Coaching for Performance (People Skills for Professionals) [Paperback]

John Whitmore (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1857883039 | ISBN-13: 978-1857883039 | Publication Date: April 9, 2002 | Edition: 3rd Edition

Coaching for Performance: Growing People, Performance and Purpose is a guide for coaching written in true coaching style. This best-selling handbook by John Whitmore will help leaders learn the skills to coach effectively, uniting people under one purpose to improve performance. Adopted by many of the world's major corporations, this title's easy-to-understand methods argue for the use of effective questions and the growing need to relate to the individual's sense of meaning and purpose. With countless real-life examples, Coaching for Performance treats coaching as an art and helps readers come to understand and gain the important skills they need to become great coaches and leaders. For anyone who has ever had the desire to become a more productive leader, this book is not to be missed!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Laura Whitworth, co-founder of The Coaching Training Institute and author of A must read for any coach aspiring to do advanced work with their clients. John's classic work brings together the simplicity of the coaching process and the larger scope of the coaching profession in a readable and provocative way. 'Coaching for Performance' forecasts the necessary evolution that awaits the world of business and the world of coaching.

Overall, the newly written sections on leadership for high performance and transformation through transpersonal coaching really stand out. They are up-to-date, relevant, and make a significant challenge to the reader's mindset. These pages offer interesting dimensions on models of psychosynthesis, emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, and boundaries in coaching. (Overall, the newl )

From the Publisher

Packed with powerful hands-on tools, this new edition brings up-to-date John Whitmore's popular GROW model and adds three new chapters on making work and goal-setting meaningful, a spiritual approach to coaching, and coaching the organization's culture. Whitmore explores the dynamics of team development, positioning coaching as the essential team leadership skill, and provides extensive examples of effective questions that can help ensure full participation in the performance improvement process. Whether used as a self-study guide, by corporate trainers, by managers with direct reports, or by the growing legions of professional coaches and management consultants, this classic coaching guide—written in Whitmore's classic coaching style—clearly demonstrates the power of coaching as both a tool and the essence of corporate culture change.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing; 3rd Edition edition (April 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857883039
• ISBN-13: 978-1857883039
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Grandfather" of Coaching Books - and Still One of the Best!, December 15, 2005

By 

Keith E. Webb "Cross-Cultural Leadership Coac... (Seattle) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Coaching for Performance (People Skills for Professionals) (Paperback)

This book, now in its third edition, is the grandfather of coaching books and approaches. Much of what has come to be known as professional business coaching came from Timothy Gallway and Whitmore's sports training techniques. As such, the book provides a simple foundation for coaching based on the context of awareness and responsibility through asking questions and listening. He presents the G R O W model of coaching - Goal, Reality, Option, Will - as a format for coaching sessions.

The book begins with a few foundational beliefs of coaches. Unlike old models of management that work from the "carrot and stick" approach, a coach believes in the potential of the client. Whitmore believes that people are only able to change only that which they are aware. Responsibility must stay with the client if they are to perform. Questions raise awareness and yet maintain the client's responsibility. If the coach tells the coachee something, awareness may increase slightly, but responsibility in now in the hands of the coach, the source of the information. Questions cause the client to pay attention to their actions, think at higher levels, and provide feedback for the coach to work from.

The G R O W model provides a sequence of questioning and for the coaching session. A coach starts with the client's goal. Either an end goal, like "retire at age 45," or a performance goal, such as "write a new training manual by December." After further clarifying the goal the coach can move on to the current reality of the situation. Asking such questions as: What have you done on the manual up to now? What are the needs that you think a manual might help? What has kept you from finishing the manual these past two years? Options are then generated from the client as to how they can achieve their goal. Finally, What will you do? Whitmore builds several checks and balances into this last step to ensure performance.

The final section of the book is new territory in this 3rd edition. Coaching used to be about performance - doing, acheivement. In the past few years coaching has moved to underlaying motivations of personal fulfillment: the "why" underneath the desire to achieve performance goals. Whitmore includes new chapters on coaching for purpose, getting to life's meaning.

Of the dozen books on coaching that I own, this one has consistently been the book I refer back to as I try to explain to someone what is coaching: Believe in the potential of people; raise awareness and maintain responsibility through questions and listening; and follow the GROW model. All are the essence of good coaching.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Coaching for Managers, August 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Coaching for Performance (People Skills for Professionals) (Paperback)

'Coaching for Performance' offers insight into the techniques of successful coaching, covering well the subjects of motivation, performance, and goals. At times, however, it seems as though the author is talking down to the reader; perhaps that is just the 'accent' of a British nobleman. The writing also seems a bit like 'teacher talking' instead of heartfelt sharing of life's experience. Nonetheless, the material is precise and compelling. The text covers the coach/coachee relationship quite extensively and is an excellent resource for managers and formal coaches of the 'mentor' variety. Scant coverage is given to the particular coaching needs of working groups or teams.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of coaching, February 11, 2000

By 

Terri Marks (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coaching for Performance (People Skills for Professionals) (Paperback)

Highly recommend this book. The author clearly explains coaching and how its correct use can impact both your organization and your success as a manager. He gives plenty of facts and outlines for use. A must buy!

Also suggest a well-received book that espouses coaching and leadership skills and responsibility in a unique and easily read way. My company uses it for leader development/training. It's called ""The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills.""