Changing behaviour is a challenging and difficult thing to achieve with other people and with ourselves. Think of the number of New Year’s resolutions you have made and how many of them have lasted for only a short time. Likewise with our health, we know that it is not wise to smoke or eat or drink too much but changing our behaviour is remarkably difficult.
The reality in many cases is that we know exactly what behaviour is needed but there is something missing to bring it about. Part of this might be willpower and this is where the coach is especially valuable. By including someone else in the process there is an increased responsibility for learners to live up to the agreed commitments and do what they promised. There is also more incentive to do so when someone else will be checking on the achievements at a later stage. In some circumstances the coach can hold a metaphorical mirror up to the learner and describe some of the work elements that are not being achieved.
Setting targets
There is a large amount of performance data available within contact centres and this can o en be used in the process of setting targets and appraising individual accomplishments. When a person achieves a target this does not mean further improvement is unnecessary; instead, strengths should be applauded and built upon to encourage excellence and to model behaviour that inspires co-workers.
Where areas are not so strong they should be identified and agreement reached about the best means of improving them. These targets may then be set as goals to be achieved and revisited at the next session. The assumption should not be made that the coaching provided during the current session will be enough; where appropriate, ongoing support should be provided. These learning goals should then be practised and enhanced on a regular basis in the workplace.
One of the most commonly used techniques for setting targets or objectives is the mnemonic SMART. This details all of the elements that should be used in setting targets, namely:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant, and
Time-based.
This model has also been extended to include Evaluation and Review, making SMARTER.
Another helpful approach is the GROW model, which is o en used in coaching and mentoring. It stands for:
Goal
(current) Reality
Options
Will
One way to think of this GROW model is to consider the metaphor of a map. Each coaching session benefits from having a Goal that can be clearly measured (perhaps using the SMART approach). To reach the goal it is necessary to understand the current Reality of where a person is – not the imagined position but the actual one. For the coach it is o en helpful to have evidence to support this accurate description of the situation. A journey can o en take a number of different routes and these Options should be fully explored. Finally, there has to be a Will or desire to achieve the objective of improved performance.
Challenging targets
Identifying accurate targets is an art form rather than an exact science and it can only be achieved through careful negotiation with the learner. The Yerkes-Dodson Law (1908) explains that when a target is not challenging enough there will be insufficient motivation to do anything about it. Alternatively, if a target is too challenging and is not reached it will undermine the learner’s confidence. Not surprisingly, a balance is needed but this o en cannot be identified in advance and it is better to ascertain this through discussions and negotiations with the learner.
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