Product Description

A new edition of the book that took the art of coaching to new heights. Since COACHING FOR PERFORMANCE was first published over a decade ago, John Whitmore has lead the way with this best-selling classic that has sold more than 200,000 copies worldwide. Translated into a dozen languages and considered a ‘must-read' by such international leaders as Coca-Cola, this is the definitive guide to mastering the skills needed to help people unlock their potential and maximize their performance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90240 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Review
"Clear, to-the-point, and very rich in highly useful and insightful content." -- Stern's Management Review

"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." --Laura Whitworth, co-founder of The Coaching Training Institute

"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." -- People Management

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.

From the Inside Flap
Introduction PART I: THE PRINCIPLES OF COACHING 1 What is Coaching? 2 Manager as Coach 3 The Nature of Change 4 The Nature of Coaching 5 Effective Questions 6 The Sequence of Questioning 7 Goal Setting 8 What is Reality? 9 What Options Do You Have? 10 What Will You Do? PART II: THE PRACTICE OF COACHING 11 What is Performance? 12 Learning and Enjoyment 13 Motivation and Self-Belief 14 Coaching for Meaning and Purpose 15 Feedback and Assessment 16 The Development of a Team 17 Coaching Teams 18 Overcoming Barriers to Coaching 19 The Multiple Benefits of Coaching PART III: LEADERSHIP FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE 20 The Challenge to Leaders 21 The Foundation of Leadership 22 The Qualities of Leadership PART IV: TRANSFORMATION THROUGH TRANSPERSONAL COACHING 23 Emotional Intelligence 24 Tools of Transpersonal Psychology 25 The Future Focus of Coaching VIII Book Description: 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! IX Excerpt Chapter #:

Excert Content:

Customer Reviews

The "Grandfather" of Coaching Books - and Still One of the Best!
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.

Coaching for Managers
'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.

Great overview of coaching
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.""