Housing Giants - October 24, 2008 - (Page 17)

Supportive coaching requires questions. It’s like selling. To validate decisions, today’s customers need to discover their own solutions, and a so do associates. When either come up with their own answers, they’re answers they remember. And because they’re their own answers, they’re an answer they stick with. So what’s the key? Questions. According to Ferdinand Fournies, author of “Coaching for Improved Work Performance,” coaching boils down to a few specific techniques that require consultative questions that allow you and your associate to mutually agree on: n It’s easy to tell an associate to work harder, but without defining how that looks, neither manager nor associate will recognize improved performance. Keep It SImple John Wooden always kept it simple, and you should too. Coaching doesn’t need to be a long, tedious and complex affair. Matter of fact, you might even make it easier by following Wooden’s patented formula: n Tell them what you want them to do. Show them how to do it. And ask them to show you how to do it. n n The current behavior isn’t working. The alternative solutions or techniques are available. The action or behavior will solve the problem. Follow-up is needed to measure results. n n Remember, the key to success today is not just training but making your training work. And as Wooden reminds us, “Only you know if you succeed.” HG n Your only other responsibility at this point is to reinforce any achievement as it occurs. This completes the coaching loop and encourages further development and improvement. That leads to our last coaching rule: Rick Heaston is president of R.A. Heaston and Co., a sales-training and marketing firm. You can reach him at rick@touchpointselling.com. www.HouSInggIantS.com 10.24.08.HouSIng gIantS 17 http://www.housinggiants.com

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