Coaching is a
difficult skill for many leaders to acquire. It’s vague and slow. Leaders tend
to want to move quickly toward defined goals, reach those goals, and
immediately move on to the next set of goals. Coaching is frustratingly elusive
to understand and seemingly convoluted in the doing; it is much easier to
direct than to guide.
Coaching is the
process of preparing your employees to succeed. It is an ongoing, two-way
process that involves using constructive, consistent feedback to reinforce
positive behavior, resulting in improved performance.
You develop
leader/coaches the same way you coach; by helping them discover what coaching
is. Leaders need collaborative and engaging style management. This approach
focuses on developing employees in order to achieve business results rather
than managing their every move. The mindset of the coach is to create an
environment that fosters learning, independent thinking and opportunities to
contribute.
Coaching isn’t
about telling people what to do but guiding them to uncover their own answers
and build confidence. If you want to level up your coaching skills, try these
six strategies.
1. Stay curious
Great coaches
are insatiably curious. They ask thoughtful, challenging questions that
encourage individuals to think critically. Resist jumping to conclusions or
making judgments. Instead, stay curious, ask open-ended, probing questions, and
let the employee do most of the talking.
2. Listen for
intent
The most
effective coaches are active listeners. Active listening requires tuning out
distractions to be fully present, observing nonverbal clues, and asking
clarifying questions to gain a deeper understanding.
If you ask an
employee how a project is going and their response is, “Fine,” don’t stop
there. Follow up with deeper questions like:
- What
does “fine” look like?
- What
metrics show it’s fine?
- What
would it take to make the outcome amazing rather than fine?
These kinds of
questions uncover valuable insights and help employees dig into solutions.
3. Hone your
question-asking skills
Effective
coaching pushes people to think outside their comfort zones. Strengthening your
ability to ask powerful questions helps employees develop critical thinking and
problem-solving skills. The most powerful questions are often the shortest,
simplest ones. Asking, “And what else?” is a powerful strategy for helping
individuals dig deeper.
4. Cultivate
trust
Impactful
coaching relationships are built on trust. Individuals must feel comfortable
enough with a coach to be vulnerable. Maintaining confidentiality and providing
psychological safety are essential to any coaching relationship.
5. Incorporate
goal-setting and accountability
Coaching is
about progress, and progress requires clear goals. Conclude each session with
goal setting and follow up in subsequent sessions to track progress or redefine
goals when needed.
6. Celebrate
success
Committing to
and following through on change is challenging. To keep coaches motivated and
committed to growth, remind them to celebrate their achievements, regardless of
how big or small they are.
Important
coaching behaviors to emphasize are many: being open and honest, taking risks,
empathy, reflecting, linking coaching and performance, asking open-ended
questions, providing emotional support and supporting self-discovery. Coaches
are role models for others. They are excellent listeners and communicators,
providing perspective and encouragement while also setting high standards and
expectations.
Coaching is one
of the premier skills of a good leader, but one that is often overlooked. A
leader whose goal is to help employees fulfill potential must be an exemplary
coach. When you adopt a coaching mindset with your employees, you empower them
to grow and give them the chance to feel heard. Staff who feel heard are more
likely to be engaged in their work and committed to staying in their positions.
