For
this week’s reflection blog, I read the “Coach with Compassion” article by
Melvin Smith, Richard E. Boyatzis, and Ellen Van Oosten. The main point of this
article is the importance of coaching with compassion in order to gain a
sustainable form of change. Coaching with compassion essentially moves a person
to the positive emotional attractor, where it initiates the dialogues about
hope, compassion, and mindfulness in order to help the person reach resonance. When
a coach coaches with compassion, the coachee is more likely to truly gain a
very powerful experience in which he or she will grow as a person and as a
leader. In other words, the use of coaching with compassion brings out more positive
emotions than coaching for compliance. Coaching for compliance typically
involves the negative emotional attractor. These negative emotions typically
arise as the coach is trying to coach someone by telling him or her what to do
and how to do it.
According
to Smith, Boyatzis, and Van Oosten, “coaching with compassion stimulates
dramatic improvements in the emotional, social, and cognitive intelligence
competencies related to leadership effectiveness. When we encourage people to
dream of possibilities, to reflect on their values, passion, and desired
legacy, we arouse to the Positive Emotional Attractor” (Smith, Boyatzis &
Van Oosten, 2012). As this happens, the positive emotions felt fuel the drive
towards change, which is essential for coaching. This reminds me of a very
positive experience I gained with my first supervisor. As I reflect on the
experience, I believe that this supervisor coached me with compassion.
After
going through the process of training, as I was new to the company, the supervisor
seemed to switch gears. She no longer told me what to do or how to do it, as
she believed that I understood with detail what needed to be done. I recall her
asking me what were my goals. Back then, my goal was only to finish college and
get a job. Once I told her, she began encouraging me to look at the career
opportunities the organization was offering and honestly, it was the best thing
I did. By looking up the organization’s opportunities, I was able to open up my
eyes and realize that I could be more than just an employee. I could be a
supervisor, manager, director, chairman, and even CEO of an organization. By
realizing that I could be more than what at the time I was shooting for, it
gave me the positive boost I needed to want more and to aim higher than a
supervisor. Once she began to see my passion, dedication, drive, and goal of
wanting to reach for the next level position, she began to coach me in order
for me to reach the next level. I was able to learn beyond the position I had
at the moment and learn new behaviors that were consistent with a shift lead
position. Unfortunately though, as I switched stores and reached the shift lead
position; I was unable to continue achieving a higher position, as no
supervisor position had been open for last two years of my employment with that
organization.
When
I first began coaching, I felt into the trap of coaching for compliance. I told
people what to do and how to do it without leaving much room for new ideas. As
I continued to grow, I learned what coaching was truly about. I have coached
employees in the workplace in the form of helping them develop new skills and
learn new behaviors. For example, in one occasion I noticed an employee was
getting bored at work, as she was no longer challenged. I encouraged her to
learn new skills that followed in line with her passion and goals. A few days
later, the employee told me she loved numbers and wanted to try taking the
inventory count. Shortly afterwards, I began to train her on the organization’s
procedure and rules, such as there must be a minimum of two people doing the
inventory together on inventory day. Little did I know that she was going to
love it, that numbers was one of her strengths, and that she was going to do
great. At the end, she was happy and excited for inventory day.
Reference:
Smith, M.,
Boyatzis, R. E., & Van Oosten, E. (2012). Coach with compassion.
Leadership Excellence, 29(3), 10. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1010048913?accountid=27203
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