Welcome back to the Look and Sound of Leadership, an ongoing series of

executive coaching tips designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the way

you want to be perceived. I'm Tom Henschel, your executive coach, and today we're talking

about coaching your people. Gillian's coaching had been an unexpected triumph. Before her coaching began, her job was in

jeopardy. Then, during our six months together, she accomplished a turnaround that astonished everyone, including me.

Now over two years later she'd become an acknowledged pillar in a large worldwide group.

When she invited me to lunch I jumped at the chance to check in and

catch up. She had been elevated yet again and she had a new boss. With amused

tolerance she smiled and said,

he's on this kick that we all have to become coaches.

We have to learn to coach our people.

She put up sarcastic air quotes both times she said the word coach.

But Tom you know me I'm not a coaching kind of gal. We both laughed. It was true Jillian was fast-paced and results

oriented. It had been hard for her to slow down and allow her own coaching

process to run its course. True to her hurry up style, she said now only half-jokingly,

so I thought over lunch you could teach me how to be a coach. I laughed, saying, you want the

crash course, huh?

Okay, buckle up.

I took a big gulp of air and said,

for starters, you can't have successful coaching

if you don't have specific goals.

So I'd say that's number one.

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