Leadership Coaching
Pre-Work Packet
Table of Contents
Prework Overview ........................................................................................................... 1
Strategic Alignment ......................................................................................................... 2
Leadership Coaching Self-Assessment........................................................................... 4
Leadership Coaching: Development Conversation Role Play Preparation...................... 5
Leadership Coaching: Challenging Coaching Conversation Role Play Preparation ........ 6
Prework Overview
Welcome to Leadership Coaching! To make the most of our classroom time, we have
prepared several brief assignments for you to complete prior to your attendance.
Your prework consists of one online module, a self-assessment, and several short written
assignments.
Online Module: Leadership Coaching—Strategic Alignment
This short module provides tips and strategies for creating and maintaining strategic
alignment through each layer in your span of control.
Complete this module before you complete your Strategy Alignment Worksheet.
Time Required: 8 minutes
Written Assignments
Strategic Alignment
Review the sample strategy worksheet, and key messages.
Then, use the framework provided to draft your strategy as you would explain it to your
direct reports. If needed, meet with your manager prior to the session to review and
refine your strategy and key messages.
During the program, you will share your strategy and key messages with other
participants.
Time Required: 15 minutes, plus meeting time with your manager (if needed)
Leadership Coaching: Self-Assessment
Take this quick self-assessment to gauge your thoughts and perceptions of the coaching
experience.
Time Required: 10 minutes
Leadership Coaching: Development Conversation Role Play Preparation
Complete the preparation worksheet to outline the need for a development coaching
conversation with one of your direct reports. During the workshop, you will use this
scenario to practice for an upcoming coaching conversation.
Time Required: 10 minutes
Leadership Coaching: Challenging Conversation Role-Play Preparation
Do you see a need for an employee to modify behavior, but the employee sees the
situation differently? Complete the preparation worksheet, which you will use for a
practice role-play during our session.
Time Required: 10 minutes
Page 1
Strategic Alignment
Instructions
Before completing this worksheet:
 Listen to the Strategic Alignment recorded online module.
 Review the St. John’s University mission.
 Review any strategy documents created specifically for your department.
 Review the sample strategy for St. John’s University Training and Development on
the following page.
Business or Department ______________________________
Our Strategy
What do we
do?
Whom do we
serve? Who
are our
clients?
Why do we
do this work?
What value
do we add to
the business?
To the client?
How can we
add more
value?
Key Messages
What is/are the key message (or messages) you will use to reinforce and execute the
strategy?
A ‘key message’ is a short, repeatable sentence or “slogan” that states what is most
important to you. E.g. “How can we do this better?” or “Look for opportunities to exceed
expectations.”
1.
2.
Page 2
Sample Strategy: St. John’s University Training and Development
What do we
do?
Provide exceptional learning experiences that grow talent
Whom do we
serve? Who
are our
clients?
All employees of St. John’s University
Why do we
do this work?
What value
do we add to
the business?
To the client?
How can we
add more
value?
To prepare our leaders to deliver against the St. John’s mission and
priorities
To help St. John’s employees learn and grow in their careers
We can add more value by providing:
 Provocative, impactful learning experience
 Learning anytime, anywhere via online learning and support
resources
Key Messages


Innovative learning inspires talent
Make it easy for people to learn
Page 3
Leadership Coaching Self-Assessment
Instructions
Answer the questions and note your insights. You do not need to share your responses, but
you may share your insights during the group discussion if you wish.
Behavior
Yes
No
Sometimes
1. I have regularly scheduled coaching sessions with all
of my direct reports.
2. When I have scheduled coaching sessions, I keep the
appointments.
3. Coaching conversations are more about developing
skills than correcting behavior.
4. During the coaching conversations, my employee
decides what we will discuss.
5. The employee does most of the talking during the
coaching conversation.
6. During coaching conversations, I guide the employee
to resolve his/her own problems/issue, rather than
immediately providing direction.
7. I schedule more frequent coaching discussions during
times of change to help my employees who are
managers prepare for and lead through change.
8. I know what is most important to each of my direct
reports.
9. I have discussed career aspirations with each of my
direct reports.
10. I have time scheduled for development conversations
outside of formal performance reviews.
11. Each of my direct reports has an Individual
Development Plan with meaningful development goals
and activities.
12. I have an Individual Development Plan with meaningful
development goals and activities.
Insights:
Page 4
Leadership Coaching: Development Conversation
Role Play Preparation
Instructions
Answer the questions below to prepare for an upcoming development/coaching
conversation with one of your direct reports. Note this is not a conversation to address an
ongoing performance problem.

What is the development opportunity that you want to discuss? Check one and
explain.
 Build skill/knowledge/experience in his/her current role. Explain:
 Build skill/knowledge/experience to prepare for a different/new/expanded role.
Explain:

What are the employee’s key strengths? How might he/she leverage these strengths
to close the skill, knowledge or experience gap noted above?

Which statement best describes your past/current development conversations with
this individual?
 This will be our first conversation
 We have had one or more development conversations during performance review
discussions
 We have had one or more development conversations in addition to performance
review discussions
 We have ongoing/scheduled coaching or development conversations

What is most important to this employee? (E.g. career progression, reputation,
relationships, balanced work and home life, etc.)
Page 5
Leadership Coaching: Challenging Coaching Conversation
Role-Play Preparation
Instructions
Describe a situation about which you anticipate a challenging conversation with one of
your direct reports.

What do you want to discuss? Describe the events leading up to this situation.

Why is it important that you discuss the situation? If the situation is not addressed,
what might be the impact on the employee? The department? The University?

Have you discussed this issue before?
o If yes, what was the outcome of the conversation?
o If no, why not?
Page 6
Challenging Coaching Conversation, continued

Is the employee anticipating this conversation? Why or why not?

How do you expect the employee to react?

How will you handle the reaction?

What is important to the employee? What does he or she value most? (E.g. success,
career progression, reputation, being seen as an expert, relationships, etc.)
Page 7