Many employees are highly capable individuals. They want to work smarter and be smarter, and they want you—their leader—to help them. This comes up in many of my executive coaching engagements.
In the next 60 seconds, we’ll explore how leaders can help employees work their best. Ready? Go!
SOLID One-Minute Coaching™
As an executive coach, my passion is helping leaders create a coaching culture in which people are heard as they grow into their best selves (including, obviously, their work selves).
It’s up to leaders to learn how to ask the right questions, conduct truly engaging coaching conversations, and train others to do the same. This skillset is teachable. I find leaders who experience coaching for themselves often seek to spread the impact throughout the organization. Those who get coaching naturally become good coaches.
If we want people to think better, we must let them do most all the thinking. This is rarely easy. As Bertrand Russell once said, “The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.”
David Rock, in his book Quiet Leadership, suggests the following five-step process for establishing a coaching conversation that enables self-directed learning:
- Let employees think through their specific issue. Avoid telling them what to do or giving advice. Ask questions about their thought processes.
- Keep them focused on solutions, not problems.
- Challenge them to expand their thinking and stretch themselves, instead of clinging to their comfort zones.
- Focus on what they’re doing well so they can play to their strengths.
- Make sure there are clear processes behind every conversation. To be truly helpful, a coaching conversation requires permission to ask questions and explore possibilities.
Executive coach Marc Ottestad adds a sixth: Seek to explore specific next steps. Who can help and where will the best accountability be accessed?
I strongly agree with Marc. Without this last step, the first five will not have nearly the impact.
Coaching Questions
Have you had a coaching conversation with any of your direct reports lately?
Do you believe you should learn to coach those you lead?
We all need trusted advisors who will reflect back on how we show up, push against our assumptions and be “for us” as we take our best next step.
For Executives ONLY
Do you have someone coaching you? Would you like to try out coaching? If so, I would be happy to provide three complimentary executive coaching sessions to you, in order for you to experience the incredible transformative power of executive coaching.
If you are a CEO or other bona fide executive, click the button below to schedule your first complimentary session.