According to a Bersin & Associates study, business results improve by 21 percent when leaders coach effectively and frequently.
As you coach your direct reports, always keep in mind that the coaching conversation is about the employee’s development and you are facilitating the learning process. Keep a few key coaching plays in your back pocket to make the process more effective and help you get the results you need.
Play #1. It’s about capitalizing on learning moments.
Try not to wait too long after an incident to address problem issues. Talk about and reinforce behavior best practices in-the-moment. It is the best way for learning to occur.
Play #2. It’s about two-way conversation.
Take an ask vs. tell approach in your coaching dialogue. Avoid telling the employee what to do. Ask powerful questions that allow the employee to create their own solutions. As you guide them through the problem solving process, you have a better chance of them buying into the solution because the solution will be their idea.
Play #3. It’s about choosing your words wisely.
Confucius said, “Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more.” Many times we use great words or phrases irresponsibly because we don’t know any better. One word in particular is the word why. It is not a negative word but it limits a leader’s ability to have an effective conversation.
The goal of a coaching conversation is to have a two-way dialogue that produces a useful outcome. Leveraging good questions enables this type of outcome. Ask open-ended questions that steer away from asking “why?”. Why tends to give off an air of judgment. Open-ended questions invite positive dialogue. Try the ones listed below.
- What is the status on “x”?
- How can I help you?
- Can you tell me about that error?
- Walk me through your thought process?
- What other approaches might you take next time?
- How are your emotions influencing your perception of the situation?
Your career will blossom if you are known to be a good developer of people and that takes strong coaching skills – a critical skill for long-term leadership success!