Informal Coaching Video

[Presenter] Formal coaching is an essential skill for managers, and something that's often useful in one-on-ones, development meetings, and appraisals. But informal coaching is just as important.

As a coach, people might need you when they face unexpected challenges, in the moment. Conflict may suddenly erupt within a team, or a deal may need rescuing last minute. So, let's take a look at a four-point guide you can use to develop your informal coaching skills.

First, get to know your coachees. What are they working on? What roadblocks are they facing? How do they feel about them? Looking at things from their point of view is a great way to identify potential coaching opportunities.

Being there for people and getting to know them in this way takes time and patience, so make sure you've got the capacity to be the coach your people deserve.

When you know your people, you'll be able to better gauge their moods. The ability to recognize and empathize   with how others feel will go a long way toward knowing when to step in and start coaching.

A coaching conversation isn't always the right thing. If someone's stressed about an upcoming presentation or a looming deadline, they might prefer to prepare on their own or go for a walk to clear their head. But, when you are having an informal coaching conversation, make sure that that's what it actually is: a conversation.

As a rule, if you find yourself saying "I think" in a sentence, it's unlikely to be a good coaching conversation. Try to ask open questions   and summarize what you hear rather than offering your own views about the situation. You're there to help your coachee solve their own problem.

Finally, the spirit of informal coaching is to be spontaneous, efficient and professional. Informal coaching works best at informal moments, so try to have a chat when you're making a cup of coffee or in between meetings, or fire off an instant message when you know they're not too busy. But keep it brief. Informal coaching works best in small doses. Save the longer chats for your scheduled, formal coaching sessions.

Now, let's take a look at an example of an informal coaching conversation. In our scenario, Max, the coachee, is pacing the corridor at work. He spent months leading a project and he's about to give a presentation on it to the whole company. Despite being well prepared, he's incredibly nervous. Julia, who's a coach, knows that Max struggles with nerves, so she goes to check on him and notices immediately that he's looking a little shaky.

Julia: Hey, are you okay? How are you feeling about the presentation?

Max: Not great, actually.

Julia: How come?

Max: I'm terrified of going out there.

Julia: What are you terrified of exactly?

Max: I'm scared my nerves are going to get the better of me and I'm going to mess it up.

Julia: Well, nerves are completely normal. It'd be weird if you weren't nervous. I've seen you present before and you were great. You got through it then; what's different now?

Max: It's a similar deal, I guess. I've done all my prep, my notes are ready. It's just a bigger audience than I'm used to.

Julia: Well, they want to hear what you've got to say. Everybody's on your side. You've still got some time. What would you normally do to feel calm?

Max: Ah, get some fresh air. Take a few deep breaths.

Julia: Have you done that yet?

Max: No, not yet. That's a good idea. I'll step outside.

Julia: Do you want me to walk with you?

Max: No, I'm all right. Thanks.

Julia: Okay. I'll leave you to it. You've got this. You're gonna do great, and I'll be here if you need.

Max: Thanks. I'll see you after.

[Presenter] Informal coaching moments like these can have real power to diffuse difficult situations and prevent them from getting out of hand. They can also help to empower people and create a supportive and thriving working environment.

To discover more about informal coaching, check out the article   that accompanies this video.