Associate Editors: Diane M. Billings, EdD, RN, FAAN, ANEF Karren Kowalski, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAAN Author: Karren Kowalski, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAAN

Most of us associate the term coach with our favorite sport. Some of us who love basketball think of Coach K from Duke University and the coach of several Olympic Goal Metal teams, or if we are slightly more contro- versial, Coach Bobby Knight from Indiana University. Originally, the term coach described an instructor at Oxford University in the early 1800s who guided a student through a course or an examination. Nursing leaders at every level are responsible for the growth and the performance of their colleagues. In this process, it has been suggested by the Gallup organization (StrengthsFinder 2.0) that everyone could benefit from coaching. This process can support

people in embracing change, learn- ing from their work, growing pro- fessionally as human beings, and advancing in the workplace. Notice how coaching differs from mentor- ing (see the December Teaching Tips article by Karren Kowalski [2019b]). Coaching is much more structured and focuses on the pres- ent and the near future. Mentoring is much more casual and is focused more on the professional career and how to advance one’s career within a specific organization or on the deci- sion to change organizations.

To be an effective coach, it helps to have been coached at some time in one’s career. I had a coach for close to 15 years. She was a master at ask- ing questions and coached from the philosophic perspective that I had the answers inside of me and only needed encouragement to identify and implement them. She held me to my agreements regarding what actions I would take. She consis- tently questioned me to encourage me to learn from my experiences— what happened, what worked, what did not work, and what I would do differently in future situations. She supported me in delving deeper, to understand the motivation for my behavior and my reactions to diffi- cult situations.

THE COACHING PROCESS In coaching, the coachee comes to

a session with specific goals and can report on what was accomplished from the previous session. The em- phasis is on mutual respect, openness, empathy, and a strong commitment to speaking truthfully. Sometimes it is difficult to hear a truthful observa- tion about behavior. When these ob- servations are shared compassionately and from a point of view of personal responsibility, learning is maximized. Notice the collaborative relationship and a focus on possibilities rather than an authoritarian approach or one of a supervisor–subordinate perspective. From a philosophical perspective, the coachee is a complete individual who is naturally creative, resourceful, and whole and can discover solutions to problems and issues (Kimsey-House, Kimsey-House, Sandahl, & Whit- worth, 2018).

PHASES OF COACHING From the coach’s perspective,

coaching can be divided into phases. The first phase establishes the foun- dation for the coaching relationship through building a relationship, set- ting realistic expectations, observing coachee behavior, and establishing the practice of self-reflection for both the coach and the coachee (Kowalski & Casper, 2007). This is a cocreative relationship—a partnership founded on the belief that both are highly functioning individuals. The rela- tionship can be established by learn- ing and knowing about each other as

abstract An effective tool for the growth

and learning of health care employ- ees is coaching. This process can use either an external or an internal coach. The coaching process is usu- ally formalized and consists of four phases. Some suggest that lead- ers should spend 40% of their time coaching their staff. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(1):12-14.]

Dr. Kowalski is President and CEO, Kowalski and Associates, Larkspur, Colorado, and Professor, Texas Tech University, School of Nursing, Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas.

The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. Address correspondence to Karren Kowalski, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAAN, President and

CEO, Kowalski & Associates; e-mail: [email protected]. doi:10.3928/00220124-20191217-04

Coaching

13The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing · Vol 51, No 1, 2020

individuals and understanding each other’s background and strengths. A part of this process is setting realis- tic expectations for structured meet- ing times, such as the coachee being prepared with a specific agenda and a report on any commitments made in the previous coaching session. As much as possible, the coach bases conversations on his/her own obser- vations of the coachee or the report by the coachee of specific situations. To facilitate discussions of learning, it is helpful if both the coach and the coachee enter into a process of reflec- tive practice, which includes writing or journaling about specific events the coachee experienced and what hap- pened during these events, and for the coach to reflect on how sessions pro- gressed and what was learned about the effectiveness of specific questions and observations.

The second phase constitutes the body of the coaching process, which consists of an emphasis o