on a regular basis. Make sure the sessions are uninterrupted. Give feedback in a relaxed manner, be specific, interact with the coachee, and seek agreement and action. Receive feedback in an open manner. Evaluate the feedback. Clarify your understanding of the feedback and state your understanding so any misunderstanding is corrected.9 Brounstein outlines 10 tips for coaching succes in his recent book Coaching and Mentoring for Dummies.8 They are: r r r r r r r r r r
delegate give performance feedback motivate employee performance mentor employee growth focus employee performance set meaningful goals assess employee performance aid career development deliver training reinforce good performance
He suggests that the skills that can strengthen your coaching performance include: r r r r r r r r r
being an active listener speaking assertively being a good time manager facilitating and managing meetings effectively managing the process of change being able to coach teams of people effectively being a problem solver resolving conflict constructively managing projects and conducting yourself as an effective leader
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Coaching behaviors to avoid include: r r r r r r r r r r
talking too much and listening too little being hands-off in your style hovering around too much not following through and not following up focusing on methods rather than results managing everyone in the same way failing to get to know your employees or becoming their friends tending to tasks rather than goals failing to bring issues to closure desiring to “do it all”
Keeping these tips and pitfalls in mind should help the APN develop strong coaching skills to add to his or her leadership role in health care. Periodic evaluation and assessment of one’s coaching skills and technique will lead to continual growth and development in the leadership field.
Examples of How Coaching Can Be Used by the APN
A
PNs take on a variety of different roles in the health care area. They function as educators, researchers, leaders, managers, and clinical experts in their respective areas of expertise. The opportunities to coach may present in a variety of different ways. Use coaching colleague-to-colleague. A senior staff APN can coach another colleague who may not have as much skill and expertise in a particular area of his or her practice, such as publishing. The APN coach would then coach the colleague to achieve her goal of publishing an article. Perhaps the APN would be approached by another nurse to ask for help and advice in achieving his or her career goals of career advancement. The APN would be in an excellent position to coach the colleague to help achieve career goals. APNs are in the midst of change within the health care setting and can be used to coach other staff in dealing with change and how to handle conflict. The APN is in an ideal position for coaching others on how to handle new work situations or solve complex clinical problems. Staff development is another area in which the APN is often involved. The APN participates in or even chairs practice committees, task forces, hospital-based committees, and unit-based governance structures. Involvement in staff and project development and implementation is ongoing. Coaching within this context can help the individual(s)/ team members build their skill level and enhance their performance. Coaching can help to oversee the progress of projects and help others solve problems and overcome obstacles. Use coaching within the context of nursing and patient/parent education. Meeting short-term goals is often necessary in many aspects of teaching patients and families
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about the care that is necessary. An extremely effective way of helping the patient and family reach their full potential and achieve the skills and knowledge base necessary for self-care is through coaching. Coaching in the education setting helps to develop leadership skills in the nursing student. Using the framework developed by Eaton and Johnson9 on “Deciding When and How to Coach,” situations in which the APN often coaches are:
develop within the nursing profession. The APN is in a key position to use coaching as a leadership skill in his or her daily practice. By developing effective coaching skills, the APN can contribute significantly within the health care setting in a variety of positive ways.
r Building Skills: often a situation arises where opportunities are set up for learning and practicing new skills. r Progressing Projects: oversight of the progress of projects by the APN. r Solving Problems: APNs are often involved in situations in which problems need resolution. She or he can help coach staff to identify the problem and possible routes to the solution. r Developing Careers: helping staff/colleagues prepare for career changes or promotions. r Overcoming Conflicts: defusing disagreements among team members or staff. r Remotivating Staff: restoring hope and enthusiasm and commitment within the team by role modeling his or her own enthusiasm and helping others work through the issues that are bothering them. r Brainstorming: an area in which the APN can help to direct the creative input of the team or individual to help keep projects and goals on track.
1. Donner GJ, Wheeler MM, Waddell J: The nurse manager as career coach. J Nurs Adm 27(12):14–18, 1997 2. Wilkinson H: Working at life. Management Today January: 34, 2001 3. Girvin J: Coaching for improving job performance and satisfaction. Nurs Times 95(50):55–57, 1999 4. Lerner ME: Good-bye, couch. Hello coach. USA Weekend March 2–4:16, 2001 5. Haynor PM: The coaching, precepting, and mentoring roles of the leader within an organizational setting. Holist Nurs Pract 9(1):31–40, 1994 6. Kerfoot K: Leading from the inside out. Ped Nurs 26(6):639–640, 2000 7. Haas SA: Coaching: Developing key players. J Nurs Adm 22(6):54– 58, 1992 8. Brounstein M: Coaching and Mentoring for Dummies. Foster City, CA, IDG Books, 2000 9. Eaton J, Johnson R: Coaching Successfully. London, DK Books, 2001 10. Zbar J: Someone to watch over me. Computerworld, 33(20):68–69, 1999 11. Shelton K: Leveraging talent. Executive Excellence 16(1):7, 1999 12. Lachman VD: Coaching techniques. Nurs Management, Jan, 15– 19, 2000 13. Marquis BL, Huston CJ: Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing: Theory and Application (3rd ed). Philadelphia, Lippincott, 2000 14. Weston M: Coaching generations in the workplace. Nurs Adm Q 25(2):11–21, 2001
Conclusion
T
he opportunities for the APN to coach are numerous. Coaching can motivate and empower staff to grow and
References
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LEADERSHIP
Abstract Leadership in the 21st century requires that individuals lead in creative ways that enhance and support their employees’ growth, development, and performance. Employees have reported that they need to feel respected and valued. As a member of the nursing leadership team, the advanced practice nurse (APN) is on the front line, involved with staff on a daily basis, and able to coach staff in a variety of different situations. Using coaching as a leadership skill assists the APN in making a significant contribution to the health care field and to employee growth and development. c 2001 by Copyright W.B. Saunders Company
Coaching: An Essential Leadership Skill for the Advanced Practice Nurse By Karin M. Gracey, MSN, RNC, CNNP
T
he health care environment is continually changing. Every health care system is dealing with downsizing/right-sizing and restructuring on a continuous basis. In addition, the nation is in the midst of a nursing shortage, and the nursing profession is “aging” without an adequate influx of new nurses into the profession. The marketplace has become a highly competitive arena in which nurses can pick and choose among many different career options and are not necessarily staying in any one job for an extended period of time. Nurses have realized the need to take control of their working lives and futures and that employers will not necessarily be there to look after them for the duration of their careers.1 Nurses are looking for work environments and leaders that help them to actualize and foster their professional goals and help them to grow and develop within the profession. This report describes the use of coaching as a technique for supporting nurses’ professional development.
Leadership in the 21st Century
T
From Hutzel Hospital, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI. Address reprint requests to Karin M. Gracey, MSN, RNC, CNNP 444 N. Fox Hills Dr #2, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48304. E-mail: [email protected]. c 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company Copyright 1527-3369/01/0103-0009$35.00/0 doi:10.1053/nbin.2001.25909
he challenge that faces many leaders today is how to motivate and empower employees so that they feel valued and respected in their practice and are performing at a high level of practice consistently. As Wilkinson2 states, “the workplace of the 21st century requires a different set of skills from those that characterized the industrial age, and a different kind of leader. In an economy where knowledge, creativity, and innovation are prized, people are the new bottom line. Harnessing their potential is more desirable then confining or controlling it. The successful leader of the 21st century will foster personal and professional performance. It is the leader whose skills and expertise enhances and fosters personal and professional performance in others who will be the successful leader of the 21st century.” An essential leadership skill that helps to achieve this is coaching. Coaching has been used in the business and management areas for the last decade,3 and the personal coach has become known in the business world as a “new type of helping professional.” The field of personal coaching as a profession is proliferating, with more than 10,000 coaches nationwide and over 3,000 personal coach web sites on the Internet.4 A coach gives expertise, experience, and wisdom, whether it be an independent personal coach or an advanced practice nurse (APN). The APN is seen as a leader in the nursing profession, and coaching is a leadership skill that can be used in a variety of different ways in the clinical
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, Vol 1, No 3 (September), 2001: pp 176–180
176
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Coaching: A Leadership Skill for the APN
setting. A leader sets the tone for all mentoring, precepting, and coaching activities within the organization.5 Leaders focus on drawing out a person’s strengths by clearly explaining the expectations of the position, motivating, and helping to develop the person so that she or he can learn and continue to grow.6 Coaching by an APN can play a pivotal role in guiding nursing performance and practice both on an individual and a team level. The APN acts as an important coach in the role of career coaching—coaching that helps staff members take control of their careers and plan for their futures in nursing. It is imperative that today’s nursing leaders be able to coach employees effectively in the work setting and work to enhance their practice and performance.
Coaching and Mentoring Defined
W
hat exactly is coaching? How does coaching differ from mentoring? Haynor5 has said that both coaching and mentoring are important relationship skills for leaders to have, to use and to value. Donner, Wheeler and Waddell1 define coaching as “an ongoing, face-to-face process by which the manager (leader) and employee collaborate to achieve increased job knowledge, improved skills in carrying out job responsibilities, a stronger and more positive working relationship, and opportunities for personal as well as professional growth for the employee. Coaching can consist of a combination of teaching, training and counseling.” Coaching has been said to help clients set priorities and goals, take action, make changes, and reshape their lives. It increases worker productivity. At the heart of coaching is the concern for the development of the individual, which in turn helps the manager/leader or the staff nurse to reach his or her full potential.7 Coaching can have an individual effect and have an overall effect on the nursing staff as a team. Coaching is more often a shorter-term relationship than mentoring, which is described in more detail later. Coaching tends to have very specific objectives to accomplish. Coaching helps individuals to think about and plan their career moves, cope with novel or unusual situations at work, settle into a new role, work through periods of change or innovation, refine their approach to situations at work, and actively develop themselves.3 Coaching8 serves as a vehicle for performance feedback, setting goals and building performance plans with individuals, conducting periodic performance reviews, motivating employee performance, and delegating accountability to empower and increase productivity. Coaching is not an explicit teaching session but an opportunity to assist persons to discover their own potential and improve their performance by helping them to learn. Mentoring occurs when a senior person with experience and position provides information, advice, and emo-
177
Table 1. Coaching and Mentoring Coaching Can come from a peer or superior Usually related to a specific event, new assignment, or new challenge Usually has specific objectives Generally of shorter term Designed to bring about insights into behavior and activities
Mentoring Traditionally done by a senior person within the same organization Occurs spontaneously, cannot be forced or assigned, and there is no direct reporting relationship Focus is on growth and development Extends over a period of time: often 3 to 10 years Designed to support professional development
tional support for a prot´eg´e, in a relationship that lasts for an extended period of time and is marked by a substantial emotional commitment by both parties. The hallmarks of mentoring are the duration of the relationship and the power differential of the parties involved.1 Mentoring tends to occur spontaneously and is beneficial to both parties. The focus is on professional growth and development and traditionally involves a senior person within the same organization as the mentee. Mentors are typically trusted advisors you turn to periodically throughout your career for counseling (Table 1). The APN can utilize both mentoring and coaching as leadership skills in practice. In contrast to mentoring, coaching can specifically be used for guidance related to a specific event, new assignment, or new challenge, with specific objectives in mind. The advantages of coaching are numerous. Coaching employees helps to develop skill and positive attitudes. It actively involves employees in decision making and helps to bring out the potential in them. Coaching develops good relationships built on trust. Coaching also encourages more delegation and less supervision and increases the APN’s and the coachee’s productivity.9
Examples of Coaching in Business and Health Care
E
xamples of coaching are found in many places— from articles about personal coaches in the weekend newspaper4 to the leadership and management bookshelves in the local bookstore. The business world has numerous examples of using coaching in the work setting. Zbar10 provides examples of coaching in the Information Technology (IT) sector as a tool to build motivation and success at all levels in the organization. Wilkinson2 describes the new leader (the CEO) as one who is “softer, guiding rather than
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controlling, coaching and mentoring rather than managing by diktat.” Shelton11 explains that the best talent flows to the best companies. Talent is best leveraged in 7 ways, one of which is coaching and mentoring, and the primary role of management is to support, serve, discipline, and leverage the talent. Using coaching as a strategy in the workplace does this best. Nursing also cites examples of using coaching in the health care setting. The nurse manager often acts as a “career coach”1 by providing available times for nurses for career planning and career development. Coaching helps nurses to improve job performance and satisfaction3 and helps maximize performance in employees.12 Nursing leadership and management texts address the roles of coaching and mentoring as essential leadership skills.13 Mentorship in nursing is widely cited in the nursing literature to enhance nursing education and leadership development. The APN is in a key position to use coaching as a leadership skill in his or her daily practice. The key components of the APN role—clinical excellence, research, education and consultation—lend many leadership opportunities for the APN to use coaching in his or her daily practice.
Approaches to Coaching
C
oaching offers a challenging and rewarding experience. Recognizing and understanding individual differences as well as generational differences will assist the APN in becoming a successful coach. Weston14 points out that understanding employees’ beliefs, attitudes, and values about the world and the workplace can assist a manager (APN) in more effectively communicating with and coaching employees. One of the factors that influence employees’ perception of work is the generation in which they were born. Having a clear understanding of the differences in generational life experiences and values will guide the leader to better understand and work with the employee in maximizing the coaching experience. The generations are categorized as the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomer Generation, and Generation X; Weston gives strategies for the successful coaching of each. Lachman12 also suggests that having an awareness of one’s own beliefs, as the coach, will help one listen more effectively for others’ beliefs that may block their professional growth. You also will need to select a coaching style based on the coachee’s needs and the objective of the coaching session. Coaching styles range from instruction to pulling out the coachees’ existing strengths. The coach does most of the talking in the instruction type of coaching, whereas, when coaching to pull out the employee’s existing strengths, listening is most effective. The coachee’s motivation and skill level will help to guide in determining which style to use. It is important for the coach to be able to move easily between the 2 styles.
Table 2. Steps in the Coaching Process Step 1: Goal Definition—Definition of coaching goals. Step 2: Analysis—What is the present situation? Step 3: Exploration—What are the different options aimed at obtaining the goals? Step 4: Action—Moving forward; identify and commit to a course of action. Step 5: Learning—Implementation of the agreed-on actions. Step 6: Feedback—What has been learned?
Typically the coaching process occurs in a series of defined steps. Eaton and Johnson9 have structured the coaching process into 6 steps: definition, analysis, exploration, action, learning, and feedback. For any 1 coaching goal, there is a cycle of these 6 steps. The coaching process has been compared with the nursing process. The first step, definition, is when the coach and coachee agree what the coaching goals are. Goals need to be specific, measureable, achievable, relevant, and timed. The second step, analysis, assists the two to examine the “present reality”: where the coachee is at the present time with regard to the coaching goal. Within the third step, exploration, the two explore different options available to achieve the goals. During the fourth step, action, they identify what tasks need to be done to accomplish the goal and then commit to a course of action. Often times the first 4 steps can be achieved in a single coaching session. During the fifth step, learning, the coachee begins implementation of the agreed-on actions to reach the desired goal with the support of the coach. In the final step, feedback, the coach and coachee hold a feedback session and consider what has been learned and how the learning can be built on (Table 2). Girvin3 offers 5 steps, very similar in nature to the steps proposed by Eaton and Johnson.9 Those 5 coaching process steps include: agreeing on the context, assessment and analysis, reflection and development planning, action planning, and evaluation. Frequently the final stage of a coaching cycle initiates a new cycle by defining the next achievable goal that the coachee has identified through the learning process of being coached. Coaching is often an unending process, with each new achievement the coachee reaches leading to a platform for the next challenges and potential coaching sessions.
Tips for Coaching Success
D
eveloping successful coaching skills is a continuous process. Haas7 comments that there are several prerequisites for good coaching and team building: r Coaches need resources—they need to learn how to coach before getting into coaching, and coaching needs to be valued throughout the organization.
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r Coaching takes time—this is key to success. r Coaches must earn and maintain team respect. They must establish credibility through proficiency both clinically and administratively. r Coaches need the trust of their team members. Team members must perceive the coach’s commitment and concern for the members’ development. r Coaches need tolerance. They must recognize that team members need feedback on what went well and what did not. They need to expect the team members’ best efforts but should not criticize them for mistakes or shortfalls.
Coaching sessions are most successful when advance preparation is done. Although coaching can be spontaneous or formal, initiated by the coach or coachee, it is important that the stage is set for success. Sufficient planning is required when arranging a planned coaching session, including agreeing on the timing of the session—when and how long will you meet, allowing for sufficient time for the session, booking at least 2 meetings ahead to ensure continuity and follow-up, and meeting regularly for short coaching sessions on a regular basis. Make sure the sessions are uninterrupted. Give feedback in a relaxed manner, be specific, interact with the coachee, and seek agreement and action. Receive feedback in an open manner. Evaluate the feedback. Clarify your understanding of the feedback and state your understanding so any misunderstanding is corrected.9 Brounstein outlines 10 tips for coaching succes in his recent book Coaching and Mentoring for Dummies.8 They are: r r r r r r r r r r
delegate give performance feedback motivate employee performance mentor employee growth focus employee performance set meaningful goals assess employee performance aid career development deliver training reinforce good performance
He suggests that the skills that can strengthen your coaching performance include: r r r r r r r r r
being an active listener speaking assertively being a good time manager facilitating and managing meetings effectively managing the process of change being able to coach teams of people effectively being a problem solver resolving conflict constructively managing projects and conducting yourself as an effective leader
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Coaching behaviors to avoid include: r r r r r r r r r r
talking too much and listening too little being hands-off in your style hovering around too much not following through and not following up focusing on methods rather than results managing everyone in the same way failing to get to know your employees or becoming their friends tending to tasks rather than goals failing to bring issues to closure desiring to “do it all”
Keeping these tips and pitfalls in mind should help the APN develop strong coaching skills to add to his or her leadership role in health care. Periodic evaluation and assessment of one’s coaching skills and technique will lead to continual growth and development in the leadership field.
Examples of How Coaching Can Be Used by the APN
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PNs take on a variety of different roles in the health care area. They function as educators, researchers, leaders, managers, and clinical experts in their respective areas of expertise. The opportunities to coach may present in a variety of different ways. Use coaching colleague-to-colleague. A senior staff APN can coach another colleague who may not have as much skill and expertise in a particular area of his or her practice, such as publishing. The APN coach would then coach the colleague to achieve her goal of publishing an article. Perhaps the APN would be approached by another nurse to ask for help and advice in achieving his or her career goals of career advancement. The APN would be in an excellent position to coach the colleague to help achieve career goals. APNs are in the midst of change within the health care setting and can be used to coach other staff in dealing with change and how to handle conflict. The APN is in an ideal position for coaching others on how to handle new work situations or solve complex clinical problems. Staff development is another area in which the APN is often involved. The APN participates in or even chairs practice committees, task forces, hospital-based committees, and unit-based governance structures. Involvement in staff and project development and implementation is ongoing. Coaching within this context can help the individual(s)/ team members build their skill level and enhance their performance. Coaching can help to oversee the progress of projects and help others solve problems and overcome obstacles. Use coaching within the context of nursing and patient/parent education. Meeting short-term goals is often necessary in many aspects of teaching patients and families
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about the care that is necessary. An extremely effective way of helping the patient and family reach their full potential and achieve the skills and knowledge base necessary for self-care is through coaching. Coaching in the education setting helps to develop leadership skills in the nursing student. Using the framework developed by Eaton and Johnson9 on “Deciding When and How to Coach,” situations in which the APN often coaches are:
develop within the nursing profession. The APN is in a key position to use coaching as a leadership skill in his or her daily practice. By developing effective coaching skills, the APN can contribute significantly within the health care setting in a variety of positive ways.
r Building Skills: often a situation arises where opportunities are set up for learning and practicing new skills. r Progressing Projects: oversight of the progress of projects by the APN. r Solving Problems: APNs are often involved in situations in which problems need resolution. She or he can help coach staff to identify the problem and possible routes to the solution. r Developing Careers: helping staff/colleagues prepare for career changes or promotions. r Overcoming Conflicts: defusing disagreements among team members or staff. r Remotivating Staff: restoring hope and enthusiasm and commitment within the team by role modeling his or her own enthusiasm and helping others work through the issues that are bothering them. r Brainstorming: an area in which the APN can help to direct the creative input of the team or individual to help keep projects and goals on track.
1. Donner GJ, Wheeler MM, Waddell J: The nurse manager as career coach. J Nurs Adm 27(12):14–18, 1997 2. Wilkinson H: Working at life. Management Today January: 34, 2001 3. Girvin J: Coaching for improving job performance and satisfaction. Nurs Times 95(50):55–57, 1999 4. Lerner ME: Good-bye, couch. Hello coach. USA Weekend March 2–4:16, 2001 5. Haynor PM: The coaching, precepting, and mentoring roles of the leader within an organizational setting. Holist Nurs Pract 9(1):31–40, 1994 6. Kerfoot K: Leading from the inside out. Ped Nurs 26(6):639–640, 2000 7. Haas SA: Coaching: Developing key players. J Nurs Adm 22(6):54– 58, 1992 8. Brounstein M: Coaching and Mentoring for Dummies. Foster City, CA, IDG Books, 2000 9. Eaton J, Johnson R: Coaching Successfully. London, DK Books, 2001 10. Zbar J: Someone to watch over me. Computerworld, 33(20):68–69, 1999 11. Shelton K: Leveraging talent. Executive Excellence 16(1):7, 1999 12. Lachman VD: Coaching techniques. Nurs Management, Jan, 15– 19, 2000 13. Marquis BL, Huston CJ: Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing: Theory and Application (3rd ed). Philadelphia, Lippincott, 2000 14. Weston M: Coaching generations in the workplace. Nurs Adm Q 25(2):11–21, 2001
Conclusion
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he opportunities for the APN to coach are numerous. Coaching can motivate and empower staff to grow and
References