A guide to making them impactful and constructive.
At Luminate Leadership we believe that a great leader is a great coach. Taking a ‘coach approach’ helps with skill development, collaboration, productivity and ultimately helps your team to become more self-sufficient. This in turn frees you up to focus on leading your team and driving the business. Coaching is also an excellent method of reinforcing and transferring learning which further empowers and develops your people.
Don’t wait for a formal review or an end of month one on one conversation to coach someone - it will have the biggest impact if done in the moment. Most people learn best when they can practice what they have learned and can clearly see the relevance. Coaching can be done at any time and at all levels of the organisation, so don’t wait.
The better question you ask, the better answer you will receive. So, ask questions directly and simply and only ask one at a time. Also, avoid questions that begin with ‘why’ as this may trigger defensiveness and not encourage your people to open up and be honest.
After asking a question, stop talking. Even if the silence lingers into the ‘awkward silence’ category, avoid the desire to jump in and fill the silence by either asking another question or offering your opinion.
Let go of the concept that a good manager has all the answers. Instead help guide your people to discover the answers for themselves - people are much more likely to follow through if they’re directly involved in solving the problem rather than just being given direct advice.
Switch off your internal dialogue and really listen to what the other person is saying. Notice the words they use, their body language and their tone of voice. Show that you care enough to listen to their point of view and encourage their questions, thoughts and feedback.
You might find that your people are more invested in their own continual learning and development if you model the way for them. Commit to improving your own skills and capabilities and show them that it’s important.
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