Program objective
Strengthen the ability to use coaching within day-to-day leadership. Participants practise structured conversations that develop insight, ownership and action, while recognizing when coaching, direction or other management interventions are appropriate.
Who this suits
Managers and team leaders seeking to develop people through focused coaching conversations at work.
Professional objectives
- Select coaching appropriately within managerial responsibilities.
- Conduct structured conversations that build insight, ownership and action.
- Evaluate progress and sustain a practical coaching habit at work.
Key learning outcomes
- Use a decision guide to choose coaching, feedback or direction.
- Complete a listening exercise and a question-quality self-review.
- Conduct a structured coaching conversation and complete an action agreement.
- Rehearse a coaching response to avoidance or repeated non-delivery.
- Prepare contrasting coaching plans for two employee scenarios.
- Create a coaching practice log and a 30-day development plan.
Module map
- 1.Coaching purpose and boundaries
- 2.Listening and productive questions
- 3.The GROW conversation
- 4.Feedback and constructive challenge
- 5.Adapting to different needs
- 6.Follow-up and coaching effectiveness
Modules in detail
1
Coaching purpose and boundaries
Theory & concepts
Distinguish coaching from instruction, mentoring, feedback and counseling. Identify situations that require clear direction or specialist support, and agree a working relationship that respects managerial accountability and confidentiality limits. Establish the purpose, boundaries and desired outcome of the conversation. Recognize when a safety issue, performance standard or urgent operational decision requires direct instruction.
Professional application
Agree what the conversation is intended to achieve and what remains outside its scope. Establish confidentiality boundaries and clarify ownership of both the decision and the follow-up action.
Hands-on exercise & output
Use a decision guide to choose coaching, feedback or direction.
2
Listening and productive questions
Theory & concepts
Listen for assumptions, emotions and untested conclusions without rushing to solve the problem. Use open questions, clarification and summaries to help define the issue and expand possible responses. Practice open, clarifying, probing and reflective questions without leading the answer. Recognize assumptions and use silence and summaries to improve the quality of listening.
Professional application
Recognize leading questions, premature advice and assumptions disguised as curiosity. Practice reflecting both the content and the concern without claiming to know the other person's motives.
Hands-on exercise & output
Complete a listening exercise and a question-quality self-review.
3
The GROW conversation
Theory & concepts
Apply Goal, Reality, Options and Will to a relevant workplace challenge. Establish an achievable session goal, examine current evidence and convert options into a clear commitment owned by the employee. Use GROW to convert a broad issue into a clear goal, realistic options and an owned commitment. Distinguish an intention from an action with a deadline and success measure.
Professional application
Move from a general ambition to a specific goal, current reality, credible options and a chosen action. Check commitment, obstacles and the evidence that will demonstrate progress.
Hands-on exercise & output
Conduct a structured coaching conversation and complete an action agreement.
4
Feedback and constructive challenge
Theory & concepts
Combine specific observations with curiosity and respectful challenge. Surface inconsistencies, address avoidance and maintain performance standards without turning the conversation into a lecture or an imposed solution. Use respectful challenge to test an assumption or contradiction. Combine feedback with curiosity, and avoid rescuing the employee by taking back responsibility for the problem.
Professional application
Combine supportive feedback with a clear challenge to the current approach. Use observed facts and thoughtful questions to encourage reflection without turning the conversation into criticism.
Hands-on exercise & output
Rehearse a coaching response to avoidance or repeated non-delivery.
5
Adapting to different needs
Theory & concepts
Adjust coaching to experience, confidence, cultural context and the complexity of the task. Support remote conversations, career development and stretch assignments while keeping goals and success measures explicit. Adapt the approach for experienced specialists, new employees and remote teams. Consider confidence, culture and task complexity while maintaining an explicit performance standard.
Professional application
Adapt the depth and pace of coaching to confidence, experience and context. Recognize when a short operational conversation requires a different approach from longer-term development.
Hands-on exercise & output
Prepare contrasting coaching plans for two employee scenarios.
6
Follow-up and coaching effectiveness
Theory & concepts
Agree actions, review dates and evidence of progress. Use reflection and observer feedback to improve listening and questioning, and establish a practice plan for applying coaching consistently in everyday management. Agree follow-up questions, evidence of progress and a review point. Use observation and reflection to assess the coach's questioning, listening and ability to sustain employee ownership.
Professional application
Review whether the agreed action happened and what was learned. Avoid dependence on the coach by encouraging self-assessment, independent decisions and ownership of the next step.
Hands-on exercise & output
Create a coaching practice log and a 30-day development plan.
Integrated assignment
Conduct a coached workplace conversation, use feedback to refine the approach and create a practical coaching habit plan.
Delivery & methodology
Format
Part-time professional training
Attendance
Face-to-face · Live online
Location
Dubai / UAE for face-to-face cohorts; online attendance available
Timing
Session hours, timetable, venue and cohort availability are confirmed in joining instructions.
- Pre-course needs and learning-goals assessment
- Facilitated theory and professional concepts
- Guided demonstrations, case analysis and hands-on exercises
- Application to workplace decisions, with discussion and feedback
- Post-course learning review and a personal application plan
Assessment & application
Before
Identify your role, experience, priority objectives and a workplace task you want to improve. Record a baseline confidence rating with an example of current capability.
During
Review module exercises for accurate use of the method, evidence supporting decisions, relevance to the case and clarity of the completed output. Use facilitator and peer feedback to refine the work.
After
Compare the completed assignment with your initial objectives. Explain the decisions made, identify remaining gaps and record the next practical steps.
Workplace transfer
Create a personal 30-day application plan with a defined action, target date, required support and an observable success measure. This is a participant follow-through plan; ongoing coaching is scoped separately.
Frequently asked questions
How does the program balance coaching with instruction?
It develops purposeful coaching conversations while making explicit when coaching should give way to clear instruction or specialist support, so accountability stays with the person being coached.
When is coaching not the right approach?
The experience explicitly covers when coaching should give way to clear instruction or specialist support.
Are the dates confirmed?
Dates, delivery format and places are confirmed by TIH before any booking is finalized. Use the enquiry option to check the next available cohort.
