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Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations
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Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations

Foreword by Joellen Killion



May 2012 | 184 pages | Corwin

What does coach leadership look like in action?

A leader doesn't have to solve every problem personally to be effective. In fact, helping others learn to resolve issues and implement their own solutions is the key to sustainable leadership and an empowered staff. This companion and follow-up book to Coaching Conversations brings the coaching style of leadership to life with stories from the experienced coaches on the Results Coaching team. Featuring examples of real people facing real problems who use coaching skills with great success, each chapter deals with a challenging leadership area and includes space for personal reflection, questions, and next steps. Topics include

  • Core values 
  • Building trust and community
  • High expectations 
  • School turnaround 
  • Garnering genuine buy-in 
  • Difficult conversations
  • Accountability 
  • Balancing personal and professional commitments

As you focus on developing those around you, you earn the trust and loyalty of your team. This book's examples demonstrate that coach leadership is not only possible, it is the smartest way to lead in the 21st century!


 
Foreword
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Preface
Matrix of Stories

 
 
1. What is a Coaching Conversation?
Coach Leader Man—Feeding the Hunger! by Vicky Dearing

 
 
2. Discovering and Using Your Core Values
From Terminator to Hope Builder by Marceta Reilly

 
A Yearning for More by Karen Anderson

 
Courage at the Core by Riva Korashan

 
Leading With Your Core Values by Dave Winans

 
 
3. Building Trust and Community
Better Late Than Never by Linda Gross Cheliotes

 
Language Matters by Karen Anderson

 
The Safest Haven by Dave Winans

 
From Parent Intrusion to Parent Involvement by Diana Williams

 
 
4. Holding Up High Expectations for All
Finding Your Leadership Voice by Marceta Reilly

 
Being Contagious Makes You Better by Karen Anderson

 
Turning Around a Failing School by Sandee Crowther

 
 
5. Changing How We Change
I Want To…But by Linda Gross Cheliotes

 
The Crucial “Aha” Moment by Gina Marx

 
Changing a Relationship Through Language by Kathy Kee

 
Acting out My Future—Life is Just a Performance by Joan Hearne

 
 
6. Getting Genuine Buy-In: Framing Expectations to Support Change
Reflected Glory by Sue Kidd

 
Scoring With the Music Teacher by Kathy Kee

 
It’s In the Details by Bob Carter

 
Change Happens One By One by Joan Hearne

 
 
7. Engaging in Difficult Conversations
Moving Staff Up or Out by Marceta Reilly

 
Reflection: A Closer Look by Joan Hearne

 
A Marginal Teacher Spurs the Evolution of a Coach Leader by Gina Marx

 
Facing Our Dragons by Kathy Kee

 
 
8. Changing Blamers Into Believers
Softening Discipline At the Edges by Marceta Reilly

 
Caught In the Middle by Reba Schumacher

 
Nobody At This School Gets Me! by Frances Shuster

 
 
9. Everyone is Accountable
Monkey Collector by Linda Gross Cheliotes

 
Whose Problem—Whose Solution? by Sandee Crowther

 
Just Call Me Mom by Linda Gross Cheliotes

 
Middle School Under Attack by Edna Harris

 
 
10. Balancing Personal and Professional Commitments
Sitting on a Seesaw by Linda Gross Cheliotes

 
The 180 Degree Turnaround by Linda Gross Cheliotes

 
Reframing Balance by Riva Korashan

 
Running In Circles by Marceta Reilly

 
 
11. Navigating Successful Life Transitions
Rewiring by Linda Gross Cheliotes

 
I Feel Like a Failure by Dayna Richardson

 
Investing In the Next Steps by Joan Hearne

 
 
12. Summary
 
Appendix
 
References
 
Index

If you are looking for straight talk about real educational conversations that matter …without the sugar coating and jargon that many educational books contain…pick this one up. It is the real deal; it will make a difference in your mentoring and coaching practice!

Bonnie Tryon, Past President
School Administrators Association of New York

Where was a book like this when I first became a school principal? If I had read a book like this while I was a new principal, I know for certain that I would not have had so many difficult challenges during my first year. This book will be extremely beneficial for all those aspiring to be school leaders and those who are currently serving in a school leadership role. I loved the book and would definitely recommend it to any leadership training academy.

Patricia Bowman, Academic Coordinator
University of California, Los Angeles

Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations is beneficial and has some strong recommendations for school leaders to effect change and school improvement. Much has been written on the need to build relationships in the school setting. Coaching staff to excellence is a concept that many leaders can utilize to become more effective leaders.

Rosemarie Young, Principal
Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY

Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations represents a collection of leadership behaviors, stories, conversations, and practices from which one can select to reflect on his or her own unique interests. It expands confidence and capacity to support change through coaching.

Mark Turner, Adjunct Professor, Educational Consultant, & Mentor Coach
School Administrators Association of New York State, Latham, NY

Coaching is one of the most promising practices in the reformation of our educational practices. This book explains and exemplifies the essential elements of effective coaching, and brings them to life through a variety of stories that will resonate in some way with every reader. This book is a gift to the field change process in which we are all engaged.

Lynn Macan, Superintendent
Cobleskill-Richmondville CSD, Cobleskill, NY

Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations is a book that will not collect dust on the shelf. It is written in a manner that can be used either as a book to read cover to cover or as a quick reference guide to help plan how to deal with unique situations. The book is an easy read, yet very useful for busy school leaders.

Sean Beggin, Assistant Principal
Andover High School, Andover, MN

"The focus on coach leadership principles as they play out in real-world situations makes for a powerful guide highly recommended for any education collection interested in coaching team teaching."

Midwest Book Review, October 2012

“An indispensable practical coach-leader’s guide into how to transform a simple conversation into an intentional and productive dialogue in which the coach-leader engages their staff to take action and achieve the desired results."

The International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching
December 2012
Key features
The authors make use of stories from their own coaching practice and from Coaching For Results, Inc. colleagues. The stories provide extensive real-life examples of how conversations helped school leaders think through "sticky" issues in their work. Examples span stories about teachers, support staff, central office personnel, parents, students, and/or community interactions, reflecting the breadth of leadership issues for a broad audience. Each chapter:
  • Begins with a related quote
  • Gives background for the story(ies)
  • Includes two or more stories from the field as examples of how an educator successfully resolved an issue
  • Provides a section with explanations about the coaching skills embedded in the conversations
  • Highlights key solution ideas derived from the stories and reflections
  • Ends with a set of reflective questions and a personal journaling area for the reader. The reflection questions and space for journaling will assist the reader in processing the information and considering implications for their own practice.

Also included is an annotated bibliography and an appendix or two that highlights coach-like skills, such as a list of powerful questions and a list of stems for offering reflective feedback.

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