Set Up
Prior to our meeting, the AM had shared his completed Coaching Preparation form with me, and we talked through the key points and desired outcomes. The AM suggested that two store visits, meeting store managers with some challenges / opportunities would be meaningful and worthwhile. This showed courage, for the AM to realise that visiting easy stores having easy conversations would not reveal as much coaching benefit. Just two store visits would also provide us with some decent reflection/coaching time.
On-The-Day
We met at a store where I could leave my car, and had the initial rapport building, contracting and goal-setting discussion in a back office. He explained that there was a critical operational issue at one of his stores, so the plan changed to one challenging store visit and the emergency trip to the critical store. No problem – flexibility is one of the key benefits of this learning day.
Spending the whole day with the AM worked really well here – the AM could do what he needed to do re: his critical store, and still get the learning benefit.
I structured the coaching discussions to slot between each store visit in my mind:
1) Coaching Preparation form and personal awareness
2) Reflect on store visit and prep for next conversation
3) Reflect on store visit and summarise, conclude, set actions
The first store visit revealed some valuable observations to talk about. In the car after the visit, we re-played the AM’s discussion with the Store Manager. There was a powerful breakthrough and realisation for AM in that moment. Then our coaching discussion led to the AM asking more powerful questions so that the store manager was doing more of the thinking.
Already some valuable learning, and we had only just completed the first visit of the day !
During the second (crisis) store visit, the AM immediately started deploying his new learning from our previous conversation, with interesting results that, again, revealed some important reflection points.
In deploying this new skill, the AM had noticed a better response from his Store Manager. There was much less giving direction and much more enabling others to think for themselves.
On the way home the AM summarised his realisations, learning and actions from the day. I wrote them down and emailed them through to him afterwards. This is the only email he leaves at the top of his Inbox, to serve as a reminder of his learning and commitments.
One month later we met for a second follow-up session. It was satisfying to hear the AM recalling each of the key learning points as he excitedly shared all of the actions he’d implemented as a result of our first day together.
Quotes from our day:
“It has been an intense day, but ten times better than a classroom !” Area Manager
“I think the best feedback I can give you, is that I think I will remember today for a long time (in a good way !), which cannot be said for many of the other coaching sessions I have attended in the past – thanks again” Area Manager
"Today has been a very time-efficient way to develop - the Area Manager goes about their day job, with coaching on hot topics in real-time between each store visit, enabling them to immediately apply their learning" Simon Thomas – RM Development Coach
KEY REFLECTION POINT: this is a very flexible way of learning – for the AM to be able to go about their day job AND receive valuable development. PLUS the AM gets to be observed in their real environment – no role play activities here !
WATCH-OUTS: As with many coaching conversations, success relies on open coachees who are willing and able to accurately self-reflect. Some AMs may not have the courage to be observed in vulnerable, challenging or stretching situations.
simon@regionalmanagerdevelopment.com
+44 (0)7947 479175
