Leveraging Digital Coaching for Modern Training

I have an employee who has difficulty with accepting authority. If she is at a meeting where someone says something that she does not agree with, she rolls her eyes and makes sarcastic comments, often under her breadth, rather than engaging in a productive discussion that can help overcome differences and perhaps find better solutions. I would like for her to use chatGPT as her coach, to help overcome this issue. To do that, I would like to provide her with detailed and comprehesive ready-made prompts that she can use to get coaching from chatgpt. The prompts must be fully developed, so that I can send them to her and all she has to do is copy them and paste them into her chatgpt input area and that will create a fully digital coaching experience. Please write the prompts using crisp language and a temperature of 0.3.

You are the HR Business Partner of this executive. You are very experienced on coaching, and in fact you have a masters degree from Insead on this topic, plus many years of experience as a professional coach for executives. The employee has come to you for help in overcoming this issue, after her conversation with her boss, where she told her that she would not likely be promoted unless she can overcome this issue. Please tell me how you would engage in a coaching session with her given your background and her needs? What would you ask? What would you suggest?

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Engaging in a Coaching Session as an HR Business Partner

Introduction:

Hi [Employee's Name],

Thank you for reaching out. I understand you had a conversation with your boss about improving how you handle disagreements in meetings. Let’s work together to address this issue so you can advance in your career.

Coaching Session Approach:

1. Understand the Context:

• Question: "Can you share specific instances where you felt challenged by authority in meetings? What triggered your reactions?"

• Purpose: Identify patterns and triggers to understand the root cause of the behavior.

2. Reflect on Impact:

• Question: "How do you think your reactions are perceived by others? How might they affect your professional relationships and career progression?"

• Purpose: Help her recognize the impact of her actions on her reputation and potential promotions.

3. Explore Alternatives:

• Question: "What alternative ways can you express disagreement constructively? How can you prepare for discussions where you anticipate differing opinions?"

• Purpose: Develop constructive communication strategies.

4. Set Goals and Action Plan:

• Question: "What specific goals can you set to improve your reactions in meetings? How will you measure your progress?"

• Purpose: Establish clear, actionable steps for improvement.

5. Suggest Using ChatGPT:

• Prompt: "ChatGPT, I am seeking guidance on handling disagreements in meetings constructively. When I disagree with someone, I tend to react with sarcasm or eye-rolling, which affects my professional image. Can you help me develop strategies to express my opinions respectfully and engage in productive discussions?"

Conclusion:

Let's schedule regular check-ins to discuss your progress and any challenges you face. I’m here to support you throughout this journey.

Best regards,

[HR Business Partner's Name]

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How would your approach change if, instead, you were her supervisor, who has grown impatient that she has, so far, not been receptive to feedback on this topic. What would you say or do differently than the HRBP?

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Engaging as an Impatient Supervisor

Introduction:

Hi [Employee's Name],

We’ve discussed your reactions in meetings before, and it’s crucial that we address this now to support your professional growth and potential promotions. Here’s how I’d like to proceed:

Coaching Session Approach:

1. Direct Feedback:

• Statement: "I’ve noticed that your reactions during disagreements—like eye-rolling and sarcastic comments—are impacting team dynamics and your career advancement."

• Purpose: Clearly communicate the importance and urgency of the issue.

2. Understand Resistance:

• Question: "Can you help me understand what makes it difficult for you to respond constructively in these situations?"

• Purpose: Identify barriers to change and show empathy.

3. Immediate Steps:

• Question: "What immediate actions can you take to ensure more respectful and productive interactions in our next meeting?"

• Purpose: Focus on actionable and short-term improvements.

4. Accountability and Follow-up:

• Statement: "We need to see a change in how you handle disagreements. I expect to see noticeable improvements by our next meeting. Let’s set up regular check-ins to discuss your progress."

• Purpose: Establish accountability and regular follow-up.

5. Suggest Using ChatGPT:

• Prompt: "ChatGPT, I have difficulty handling disagreements professionally in meetings. I tend to roll my eyes or make sarcastic comments. I need help developing strategies to express my opinions constructively and engage in respectful discussions."

Conclusion:

Your growth is important to me, and I believe you can overcome this challenge with the right approach and commitment. Let’s make this change together.

Best regards,

[Supervisor's Name]

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Please highlight the differences between the two approaches you are suggesting under the two different personas.

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Differences Between Approaches as an HR Business Partner and as a Supervisor

HR Business Partner Approach:

1. Supportive and Empathetic Tone: Focuses on understanding the employee’s perspective and challenges. Emphasizes collaboration and regular check-ins.
   

2. Long-term Development: Encourages setting specific goals and creating an action plan. Suggests using ChatGPT for continuous support and guidance. Reflective Questions:

3. Asks questions to help the employee reflect on the impact of their behavior. Guides the employee to develop constructive communication strategies.

Supervisor Approach:

1. Direct and Urgent Tone: Clearly communicates the importance and urgency of addressing the issue. Expresses impatience with the lack of progress and sets clear expectations.

2. Immediate Action Focus: Demands immediate changes in behavior with a focus on short-term improvements. Establishes accountability with specific follow-up meetings.

3. Directive Questions: Directly asks what immediate actions the employee will take to improve. Emphasizes the need for noticeable improvements by the next meeting.

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Let's try a new persona. This time, a trusted mentor to whom this employee has had conversations over the years about her career development, or lack thereof. He has, in the past, provided honest feedback which, while sometimes hard to hear, she has appreciated and learned from. How would this coaching session go?

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Engaging as a Trusted Mentor

Introduction:

Hi [Employee's Name],

I’ve always admired your intelligence and dedication. Recently, I’ve noticed a recurring issue in how you handle disagreements in meetings, which might be affecting your career progression. Let’s work together to address this.

Coaching Session Approach:

1. Honest Feedback:

• Statement: "I've seen how your reactions in meetings, like eye-rolling and sarcastic comments, can be perceived negatively. It’s important we address this to help you advance."

• Purpose: Provide candid feedback to highlight the issue.
  

2. Reflect on Previous Feedback:

• Question: "Remember our past discussions about professional growth? How do you think this behavior fits into the feedback you've received?"

• Purpose: Connect current behavior to past feedback for context.
  

3. Explore Constructive Alternatives:

• Question: "What are some ways you can express disagreement constructively? How can we work on developing these skills?"

• Purpose: Encourage her to think of positive alternatives and strategies.
  

4. Set Improvement Goals:

• Question: "Let’s set some specific goals to improve your reactions in meetings. How will you measure your progress?"

• Purpose: Establish actionable goals and metrics for improvement.
  

5. Suggest Using ChatGPT:

• Prompt: "ChatGPT, I’ve been told that my reactions in meetings, such as eye-rolling and sarcastic comments, are affecting my career growth. Can you help me develop strategies to handle disagreements more constructively and improve my professional interactions?"
  

Conclusion:

I’m here to support you through this process. Let’s touch base regularly to discuss your progress and any challenges you face.

Best,

[Mentor's Name]

Differences in Approach:

HR Business Partner:

• Tone: Supportive, empathetic, developmental.

• Focus: Long-term goals, reflective questions, continuous support.

• Action: Understanding context, setting long-term goals, using ChatGPT for ongoing coaching.

Supervisor:

• Tone: Direct, urgent, impatient.

• Focus: Immediate actions, accountability, short-term improvements.

• Action: Demanding immediate change, setting clear expectations, regular follow-ups.

Trusted Mentor:

• Tone: Honest, supportive, constructive.

• Focus: Candid feedback, reflection on past discussions, developing constructive alternatives.

• Action: Providing honest feedback, setting specific improvement goals, using ChatGPT for actionable strategies.