Traci Scherck: A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought that they could.

Traci Scherck: That is a great quote from zig Ziegler and completely kicks off today’s episode on coaching so welcome to talent optimization my name is Tracy Scherck and I am your host here.

Traci Scherck: And chief talent officer here at elevated talent consulting and we are thrilled.

Traci Scherck: To have these conversations about coaching and what that specifically means in our organizations and we are in February of 2022 so where did the time go correct.

Traci Scherck: So with that we spent the last month of January talking all about mentoring programs inside our organizations and we heard from many of our listeners really a question about what is the distinction between coaching and mentoring.

Traci Scherck: So first thing I wanted to do is kind of name what that distinction is because so many times they are used interchangeably.

Traci Scherck: So coaching is development focus relationship with a specially trained individual who provides guidance to a client on their goals and helps them reach their full potential.

Traci Scherck: Right So these are who the coaches are coaches are typically certify there’s lots of certification bodies that are out there.

Traci Scherck: But at the end of the day, the coaches there to get the individual results right so when i’m coaching leaders and HR professionals, we guarantee that you will feel more confident as a leader and have that ability to be able to.

Traci Scherck: reach those business results because part of it is who you are being in the conversations and in the interactions in your specific role.

Traci Scherck: So that’s really what a coaches now what does a mentor right what’s this distinction between a coach and a mentor.

Traci Scherck: So a mentor is developmentally focused relationship with a domain relevant mentor who passes on their skills and experience to the mentee so they typically will function in a reactive capacity.

Traci Scherck: they’re responding to issues as they arise right so mentors are for the most part, typically inside of organizations now we’ve seen a lot of mentoring that’s starting to happen outside of organizations.

Traci Scherck: But they’ll a lot of the programs, we talked about in this last month, where those internal mentoring programs right there’s formal programs and there’s informal programs.

Traci Scherck: And with that the key here is what are those specific results that you’re getting from that mentoring relationship right.

Traci Scherck: So with That being said, that’s really the those key distinctions between coaching and mentoring coaching is typically somebody that that has more of a prescriptive approach that’s really meeting an individual where they’re at.

Traci Scherck: To go ahead and get those results and a mentor is typically somebody that you know they’ve been through it.

Traci Scherck: they’ve been through it and they’re going to help this other individual get through these things, as well as they move into other levels inside of their career and.

Traci Scherck: So with That being said, that is one of those key items there and Jen you can go back there i’m babbled for a bit so.

Traci Scherck: coaching allows you to see what your brain is thinking, and I think that this is incredibly important so.

Traci Scherck: Both coaches and mentors are not meant to give you the answer a lot of times in mentoring, that will happen, a bit more, but in coaching it’s really about how do we create the space.

Traci Scherck: To give an individual that space to allow their brain to think and make those decisions on their own so that’s one of those key distinctions between coaching and mentoring.

Traci Scherck: So what makes a great coach or mentor and I love this question because, as we develop these programs inside of our organizations.

Traci Scherck: it’s hey who do we choose to do this, even if we’re choosing to say hey we’re going to bring in coaches to coach individuals inside of our organization, whether it is our CEO whether it is individuals on our leadership team.

Traci Scherck: And these are typically group programs or one on one programs, but what that coaching does is that allows the individual to take a step back from the day to day things that are happening and focus on how they are being in those specific.

Traci Scherck: relationships and interactions and many times, and most of the time, the coaching is outside of the organization, whereas the mentoring is inside of the organization.

Traci Scherck: And the key to this is the fact that many times talking with someone inside the organization can have some detrimental impacts to it can have some great ones as well, but that’s one of those key distinctions so.

Traci Scherck: here’s the thing about what makes an individual a great coach or a mentor right is they are willing to be the coachee or the mentee .

Traci Scherck: Where they are at in work with them to get to those specific goals now one of the things we so often missed, and I find this so often when i’m working with HR professionals inside of organizations is.

Traci Scherck: Most HR folks have never been coached before and they don’t know what coaching means and as i’ve brought.

Traci Scherck: HR managers and leaders into coaching programs inside of our organization, what I find is they want me.

Traci Scherck: To be a consultant to them versus to coach them right and there’s nothing wrong with needing a consultant or a mentor there’s a very valuable place for that.

Traci Scherck: But the distinction of what is a coach and the best way to figure out how to coach someone else’s to be coached yourself right.

Traci Scherck: So let’s just talk a little bit about kind of hey would you if i’m going to be coached what do I need to bring to the table to ensure that it’s going to meet those business results.

Traci Scherck: For the organization, but also for me personally right, one of the things that we promised our coaches and our programs, is that we guarantee that they will feel more confident as a leader when they leave the Program.

Traci Scherck: Right and how do we do that, we do that through a number of different ways, but first and foremost, we will ensure that the individual is ready so here’s some key things to think about with that specifically is one we are specifically looking at.

Traci Scherck: What specifically does this individual need do they need that bought partner.

Traci Scherck: And, and they need to come in knowing that so so often I have individuals come in and say hey Tracy I really just need help with.

Traci Scherck: How do I navigate these conversations with my leadership team, you know i’m not really sure on how to enroll them and i’m just used to telling them what to do and nobody’s listening to me anymore so.

Traci Scherck: I know what needs to happen, but how do I enroll them in that and that’s where we start to have conversations about.

Traci Scherck: How do I get curious you know we have a couple tools that we use in our coaching one of them is our curious questions, one of my favorite.

Traci Scherck: Is I wonder what is on their plate that I don’t yet know about right.

Traci Scherck: We have no idea what is going on in someone else’s life, we have no idea if there is, you know if they broke their tooth last night, we have no idea if they just had.

Traci Scherck: A huge win with a family member or a friend, or something like that, and when we can get curious about what’s going on with them, it opens up that that trust right, so that we can have those key conversations.

Traci Scherck: So one of the things for you as a coach or a mentor he is knowing what you want, out of that relationship and naming that up front, so that you can absolutely receive that through those conversations.

Traci Scherck: And another one is you know, to know where you are in in your career development and in your organization, so are you someone who’s really looking to say hey i’m.

Traci Scherck: Looking to be promoted within the organization or i’m really looking to create greater impact and i’m not doing that, right now, so what is it about me that specifically stopping those key things from happening.

Traci Scherck: And then the next is you know, knowing, specifically when you’re having these conversations with potential mentors or coaches.

Traci Scherck: To say exactly what you need so that you get exactly what that is so now that we’ve had that conversation about hey if you’re going to be coached.

Traci Scherck: What specifically is it that you need out of a coach right.

Traci Scherck: So we’re going to flip the table amount because guess what an HR we are an n both almost all the time right so and we need to know when do we put on the hat for our organization and when do we put on a hat for ourselves personally right.

Traci Scherck: So, now that we talked about hey if you’re going to be coached What are those three things which is.

Traci Scherck: hey where Am I at in my career progression and where do I want to go that’s a right be is what specifically Do I need.

Traci Scherck: So is it that I need more confidence when i’m having conversations, is it that I need to you know be really self aware of what.

Traci Scherck: i’m specifically doing and how that’s coming across is it that I need to learn how to enroll others, is it that I need to learn how to say no, so I don’t have too much on my plate right like what is that.

Traci Scherck: And then the third is really looking to say hey if i’m going to choose a coach or a mentor.

Traci Scherck: What in them do I need that’s going to allow me to grow, the most in this period of time okay so that’s for you now let’s flip that and say hey.

Traci Scherck: In HR a lot of times you’re setting up these programs inside of your organization.

Traci Scherck: and your goal is to do a couple things one work with your Executive team to know inside and out what is the business strategy, and how are we going to.

Traci Scherck: achieve that business strategy with results right, so what business outcomes we’re looking for this people strategy that we’re creating coaching and mentoring, is a huge part of it.

Traci Scherck: Because it it rises the people inside of our organization, so that they can meet those business results.

Traci Scherck: Oh, and yeah we’re still kind of in this great resignation right so it’s going to increase employee engagement it’s going to help us with specifically our succession planning.

Traci Scherck: It is going to allow us to train our new managers it’s going to be something that could be incredibly beneficial for our high potentials and again a caveat on high potentials.

Traci Scherck: Sometimes we have individuals in our organizations that have things that are going on at home that may not necessarily seem like high potentials right now.

Traci Scherck: Because they’re in a cycle of their life, where the home life is needing them in a much greater.

Traci Scherck: degree, right now, but then they’ll flip back and be 100% bought into work right we kind of all have these cycles so knowing where an individual that is super helpful.

Traci Scherck: But coaching guess what we bring our whole selves to work and it’s all the same pot of soup.

Traci Scherck: So something’s going on at home, you know it’s coming into the workplace and if it’s going on in the workplace, you know what’s going home.

Traci Scherck: So when we’re coaching and mentoring individuals, more so coaching what we are doing is we’re allowing them to build those skill sets.

Traci Scherck: To be resilient but also to know how to how to take care of themselves so that they can be that best version of themselves in all the situations that come forward to them.

Traci Scherck: So these are all those benefits and reasons why we would want to bring coaching into our organization.

Traci Scherck: And again, we always want to ensure that what is the problem that we have, and that we put the right solution to that problem so that we can meet her business outcomes.

Traci Scherck: So for those executives listening in and HR folks listening in as you’re designing these programs really want you to think about.

Traci Scherck: What exactly does the business need to support the individuals to get to the business results right those specific outcomes, because that my friends is your people plan and it’s a beautiful thing to put in practice.

Traci Scherck: And to make happen now here’s The other thing we know most HR folks have never been coached in their life right, you know, and I i’m going to tell you a story for a second, so I was very, very.

Traci Scherck: Grateful early on that I was given the opportunity to do some some coaching with it was called the Center for authentic leadership in Atlanta.

Traci Scherck: And gene Smith was such an amazing coach and it was mostly group coaching and what I learned within that group coaching one of those key things was.

Traci Scherck: guess what we’re all trying to figure it out as we go and I know that so often, when we are inside of our organizations it’s like man i’ve got to have this figured out ahead of time, I have to know exactly what’s happening.

Traci Scherck: And you know what most of us are figuring it out as we go and you know that imposter syndrome that will come up, especially as you level up through your organization is a real thing.

Traci Scherck: And when you have a coach to work through that your confidence will increase, along with that.

Traci Scherck: And, and the reason why I bring that up is without that experience I would have never been able to coach and be as effective inside of the organizations.

Traci Scherck: Because I hadn’t had that experience, and so one of those key things that I think is really important.

Traci Scherck: Is that anything you’re implementing inside your organization you’ve experienced and you’ve done yourself it’s one of those kind of core principles is we drink our own Kool aid here help me to tell it consulting.

Traci Scherck: Is you know we are coached and you know we do coach and that’s one of those things is as you’re implementing these programs inside your organization, have you been coached so.

Traci Scherck: here’s here’s something that’s really important and i’ll link to a forbes article that talks about this.

Traci Scherck: And it really it’s talking about the pivotal role that we as HR professionals and business leaders play.

Traci Scherck: Because, as HR professionals, we are asked all the time to coach our leadership team to coach our executives on succession planning on you know whether it is a new program that we’re bringing in mental health so huge one I mean you know how we navigate.

Traci Scherck: there’s a tactical side to it but there’s also a strategic side and so often, we have to coach our leaders.

Traci Scherck: into you know kind of getting out of this very, very task focused mindset and stepping back in and saying Okay, what do my people need.

Traci Scherck: To be successful in this role, so that we can meet her business results because it’s not always perform perform perform perform all of the time.

Traci Scherck: they’re there there’s a cycle to this and how they are being in that is going to have individuals love them enough, let me give you an example.

Traci Scherck: I had my hair done yesterday I know very exciting um but those things are important, so as i’m sitting in the Chair, as any good hairdresser does or cracking up the entire time and she’s telling me about.

Traci Scherck: You know, a couple of folks in in her life and she’s like you know we all have some incredible war stories right.

Traci Scherck: And we’ve all had that boss, and so she’s telling me about this individual who had a boss that was this torque that you know kind of came in, I know I feel like i’m back in the 80s talking about torques.

Traci Scherck: Anyway, so as we’re chatting and she’s talking about you know this boss, who is in her 30s and is very task focused, but very, very demeaning and what she is saying that these individuals and guess what we’re not motivating them right, and this is where.

Traci Scherck: A coach can come in and talk about the being an individual and how we.

Traci Scherck: Can incentivize in a role them in the things that they’re doing and really needing them specifically where they’re at right.

Traci Scherck: And that’s something that becomes incredibly important that, as we rise and leadership and in in our coaching of others, we have to know where our own blind spots are and be self aware to what that is.

Traci Scherck: Now, as you know, we talked to threaded the difference between mentoring and coaching throughout.

Traci Scherck: coaching is going to be able to address something like that mentoring is more about.

Traci Scherck: You know how you know how do you start up a new department, how do you step into it, what are the the the specifics inside of this or sometimes the politics in the organization.

Traci Scherck: versus how are you being in your interactions with others, and so, if you have not yet you know experienced coaching we have an amazing coaching program that that.

Traci Scherck: Will that we offer once a month that actually start, so we have another one, starting in February, but we just really wanted to kind of point out to you that.

Traci Scherck: Those tools that you learn in coaching help you learn about you and if you’re going to create a coaching culture.

Traci Scherck: You can’t create a culture of anything if you first have not yet experienced it so as we close out today’s conversation.

Traci Scherck: One key actionable takeaway for our executives listening in is really to think about what are those business outcomes that you’re looking for inside your organization.

Traci Scherck: And who are those key people are key positions that really could use a coach to allow them to take their departments that much further.

Traci Scherck: But also themselves, personally, so that they can inspire that greatness and inspire those key outcomes and you know what that may be you.

Traci Scherck: right that may absolutely be you and for our HR listeners listening in the majority of you have never been coached you know find coaching for yourself wherever that may be there’s thousands of them out there, right now, right.

Traci Scherck: You know, but one of those key things that we talked about is that distinction between coaching and mentoring and there’s times, where you can find a coach that certified.

Traci Scherck: who also has been through it in your specific domain, which is human resources.

Traci Scherck: And someone who has done both of those knows when to put the coaching hat on when to put the mentoring hat on and when to very rarely put that consulting hat on right.

Traci Scherck: So that’s something that’s really interesting to you that you want to dip your toe in and try out again, we have our coaching program starting and I would love to have you join us.

Traci Scherck: Again, that guarantee that we have is that you will feel more confident as a leader throughout that Program.

Traci Scherck: And things like hey What are those curious questions that we can ask to ensure that we’re that we’re enrolling our team, but also we’re not making rash decisions that.

Traci Scherck: leave certain managers alienated I know i’ve had several throughout my career right.

Traci Scherck: And we just want to ensure that you have that space to have your brain think in front of you and see it, so you can consciously make the decisions that’s going to better you personally.

Traci Scherck: and professionally but also that’s going to move your organization forward to hit those business results so with That being said, happy February Thank you so much for joining us, we cannot wait to see you again.

Traci Scherck: Have you listened in again next week and I can’t wait to see you on our coaching program have an amazing first week of February.