Back in my corporate days I trained and coached leaders at all levels. I helped them become better people managers, I helped them support growth in their people and I helped them to engage and inspire their people for greater performance.
The number one tool I found that consistently helped was to help them adopt a coaching approach. All managers were trained and it was the biggest thing to transform culture.
The pushback I would regularly get was ‘I’m too busy’! But if you’re feeling too busy, then it’s likely you’re holding onto too much work.
You are too valuable (and expensive) to be doing all of the work you’re doing. And your role is to develop others to do it.
I get it, we hold onto things like a comfort blanket. Or because we’re afraid someone else won’t do it as well.
BUT YOU’RE HOLDING YOUR TEAM BACK!!
So instead, remember to put on your coaching hat.
Switching from telling (and doing), to asking great questions will help engage, develop, and empower your team
We’re not taking downing tools and an hour’s coaching session, it’s about bringing more structure to your conversation. Coaching in the moment.
It means being present, listening, and having an impactful conversation.
Asking great questions, and of course you need to LISTEN to what the person in front of you is saying.
The most simple conversation structure is…
Beginning. Middle. End.
Beginning – gets to what the problem is and identifies the desired outcome
Middle – identifies options and possible solutions
End – is action and accountability
Simple!
When you have great questions ready to help you, then the conversation is much easier.
Beginning Questions:
What’s happening?
What’s working/ not working?
How might you explain the problem/ challenge to a 5 year old?
What might success look like?
What do you want to happen?
What’s the ideal outcome?
What’s good enough?
Middle Questions:
What have you tried already?
Do you think will work?
What can you try?
Who can help?
How can you make progress?
What might the next step be?
A good follow up question – what needs to happen for that to happen?
End Questions:
What WILL you do?
When will you do it?
When can we expect an outcome?
How will you keep things on track?
How will you know you’ve achieved the goal?
What support do you need to achieve your goal?
It may seem easier to do it yourself/ tell how to do it, but you’ll be stuck with it forever and your team will remain dependent on you…which means calls on holiday, and less chance of future promotions (for you and them)!
A coaching approach pays back in so many ways. Your people grow and are more engaged in the process. You grow and improve as a leader. And with everyone taking more ownership and being more accountable, results improve without your workload increasing.
If you’d like to chat more about how I can help you or your organisation why not arrange a call with me here.
