Great Coaching Made Easy

New Reality

We are in a new reality that is radically different, disrupted and opportunity rich. It demands new and better ways of learning, performing and delivering results. And it needs them urgently! The huge challenge is finding ways to achieve this.

Coaching is the future

It is broadly acknowledged that coaching is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and cost-effective strategies to help people and teams learn, perform and achieve results. Coaching is about unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is exactly what we need.

However, coaching comes in many different forms, some highly effective and some seriously flawed. Undoubtedly one of the most serious and valid criticisms of many coaching models is that they are too complex, cumbersome, time consuming and ‘user unfriendly.’ This unfortunately makes implementation and consistent application of potentially good models extremely difficult, if not impossible.

So, we realize that for coaching to stake its claim as the development methodology of the future it absolutely must be truly effective coaching!

The quality of interaction and relationship

Conventional wisdom and extensive research tell us that the quality of interaction and relationships between leader & team member or teams has major impact on performance, engagement, learning and ultimate results. So, it makes sense that any worthwhile coaching model has to satisfy the criteria of creating great relationships and interactions between leaders and team members / teams as well as being using friendly

Could you imagine?

A simple coaching process that profoundly enhances relationships and interactions? An informal process that is user friendly, quick and everyone finds beneficial? A process that is used willingly, with great confidence and actually enhances performance and builds capability?

Enter ‘4Q Performance Coaching’©

Drawing on the rich, well proven and extensively researched principles of Action Learning, espoused by the World Institute for Action Learning, Ron McLuckie developed the ‘4Q Performance Coaching’ process. It is a powerful process to help people and teams reflect on performance, exploit strengths, overcome limitations, and learn profoundly. It dramatically enhances the quality workplace relationships, interactions, and performance.

What is ‘4 Q Performance Coaching’©?

The 4 Q label simply stands for the 4 empowering questions that are asked as the foundation of the process.

Question One – What are you doing well?

A question that invites people or teams to reflect on their behaviours and actions that deliver great results. It is positive as it implies positive outcomes are being achieved. It is also motivational as it recognises and celebrates the desired outcomes and behaviours.

Question Two – What could you be doing better or differently?

A question aimed at enhancing performance and developing desired behaviours and action. It respectfully communicates that continuous improvement is possible, required and that the status quo is not OK. It places the responsibility for improvement with the people or teams involved.

Question Three – What have you learned from this experience?

This question builds on the learning principle of “learning by experience.” Work and life are a series of ongoing experiences that offer wonderful learning opportunities, if we choose to use them. It extracts great learning from successful and unsuccessful experiences.

Question 4 - What will you do next?

This question engages the individual or team in formulating essential action steps to be implemented as a result of the process. It ensures that performance and capability is continuously improved.

What about formal performance expectations?

The 4 Q performance coaching process works equally well to review formal performance expectations and in the absence of formal expectations.

What about training in the 4Q process?

The 4Q process appears deceptively simple to use. It requires relatively high skill levels around:

A growth mindset
Understanding of the process and strong motivation to benefit from application
Asking empowering questions and listening to really understand
Concise communication
Robust appreciation of important communication principles around giving & seeking information, questioning & reflection, and questioning categories

New Futures offers a very practical, intensive and interactive half-day development workshop titled “Developing 4Q Coaching Skills©”.

Implementation considerations

‘4Q Performance Coaching’ can be implemented to whatever scale is required by the client organization. It is suggested that implementation commences with a small pilot project which is then typically extended as ‘pull’ for the process from the organization grows, as the tangible benefits are experienced and observed. Brief training in the process and associated skills is regarded as essential.

Ron McLuckie

Founder & Managing Partner – New Futures Ltd

Master Action Learning & Leadership Team Coach.