Coaching in the Rockies - Part One
Coaching and mentoring a group of emerging television producers at the
Banff Television Festival, June 2006
by Michel C. LAVOIE

A Coaching Challenge:

Hired by Parlimage Inc. and Telefilm Canada, my mission was to help prepare, accompany and mentor seven television producers from various cultural communities in Quebec attending their first television festival in Banff, Alberta in June 2006. The Banff Television Festival is the largest and most important Canadian television festival and marketplace. My specific mandate was to coach-mentor these talented individuals during the market; to facilitate meetings with broadcasters, buyers and producers; to assist them in choosing appropriate workshops and to be a resource person during the 4 day festival.

The interns were expected to arrive at the market with at least one television project to pitch to broadcasters. Because the ‘pitch’ is the heart of the festival, 80% of the participants’ time is spent ‘pitching’ a program or television series idea to a broadcaster or to another producer.

Prior to the Festival, I spent time with each individual to help set objectives, to decide what they would be pitching and to whom, to prioritize their broadcaster list, and to set up meetings at Banff three weeks in advance with the people they wished to meet. During this preparation time, I stressed concrete objective setting and planning and the importance of follow-up. I gave them feedback and encouragement and I explored ways with them to improve their pitching performance. Once on site in Banff, I met with them in a group and individually to follow-up, to discuss, to propose, to give feedback and encouragement and to explore what was lacking and what they could do differently during future meetings with decision-makers to improve their performance. The interns were also expected to meet as many people as possible and to solicit as many business cards as possible in order to begin creating a network of contacts which they could continue to develop over the span of their careers.

Coaching and mentoring:

The terms mentoring and coaching are sometimes used interchangeably. However, there are important distinctions. Mentoring is about the passing on of knowledge, skills and experience. As advisor and guide, the mentor can assist an individual to learn faster and more effectively than he or she might do alone. Coaching is more about ‘leading an individual from behind’ in a partnership designed to help a person discover solutions to specific personal or professional challenges. The coaching process consists of setting goals and action plans and helping the client discover what is missing to attaining positive and desired results. The mentor will employ a range of coaching skills. Creating a trusting and committed partnership is as crucial to mentoring as it is to coaching. Normally, mentoring and coaching take place over a continuous and long-term learning within a supportive environment. My challenge during the Banff experience was to create a relationship in a relatively short period of time and be flexible enough to move from a group to an individual style of mentor-coaching during this brief period.

As expected, it was easier to create a climate of confidence with certain individuals than with others. Sometimes, I was able to spend more time with some of the interns so this was conducive to creating a stronger bond. We had the time to get to know each other and I was able to understand their goals and aspirations. When resistances showed up, they were easier to manage because of my knowledge and time spent with them. With all the interns, however, I got to know their specific goals and agendas and through dialogue, we were able to clarify issues together and seek solutions.

Sometimes, I acted as more of a mentor; at other times, I was more in ‘coaching mode’ (active listening, asking questions, providing feedback and making requests). Although I gave more advice and was more directive in my role as a mentor, most of my advice was delivered in the form of feedback which resembled a suggestion or a possibility. The bottom line: whether as mentor or coach, both approaches aimed to develop and enhance the full potential of the intern and contribute to a successful outcome.

During the festival:s

A meeting with the entire group was called for 8 AM each morning, lasting an hour or so. During the course of the day, I would meet with each intern on an individual basis to discuss his/her approach and to track their progress. Time, input and feedback varied according to each individual’s needs. We would discuss and review their action plans; I would ask questions to explore and streamline their approach and action plans; I gave feedback and usually requested specific actions to aid them in accomplishing their objectives.

They often had very specific questions such as what are the key elements needed by a broadcaster to make a decision? At other times, we discussed the actual pitches. In the case of a team pitch by two candidates, I attended the presentation and was able to offer feedback and make requests to help improve their performance. I had noticed that one of the members of the team was doing all the talking and was not allowing her partner to contribute. My feedback was to suggest that they pass the ball to each other more often in order to create more flow, interest and rhythm. They incorporated these suggestions in their next pitch and were amazed at the terrific response they got from the person being pitched. By working more in tandem using their strengths; by relaxing more and taking time to breathe, they were able to punch-up their presentation and get positive feedback and results! This team got interest from two broadcasters and was asked to send scripts and additional information regarding the project.