Page 109 - FLL Virtual Binder 2018

Coaching Language
Coaching language is supportive, positive, and non-judgmental. Effective coaches are aware of how their communication impacts their team and other organizational members. In addition, effective coaches purposefully use their language to help guide others towards self discovery and improved performance.
Try vs. Will
The phrase “I’ll try” can often give a team member an excuse for not succeeding whereas the phrase “I will” is a much stronger commitment to action. Think about a situation where you asked an individual to perform a role and responsibilities and the response was “I’ll try”. What was the outcome? Now, think about another situation where you asked an individual to perform a role and responsibilities and the response was “I will”. What was the outcome?
Manage commitments to mange performance.
Body language
Be aware of both your team member’s body language and your own. Lack of eye contact, folded arms, facial grimaces, and other cues can indicate what the individual may be thinking, feeling, or how he/she is receiving feedback. Remember that the impact of your message is contained in both what you say (words) and how you say it (body language and tone of voice).
Reframing
As a coach, a key role is to assist your team member reframe the current issues or problems into new ways that help to create breakthroughs in their thinking and in their actions. The words you choose can either lead to open dialogue or potentially derail the discussion.
Try reframing the following words and see what happens to the tone of the discussion:
• Instead of saying Always or Never, say Sometimes or be specific (e.g. 6
times).
• Instead of saying Mistakes, say Learnings or Opportunities.
• Instead of saying But, say And.
Leader Coaches use the language of:
• solutions not problems
• possibility not barriers
• positivity not negativity
Front Line Leadership Module: Dealing with Differences
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