The purpose of the Case Assignment is to create a “Live Case” by experiencing the process of coaching and developing your skills as a coach. Because this case is designed around experiential learning, we can go beyond the conceptual knowledge covered in the reading materials to actual skills building. This requires putting what you are learning into immediate practice.

Although the case assignments involve a coaching experience, the focus is on you as the coach. You will be learning how to prepare for a coaching session, what questions you should ask, and what behaviors are most effective. The case involves a coaching relationship with one person and is continued in stages across all four modules, so be sure to focus on the exact stage covered in each module and do not get ahead of yourself.

The goal of the coaching process is to expedite the growth of the coachee’s understanding of his or her strengths and weaknesses. Through the coaching process, the coachee gains an appreciation of his capabilities for growth and builds self-confidence. Thus, before you begin this exercise in coaching, you must first find someone who is willing to go through this exercise with you as a coachee. This can be a friend, a colleague, or a co-worker. It does not have to be a situation tied to your job. The only requirement is that you must be able to identify a contracted piece of work based on a shared concern (if no shared concern can be found, find another coachee).

Johari window

In MGT501, you were introduced to the Johari window as a tool for increasing awareness of how one is perceived by others and to improve communication. This case is designed to enlarge your “open” area and reduce your “blind” area, so you can be more effective as a coach. At the same time, you will learn to use coaching techniques as a way to correct problem behaviors (“blind area”) and help coachees realize they have untapped potential and open the possibility for growth through unused capacities (their “hidden” areas”).

Read: Johari Window (n.d.) Crowe Associates LTD. Retrieved from http://www.crowe-associates.co.uk/coaching-and-mentoring-skills/johari-window-as-a-coaching-tool/

The structure of the Live Case

Each module will follow this cycle: Plan, execute, report

Before the coaching session, write up a plan using course readings or additional research as a resource (1-2 pages)
Then meet with the coachee and use your plan as a guide for the session
The bulk of the report is on how it went: successes and failures. What would you do differently next time? (3 to 5 pages)
Preplanning
Action
Reflection
What are your goals for the session?
What actions do you plan?
How will you know if you are successful?
(1-2 pages)
Meet with coachee (45-50 minutes).
Report on the session. Provide a narrative descriptive summary of the conversation as it occurred (1 or 2 paragraphs).
How do you feel the session went?
Analyze the process and outcomes of your coaching.
What new knowledge did you gain?
What would you do differently next time?
Case Assignment
The first step in the coaching process is to build rapport with your coachee. This is where you establish a trusting relationship by demonstrating your credibility, helpfulness, and honesty. To build genuine rapport, you must believe in the potential of the person you are coaching – this cannot be faked.

Some excellent methods for building rapport can be found in the following readings:

Building rapport: Establishing bonds (2014) Mindtools. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/building-rapport.htm
Bluckert, P. (2005). Critical factors in executive coaching – the coaching relationship. Industrial and Commercial Training, 37(6), 336-340. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/214109158?accountid=28844
Remember: Shared success is the key to great coaching!

Hands, Puzzle, Share, Items

Shared success means that the outcome works for both the individual and the organization, because it meets both individual and organizational needs. Coaching is a tool where we are able to create that connection between the person and the organization.

Your task in this module is to identify a partner who is willing to be coached by you over the course of the term. Set up an initial meeting and establish rapport. Do not attempt to get into the later stages of coaching; we will get to them in later modules. Focus on the process of establishing rapport only. Write up this meeting as indicated in the Keys to the Assignment, below. Turn in your final 4- to 6-page paper to the appropriate dropbox by the due date.

Keys to the Assignment

After reading the background materials for this module and doing additional research if needed, prepare your pre-coaching plan for a 45- to 50-minute session. Remember that your focus for this case is on the process of building rapport with the coachee.
What are your goals for this session? How will you know if you are successful?
What skills will you use?
How will you go about doing this?
What questions will you ask?
Conduct your coaching session (45 to 50 minutes).
Write up your post-coaching reflection.
Report the facts of the coaching session.
What went well and what did not?
What did you learn about coaching from this session?
What would you do differently next time?