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Practical Performance Coaching

Steve Head gave chief executive mentoring and experiential learning group members (from Peter Pritchett’s Academy Groups 5 and 32) a very practical and powerful workshop on Practical Performance Coaching in July. Developed from Tim Gallwey’s “The Inner Game” and sports coaching experience, high performance coaching is the process by which the coach can allow an individual to discover more of their brilliance or talent.

The members went away with 5 main insights/action points:

  • Focus on strengths not weaknesses. So much 121 work (and competency work in general) is focussed upon overcoming weaknesses – however, individuals generally achieve much more (and feel more fulfilled) when playing to their strengths;
  • p=P-I (Performance = Potential – Interference (Tim Gallwey);
  • Performance Coach works to reduce/eliminate the impact of the Interference (the negative self-talk, lack of real confidence etc). Skills Coach works on the techniques – which affects the potential;
  • Much apparent confidence is “Conditional Confidence” – i.e. it depends upon context, tools, other people/situations – rather than Internal or True (unconditional) Confidence. We were encouraged to try this mantra: “I will do my very best with what I know now and when I know better I will do even better.”;
  • We worked with the GROW model (Goals, Reality, Options, What next) and practiced how that might work. We then went onto GROW++ which adds consideration of Motive, Beliefs/Values and Resources.

Peter Pritchett

Peter Pritchett, Chairman Academy Groups 5 and 32

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates peer groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. To hear great speakers like this every month and engage in The Board You Could Never Afford®, or to find a local group near you, visit www.chiefexecutive.com.

2 Comments

  1. vworkforce says:

    Nice post. I feel as though many people naturally want to focus on their weaknesses rather than their strengths. This reminds me of an experiment one of my psychology professors had us do during undergraduate school. We all broke up into groups and had to list our own weaknesses and strengths. Then we had to list the weaknesses and strengths that we perceived in our group members. The result was that we tended to over exaggerate our own weaknesses and down play or ignore our strengths. This was further highlighted by the other group member’s view of our strengths and weaknesses, which were much more accurate. This sounds like it was an interesting workshop.

    Kimberly Grass, MBA, CRESS
    Virtual Workforce LLC
    “Let Us Lighten the Load”
    Newmarket, NH 03857
    Phone: (603)292-5716
    Fax: (603) 292-5914
    E-mail: kgrass@vworkforcellc.com
    Website: http://www.vworkforcellc.com

  2. Thanks for your comments; you’re absolutely right it was a really good workshop. We will certainly be booking Steve Head to work with The Academy for Chief Executives again. By the way, you can find out more about his work at: http://www.headstart-uk.com/

    Peter Pritchett
    Chairman, Academy Groups 5 and 32
    The Academy for Chief Executives Limited
    “Experiential Business Learning”
    Website: http://www.chiefexecutive.com

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