Today I signed my contract for the new book “Coaching Skills for Leaders in the Workplace” this is very exciting as I have wanted to write a book on coaching for several years. As the owner and principal of a language school from 1988 – 2001 I would have liked a coach or mentor to support me through the transition from teacher to manager.

It is not always apparent that when we do something well we are not necessarily good at running our own businesses in that field. The E-Myth by Michael E Gerber was a very valuable tool during those formative years and he demonstrated that many small businesses fail through lack of key management and people skills.

Coaching is the best tool I have come across to support people in the workplace. It empowers people to take ownership and responsibility for their CPD and releases senior managers leaders to carry out their own roles. Too often managers are fire-fighting and dealing with issues that are brought to them by their staff. The realisation they do not need to have all the answers is very liberating. It certainly was for me! Of course we want to help our staff to succeed. We are keen for them to do things “right” but we may be blind to the fact that our way is not always the “right” way. People have different views of the world and their filters are often not the same as those of their managers.

Take an example of a manager who is very action orientated. She likes to get things done and is not really too concerned about the details. Her direct report is a woman who likes to consider all the options before coming to a decision and feels more comfortable when she has read through all the information. Unless, as managers, we are able to recognise that others may do a task differently but may also be just as effective we will not get the best from our people. This is where coaching can be so valuable. It can raise our awareness of how others see the world and operate within it. It can help us to see that by “fixing it” for our staff it is not necessarily the best way for them. Giving them back the responsibility and allowing them to make mistakes without judgement enables them to grow. It increases their confidence and self-worth.

If you or any of your colleagues are coaching as part of your role within an organisation I would love to hear from you. How do you coach your staff? As a line manager can you coach your staff effectively and non-judgementally? Do you have any useful case studies you can share.

Many thanks for your input

Jackie Arnold

Keeping on track during your presentation:

When someone gets lost in a presentation, chances are they are getting lost while trying to make a transition between the various components.
For example, I noticed during a speech last week that I had moved from the opening to the first main point with no real sign-post to let people know. This can also happen when moving from main point to main point, or from the body to the closing. It’s all about planning the language and gestures in advance so people know where you’re going.

I often use specific language to transition from openings to the body such as “Let’s get started on the first topic…,” or “My first main point is…” or “First let’s ask ourselves what we need to consider…” or “OK, so what are the real issues here? Let’s consider..” Asking a question is also a great technique to start the main body of a speech or presentation. “I wonder if you knew that…?” or “Have you ever considered..?” You do not need an answer to the question but it serves to involve the audience from the outset. That’s what I should have planned to do in the example above.

Between the main points I often use something like, “That gives you the outline, now let’s talk about some of the details,” or “The second point I’d like to bring to your attention is ..” or “Following on from this ..” or “Moving to the next point, I’d like to focus on…” It was obvious that I had not planned my speech on that occasion, as well as I usually do. This was a definate wake-up call for me!

I also plan in advance for transitions using visual aids or moving to a different location on the platform as it can be very effective. Combining verbal cues with a physical change adds to the impact. A powerful technique when finishing a presentation is to move towards the audience prior to making your closing statements. This will add emphasis to what you are saying and enable the audience to become more involved.

The closing is probably the most important, yet often most
neglected, part of a presentation. People will always remember what you said
last! Every closing should include a recap of your main points. Simply end your presentation by summarising the key ideas you have covered. It is good to end on a quote or a startling fact.

Making these important transitions seems really quite obvious but I am glad that I noticed my error last week as it gave me the opportunity to re-visit my planning strategies for the future.

Jackie Arnold
Voice Coach