Over the holidays I had the considerable pleasure of reading The Successful Coaching Manager by
Allan Mackintosh and felt compelled to put pen-to-paper or in this case finger-to-keyboard.
Allan's expertly written and informative book offers immediate practical support to any manager serious about coaching their staff for success. The book is divided into three distinct but inter-related sections and is full of the do's and don'ts that will guide any manager through the complex and rewarding coaching journey.
Allan's dutiful style is at all times respectful of the coaching tradition but also recognizes the pressurized environments that most managers now operate within.
The first few chapters concentrate on preparing the manager to be in the position of being a coach and contain rich discussions on how to build rapport and the essential skill of contracting. Look out especially for his OUTCOMES model in Chapter 5 and the six case studies in Chapter 16 - they are quite simply brilliant!
Having captured the key skills necessary for coaching individuals Allan's book then turns attention to coaching within a team and all the challenges that come with this ever so necessary task. The final section of the book presents eight insightful articles each relating to coaching within management.
A gem of a book!
To find out more about this great book take a look at Allan's website
