Now Reading: Filtering Out Distractions by Setting Goals
-
01
Filtering Out Distractions by Setting Goals
Filtering Out Distractions by Setting Goals
Leadership requires the ability to focus attention effectively, and while leaders often build expertise over time, coaching—though sometimes resisted—can significantly enhance motivation and team-building, taking various forms.
Mr. Sarath Dias Bandaranayake
One of the key aspects of leadership is to direct attention, and to do so, leaders must learn to focus their own attention. Being focused commonly means thinking about one thing while filtering out distractions.
Once upon a time, a successful career began by developing expertise in a technical, functional, or professional domain. A leader’s toolkit is developed over time, and coaching is often the form of development that leaders are most hesitant about. When executed properly, coaching provides greater intrinsic motivation where “Leaders Can Become Better Coaches and Build Stronger Teams.”
Coaching can take many forms, as per Mr. Sarath Dias-Bandaranayake — Life and Business Coach, Mentor, Management, Banking and Finance Consultant, Corporate Trainer, and Visiting Lecturer at the Sri Lanka Institute of Training and Development (SLITAD).
Q : IN WHAT WAYS CAN COACHING HELP LEADERS ENHANCE THEIR ABILITY TO INSPIRE AND LEAD THEIR TEAMS?
Leaders want results. Those who coach their teams stand a greater chance of helping them to clearly identify their strengths towards performing tasks that are well within their capabilities, but perhaps have never attempted before. This enables tangible business results.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) gives a clear idea of how coaching can inspire and contribute towards leading people to greater heights.
ICF DEFINITION:
Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that ‘inspires’ them to maximize their personal and professional potential.
The Certified Life and Business Coach program (8 weeks, online and physical) has helped several business leaders interested in developing their skills towards successfully meeting this challenge of inspiring and effectively leading their teams.
The ways in which coaching helps leaders:
• Facilitates partnering with their team members
• Creatively provokes clear and better thinking within the teams
• Contributes to maximizing their personal and professional potential
Q : DOES COACHING ENABLE BETTER COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN TEAM LEADERS AND THEIR TEAMS?
Yes, absolutely. The hallmark of Coaching is regular ‘measuring progress’ and ‘providing feedback’. This essentially involves ‘deep questioning’, ‘active’ and ‘attentive’ listening. These are dynamic ingredients in communication, enabling understanding.
Leaders with coaching skills help teams establish meaningful and purposeful goals and work towards achieving them realistically.
Results Coaching Systems (approved by ICF) being the model followed in respect of The Certified Life and Business Coach program practically grooms its leader participants towards achieving these skills.
Q : HOW CAN COACHING HELP IN BUILDING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND EMPATHY WITHIN LEADERSHIP ROLES?
Emotional intelligence refers to:
1. Becoming aware of oneself (‘Self-awareness’), i.e., recognizing and understanding one’s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses.
2. Regulating oneself (‘Self-regulation’), i.e., managing emotions, controlling impulsive reactions, and adapting to changing situations.
3. Being empathetic (Empathy), i.e., understanding the feelings of others.
4. Developing ‘Social Skills’, i.e., developing effective communication, conflict resolution, and teamworking skills.
The 49 Character Qualities model is a definite value addition to the Certified Life and Business Coach program. It promotes understanding and the use of relevant human character qualities that directly address emotional intelligence and empathy.
Q : HOW CAN COACHING HELP IMPROVE DECISION-MAKING WHEN FACED WITH COMPLEX CHALLENGES OR COMPETING PRIORITIES WITHIN THE COMPANY?
A decision may be defined as the ‘selection of a belief or a course of action among several possible alternative options.’
When confronted with making important and/or complex organizational decisions, some of the major challenges faced are comparing and contrasting priorities, alternate options, available resources, and perhaps obstacles.
Coaching assists the team in approaching these tasks through the use of multiple techniques towards:
• Clarifying values and priorities
• Assessing risks and rewards
• Considering different perspectives and/or alternatives
These would eventually guide a team towards arriving at the most productive decisions.
Q : HOW CAN COACHING SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS IN BECOMING BETTER TEAM PLAYERS WITHIN THE COMPANY?
Effective teamwork occurs when the strengths of individual team players are capitalized on.
By applying team coaching techniques and working closely with members of a team, a coach helps them identify their individual strengths and areas they may need to improve. He encourages open communication as well as trust, thus creating a supportive environment.
The team then tends to adopt a culture of working together, using those strengths to achieve the team goals.
Q : WHAT ROLE DOES A COACH PLAY IN HELPING EMPLOYEES NAVIGATE CAREER PROGRESSION, PARTICULARLY IN LEADERSHIP ROLES?
Career progression for a better life is the dream of every employee by default. Life Coaching is a branch of Coaching that addresses career and related challenges.
It guides the Coachee through a systematic and well-structured process to identify the most important factors in one’s life. These factors establish the foundation towards developing meaningful Goals, Strategies, and Actions focused on achieving desired career advancements.
A Publication By
