ABSTRACT

This chapter presents an overview of how line managers can be trained to coach learner-managers in areas of competency. Participants taking the roles of coach and learner-manager got into their roles with alacrity. The remainder of the sextet sometimes required to have it explained that their role was not to evaluate the performance of the 'coach' but to 'model' a different way of handling the particular section of the coaching process. The main problem for both those designated coach and those modelling alternative approaches were the overwhelming tendency to 'tell' rather than 'ask' the learner-manager. The trainers tried to resolve the issue by introducing a contingent model for the alternate use of the tell/ask styles based upon the learner-manager's present level of competence. The chapter identifies the first upcoming real-life event for each competency around which it would be useful to do some coaching.