What are the best ways to keep virtual team members engaged during coaching sessions?

Coaching is a valuable skill that can help you develop and motivate your team members, especially in a virtual setting. However, keeping them engaged and focused during online sessions can be challenging. How can you create a positive and productive coaching experience for your remote team? Here are some best practices to follow.

1 Set clear goals and expectations

Before you start any coaching session, make sure you and your team member have a clear understanding of the purpose, goals, and expectations of the session. Communicate them clearly and confirm them in writing. This will help you both stay on track and avoid confusion or frustration. You can also use SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) criteria to set realistic and actionable goals that can be monitored and evaluated.

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Omar Halabieh

Tech Director @ Amazon Payment Services | #1 LinkedIn Arab World Creator in Management & Leadership | Follow me for Daily Insights on Leadership, Management and Career | Mentor
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Ensure that the goals (including activities) set can be equally assessed across attendees in person and virtual - so that they are both engaged. This may require special tooling support or adjustments in the format. Acknowledge and communicate how this was considered as you open up the session.

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2 Choose the right tools and platforms

The quality of your coaching session depends largely on the tools and platforms you use to facilitate it. Choose the ones that suit your needs, preferences, and budget. For example, you can use video conferencing software to create a more personal and interactive connection, chat apps to exchange feedback and resources, and online collaboration tools to share documents and work on projects. Make sure you test them beforehand and troubleshoot any technical issues that may arise.

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3 Build rapport and trust

One of the key elements of effective coaching is building rapport and trust with your team member. This can be harder to achieve in a virtual setting, where you may lack the non-verbal cues and social interactions that foster rapport. However, you can still create a positive and supportive relationship by showing genuine interest, empathy, and respect. You can also use icebreakers, humor, and stories to break the ice and make the session more engaging and fun.

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Ruth Gawthorpe - Leading The Smart Working Revolution

CEO at The Smart Working Revolution | Workforce Transformation & Leadership Development I Not just ahead of the Curve - We are the Curve l Devon & Cornwall CIPD Committee Member
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To keep virtual team members engaged during coaching sessions, I make the sessions interactive and relevant. Encourage active participation by asking questions, seeking their input, and allowing them to share their experiences. Use visuals, like slides or videos, rich media - to break up the session and keep things interesting. Set clear goals and objectives for the coaching session, and make sure the content is directly applicable to their work. Also, be a good listener and give them a chance to express their concerns or ideas. Finally, use technology effectively, such as chat features or breakout rooms, to promote collaboration and discussions, making the virtual coaching session feel more like a two-way conversation.

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4 Use active listening and questioning techniques

Another essential skill for coaching is active listening and questioning. This means paying attention to what your team member is saying, reflecting back their thoughts and feelings, and asking open-ended and probing questions that encourage them to think deeper and explore different perspectives. Active listening and questioning can help you understand your team member's needs, challenges, and goals better, as well as stimulate their creativity and problem-solving abilities.

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5 Provide constructive feedback and recognition

Feedback and recognition are vital for coaching, as they help your team member improve their performance, learn from their mistakes, and celebrate their achievements. However, feedback and recognition should be constructive, specific, and timely. You should focus on the behaviors and outcomes, not the personality or character of your team member. You should also balance the positive and negative feedback, and use the sandwich method (praise-critique-praise) to deliver it effectively. Moreover, you should acknowledge and appreciate your team member's efforts, progress, and contributions regularly.

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6 Follow up and measure results

The last but not least step of coaching is following up and measuring results. This means checking in with your team member regularly, reviewing their progress and performance, and evaluating the impact of your coaching on their goals and development. You should also ask for feedback from your team member on how they found the coaching session, what they learned, and what they would like to improve. This will help you both learn from the experience and identify areas for further improvement.

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Ahmed Al-Azizi (LLM)

Driving Digital Transformation | Regulatory Compliance | Business Strategy
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Another good subject and content in coaching. I would complement it here with providing additional reinforcement materials as part of the follow up such as readings and action plans. These will help apply what they learned and share their progress as well as challenges.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the best ways to keep virtual team members engaged during coaching sessions?

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1 Set clear goals and expectations

2 Choose the right tools and platforms

3 Build rapport and trust

4 Use active listening and questioning techniques

5 Provide constructive feedback and recognition

6 Follow up and measure results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mentoring

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What are the best ways to keep virtual team members engaged during coaching sessions?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Set clear goals and expectations

2 Choose the right tools and platforms

3 Build rapport and trust

4 Use active listening and questioning techniques

5 Provide constructive feedback and recognition

6 Follow up and measure results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mentoring

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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