THE FORMULA FOR COACHING SUCCESS

Doing things the easy way often means going back to redo them the right way eventually. The old saying “measure twice and cut once” holds true for a reason. But taking that extra time also runs into another old adage: “Time is money.” Finding the right balance between quality and speed makes all the difference.

When the CEO of a mid-sized manufacturing company attended a Catalytic Coaching presentation, he thought he had it all figured out. He skimmed through the book and received a free hard copy of the yellow, blue, and green forms. It all seemed straightforward, so he handed everything over to his HR manager and excitedly instructed her to launch coaching for their employees.

However, the HR manager was unfamiliar with Catalytic Coaching and found it didn't align with their traditional approach. It was a full replacement for the reviews they were used to, and she wasn’t sure how to roll it out or track it.

She photocopied the forms and distributed them to the managers. While most attempted to use the new process, employees didn’t fully understand or trust it. Some managers used coaching as a disciplinary tool; many didn’t start or complete the process, and those who did simply dumped the forms on the HR manager’s desk, never to be reviewed.

In short, it was a disaster, and the CEO couldn’t understand why it failed despite its intuitive appeal.

Years later, another leader from their team heard Gary speak and immediately recognized that too much had been lost in translation. They were now ready for the proven formula for scalable coaching success.

The Proven Process + Top-notch Training + A Terrific Tool = Success

The Proven Process

Is there a greater waste of time than reinventing the wheel or being a guinea pig for an uncertain system? Catalytic Coaching has been around for decades. Developed in the 1990s by Gary, who saw the damage traditional reviews caused, it was officially published in 1999. Since then, organizations across the United States, Canada, and Europe have successfully implemented it in various industries, from healthcare to manufacturing to construction.

The process is based on a simple formula: 3 Forms + 4 Kinds of Meetings + 5 Hours Per Employee Per Year. The first year comes with a learning curve, which is why the next part is crucial.

Top-notch Training

Implementation isn’t just about telling managers to coach. Everyone in the organization, from top leaders to front-line staff, needs to understand both how and why the process works.

Understanding the “why” behind something makes the “how” more comprehensible. Change is challenging, especially when it’s fundamentally different from previous practices. Without the reasoning, employees might feel defensive or concerned about wasting time.

Managers need to be trained in what it means to be a coach, developing skills in two-way communication, and learning to understand both spoken and unspoken feedback. This training is essential for aligning with organizational needs and supporting employees effectively.

Internal process champions, known as Coach2s, undergo in-depth training to become expert coaches of coaches, supporting both the training and the coaching process. Simply having a form isn’t enough; knowing how to leverage it for mutual benefit is the key.

A Terrific Tool With the right process and training, you need a tool to streamline the implementation. This includes securely storing forms digitally, tracking coaching progress, providing leadership with reporting features, and offering managers easy access to coaching resources and reminders.

That’s why we partnered with Energage. Their Catalytic Coaching Online software tool enhances and supports the process, making it easier to manage and track coaching activities effectively.

Balancing quality and speed is crucial for successful coaching. By understanding the proven process, investing in top-notch training, and utilizing a terrific tool, you can ensure coaching success and drive meaningful results.