Coaching and Mentoring: How to Talk With, Not Down to, Your Staff
2010 CAEYC Conference
Long Beach, CA
Coaching and Mentoring Tips and Shortcuts
Coaching:
Conversation Two way dialogue is key to problem solving and provides
opportunity for future
 Speak directly to make your point in a respectful way
 Listen to other’s viewpoint- avoid talking too much
 Show importance of hearing – spend time listening to show value
of listening and understanding
Collaboration Plan future together to help them understand future impact
 Goal setting as part of your regular scheduled one-on-one meetings
with staff
 Give feedback (positive and negative) regularly
 Delegate to show your trust in your staff
Mentoring:
Give advice
 Suggest without telling what to do
Share knowledge and experiences
 Lets others experience with the benefit of your history
Observe behavior and share observations (positive and negative)
 Allows opportunity for self-reflection by staff and future selfdirection
Role Model
 Provide opportunities for staff to watch you change strategy and
succeed
Ask Questions
 Will get people to think about their actions. Understanding those
answers will provide you with a clearer picture of that person and
will help guide you to next steps.
© Knowledge Learning Corporation
Coaching and Mentoring: How to Talk With, Not Down to, Your Staff
2010 CAEYC Conference
Long Beach, CA
Communication Style Self-Assessment
Our communication styles vary from one person to the next. It is important to
understand our own style and, to the extent possible, the style of the person with
whom we are communicating. Effective communication relies on our ability to
adapt our style to our audience so our message is clearly received.
Indicate below the order in which you feel each choice best describes you. In the
appropriate space provided, fill in the appropriate number using:
►
►
►
►
1 for the answer that best fits you
2 for the next best fit
3 for the next
4 for the answer that is least appropriate for you
1.
I am likely to impress others as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
2.
Practical and to the point.
Emotional and somewhat stimulating.
Astute and logical.
Intellectually oriented and somewhat complex.
a.____
b.____
c.____
d.____
When I work on a project I:
a. Want it to be stimulating and involve
lively interaction with others.
b. Concentrate to make sure it is systematically
or logically developed.
c. Want to be sure it has a tangible pay-out
that will justify my time and energy on it.
d. Am most concerned about whether it breaks
ground or advances knowledge.
a.____
b.____
c.____
d.____
Field, A. (2003, July). Intuitor, thinker, feeler, senser: Which one are you talking to? Harvard Management
Communication Letter.
© Knowledge Learning Corporation
Coaching and Mentoring: How to Talk With, Not Down to, Your Staff
3.
2010 CAEYC Conference
Long Beach, CA
When I think about a job problem, I usually:
a. Think about concepts and relationships between
events.
b. Analyze what preceded it and what I plan next.
c. Remain open and responsive to my feelings
about the matter.
d. Concentrate on reality, on things as they are
right now.
4.
c.____
d.____
When confronted by others with a different point
of view, I can usually make progress by:
a. Getting at least one or two specific commitments
on which we can build later.
b. Trying to place myself in the others’ shoes.
c. Keeping my composure and helping others to
see things simply and logically.
d. Relying on my basic ability to conceptualize and
pull ideas together.
5.
a.____
b.____
a.____
b.____
c.____
d.____
In communicating with others, I might:
a. Express unintended boredom with talk that is
too detailed.
b. Convey impatience with those who express ideas
that they have obviously not thought through carefully.
c. Show little interest in thoughts and ideas that
exhibit little or no originality.
d. Tend to ignore those who talk about long-range
implications and direct my attention to what needs
to be done right now.
a.____
b.____
c.____
d.____
Field, A. (2003, July). Intuitor, thinker, feeler, senser: Which one are you talking to? Harvard Management
Communication Letter.
© Knowledge Learning Corporation
Coaching and Mentoring: How to Talk With, Not Down to, Your Staff
2010 CAEYC Conference
Long Beach, CA
Analysis of Communication Style Assessment
To obtain an approximate indication of your primary communication style, enter below the
number you wrote for each answer.
Situation 1
Intuitor
d.____
Thinker
c.____
Feeler
b.____
Senser
a.____
Situation 2
d.____
b.____
a.____
c.____
Situation 3
a.____
b.____
c.____
d.____
Situation 4
d.____
c.____
b.____
a.____
Situation 5
c.____
b.____
a.____
d.____
Totals
______
______
______
______
►
►
►
Total each column.
The column that has the smallest total indicates your favored communication style.
The column that has the largest total is your least used style.
Style
Characteristics
Intuitor


Global perspective
“Big Picture”
Thinker



Analytical
Precise
Systematic
Feeler
 Gut reaction
 Highly sociable
 Empathetic
Senser
 Practical
 Action oriented
 Focus on the present
Field, A. (2003, July). Intuitor, thinker, feeler, senser: Which one are you talking to? Harvard Management
Communication Letter.
© Knowledge Learning Corporation