Wellbeing Conversations – Simple Coaching Skills *NEW

Here is a range of skills and techniques that will help you with your coaching skills when undertaking your monthly wellbeing conversation:

 

Simple Coaching Skills

Empathetic Listening:

Coaching literature describes ‘5 levels of listening’– Strive for 5 (this is a skill and takes practice)

  1. Ignoring – Clearly not recommended during a wellbeing conversation.
  2. Pretend – When we are concentrating on too many things at once.
  3. Selective – Listening a little but you are waiting to make your own point.
  4. Attentive – You are listening but still have your own opinions and judgements.
  5. Empathetic – You are really listening, being non-judgemental and impartial. Wanting to fully understand them, not interrupting, not attempting to lead them or second guess what they are saying.

 

Powerful Questioning

Asking the right questions helps to open meaningful conversations and is an invaluable coaching skill. The simplest way to remember is to use the ‘Funnel Technique’

Open Questioning:  These are questions that cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ They open the ‘gates’ to conversations – they get people talking.

Remember: T.E.D.  Tell, Explain, Describe: any question starting with TED is an open question (you can search this on the internet for more information)

Any question starting with How, What, When, Where, Who, Why are also open questions.

Probing Questioning: These are questions let you delve deeper in to the conversation and focus on a particular point, perhaps finding out reasons and emotions behind these answers.

Examples: Why was that? Can you tell me more? How did that make you feel? How long has this been an issues? what happened when you tried?

Closed Questions: These questions have the answers yes or no and are generally not that helpful in an open conversation but useful to check in facts and confirm understanding at the end of a conversation.

 

Where to start

Starting a conversation about wellbeing can be difficult. We routinely ask each other ‘Are you OK?’ but the unwritten rule is that we feel the response should be ‘Yes, I am fine.’

  1. Ask twice. …If you ask again ‘How are you really’ this helps the person to feel supported and that you are there to listen.
  2. Ask open questions. …
  3. Keep conversations informal. …
  4. Don’t try and fix it, just listen well. …
  5. Depersonalise the situation. …
  6. Be knowledgeable about the support services available. …
  7. Keep the conversation going

 

T GROW Model

T – Topic: Explain what you want to talk about? (initial understanding – get to know what the problems are)

G – Goal: Describe what you would like from this conversation? (What is the preferred outcome is the wellbeing conversation)

R – Reality: Explain what is happening now? (What is impacting on the persons health – explore current situation)

O – Options: Describe what could you do? (What are the options/possibilities to achieve the goal)

W – Will: Tell me what you will do? (The person is able to confirm and commit to what they take forward as a plan of action)

 

Start Stop Continue Model

This simple framework helps to focus the persons actions. It can help identify areas that people may wish to focus on over short and long-time frames. You can even start with this at the next wellbeing meeting around what people stopped, started and continued.

All you need to do is simply ask the person to reflect back on the conversations from the wellbeing conversations and ask the person what they would like to Stop/Start and Continue and talk around this for a few minutes.

Example Starting questions:

I am at my best when …

  • I feel…
  • I am doing…
  • I am with …
  • I am thinking …

My wellbeing is drained when …

  • I feel …
  • I am doing…
  • I am thinking …
  • I face challenges of …

Warning signs for a drop in my wellbeing are:

  • What I notice…
  • What others might notice …

 

  • The things I am doing to maintain/enhance my wellbeing are:
  • The challenges for my wellbeing right now are:
  • What would it be most helpful for me to focus on right now to enhance my wellbeing?
  • Where can I go to get help?

 

Start/Stop/Continue questions:

The things I am doing now that I should continue to do to enhance my wellbeing are …

The things it would be helpful to start doing to maintain/ enhance my wellbeing…..

The things it would be helpful for me to stop doing to enhance my wellbeing are …