The Leadership Imperative - Coaching

NESS School Liaisons are coach of coaches. How does a Liaison transfer this statement to action?

• Ask questions and don’t give the answers.
• Focus on what great performance is, what it looks like and feels like.
• Focus on what great performance is from the Instructional Coach’s point of view.
• Raise expectations and look to where they can be.
• Clarify the linkage between the current assignment and personal long-term goals.
• Focus on self-determination of how performance will be measured.
• Identify the skills that need to be learned or strengthened.
• Identify the work and learning experiences that need to occur to achieve the goals.
• Focus on developing the person, not the scoreboard.
• Get good coaching yourself so you know what it feels like.

The Effective Coaching Context
Your role as coach of coaches is to create a structure within which the Instructional Coach can focus his or her energy. The experience is person-centered and appropriate to the person being 'coached.' The guidance and ‘interventions’ of the Liaison respond to the developmental level of the Instructional Coach. Focus on what great performance would look and feel like, including your coaching.

Consider:
Liaisons may wish to consider using the Continuous Improvement Plan for increasing the effectiveness of their Instructional Coaches. The Continuous Improvement Cycle includes:

1. Identifying the desired state, what great performance looks and feels like.
2. Selecting appropriate assessment tools
3. Ascertaining the ICs current reality
4. Setting a goal
5. Selecting an intervention
6. Measuring the impact of the intervention
7. Deciding on next steps.

Source: Rick Sidorowicz