In the bustling environment of retail, effective coaching is an absolute must if you want your team members to understand their roles and excel in executing them. So, what coaching approach will give you the biggest bang for your buck? After all, you’re busy and you need coaching to be relatively quick and effective, right?
Well, that’s where the ‘I do, WE do, YOU do’ model is incredibly useful in enhancing your coaching sessions and empowering your team to achieve peak performance on the sales floor.
The ‘I do, WE do, YOU do’ model is often attributed to educational psychologist Madeline Hunter. Hunter was renowned for her work in instructional design and teaching methodology. While the model has its roots in education, it has been adapted and applied in various fields, including coaching, training, and professional development.
The essence of the model lies in its structured approach to learning, which emphasises gradual progression from demonstration to guided practice to independent application. This framework provides a systematic way to introduce new concepts or skills, engage learners in active practice, and facilitate mastery through repeated application.
I do: In this initial stage, you take the lead by demonstrating the skill or task. This could involve showcasing effective customer engagement, demonstrating product knowledge, or exemplifying best practices in handling transactions. As a coach, your role is to model excellence, so use your benchmarks to illustrate the expected standard and provide clear explanations of each step.
WE do: Once you have demonstrated the task, it's time to engage your team member in collaborative practice. This stage involves you and your team member practising this skill or task together. The focus here is on guided practice, with the coach providing feedback and support as needed. And remember, if your team member is a bit anxious, start by taking on the more challenging role and then swap. This is a great way to calm nerves!
YOU do: In the final stage, your team member takes ownership of their learning and applies the skills independently. This is where the rubber meets the road as your team member demonstrate their mastery of the task in real-world situations on the sales floor. Your role now becomes that of an observer and mentor, providing constructive feedback and encouragement to help them refine their skills further.
Implementing the ‘I do, WE do, YOU do’ model in your coaching sessions offers several benefits:
The model provides a clear roadmap for coaching sessions, ensuring that you and your team members understand the expectations at each stage.
By involving team members in collaborative practice, the model promotes active learning and engagement, leading to deeper understanding and retention of skills.
The model scaffolds learning by gradually shifting responsibility from you to your team members, empowering them to become independent and self-reliant.
With opportunities for feedback at each stage, your team members receive timely guidance and support, which facilitates and encourages continuous improvement.
By implementing the ‘I do, WE do, YOU do’ approach, your coaching sessions gain clarity and structure, your team members become actively engaged in their learning, and the responsibility for skill development gradually shifts from coach to learner.
Additionally, this model offers a unique avenue for immediate feedback, ensuring your learners receive timely guidance and support at every step of their journey towards mastery.
Here’s an example of a manager coaching their team member to develop their skills in organising and running a meeting.
The coach starts by demonstrating how to organise and run a team meeting. They show the employee each step involved which includes:
Next, the coach and the team member organise and run a team meeting together. The coach guides the team member through the process, providing support and feedback.
Finally, the team member organises and runs a team meeting independently while their coach observes. The team member follows the steps on their own.
Afterwards, the coach provides feedback, highlighting what the team member did well and suggesting areas for improvement.
You can apply this model to many different situations like supporting a team member to close a sale or master a communication skill like active listening.
The ‘I do, WE do, YOU do’ model is a great way to help your team develop new skills in the workplace. This approach ensures they get clear guidance at first, work with you to build their confidence, and eventually take full responsibility for the task with your ongoing support.
To make the most of this model, use active learning techniques. Start by demonstrating the task (I do), then involve your team in hands-on practice with you (WE do). Finally, let them take the lead while you provide feedback and support as needed (YOU do). This hands-on approach helps team members better understand and remember what they’ve learned.
Although this method can be time-consuming and might not suit every learning preference, it boosts skill development, confidence, and independence. By using active learning, you make the process more engaging and effective, helping your team master new tasks and become more efficient in their roles.
Happy coaching!
Whilst the benefits of this model are significant, as with all models, it does have some limitations.
This model can be less effective for team members with diverse learning needs. Advanced learners might find it too slow and repetitive, while those who struggle might need more support even during the ‘YOU do’ phase.
The initial ‘I do’ phase can be heavily coach-centered. Without careful thought and forward planning this risks limiting team member engagement and opportunities for active learning. This can also restrict the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
It can be time-consuming to implement this model, especially in a busy work environment or with a group of team members with a wide range of abilities. You might find it challenging to balance the need for thorough guidance with the pressure to get ‘back to work’.
The model assumes that all team members will progress from ‘I do’ to ‘YOU do’ in a linear fashion. However, learning is often non-linear, and you may find that learners need to revisit earlier phases several times.
During the ‘I do’ phase, team members might become passive recipients of information rather than active participants in their learning. This can reduce their engagement and motivation.
The ‘I do, YOU do, WE do’ model is not a seperate model, but rather a common mistake when referring to the ‘I do, WE do, YOU do’ model. It involves a continuous progression of the learner from watching a demonstration (I do), to a practise with a coach (WE do), all the way to independent use of a skill (YOU do). The ordering of these steps is important!
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