As a manager and a leader, how do you find the time to be a coach? With so many demands on your time, finding the space to be a coach too is extremely difficult. Yes, I know you know that it makes sense. The more you invest in your people, the more they can do for you.
Another trouble is the cross-over between your role as a leader and that of a coach. Many people regard leadership and certainly management as the remit to tell people what to do. But this is in conflict with coaching, isn’t it? You cannot tell people what they need to do and alsolet them find the answers within themselves.
Remember that coaching course? If it was like most, it will have told you that coaching is helping people to…
- Develop goals that they want or need to achieve.
- Assess what is going on around them, and with their current performance of behaviour.
- Consider the different things they could do.
- Find within themselves the motivation and attitude to make the changes necessary.
One of the most important aspects is that all of this should be conducted in such a way that the person being coached retains responsibility for their decisions and actions. The minute you tell them what they should do, you will carry the can if it goes wrong. And if it goes right, the temptation to say “I told you so” will be almost impossible to resist.
This is of course referring to the famous GROW model developed by Sir John Whitmore and also follows his words of wisdom in Coaching for Performance.
But you must be patient with your team members. Never mind that they will thank you in the end — you will be delighted with the results too. You don’t need to sit on your hands though. Here are a few approaches you can take to maintain patience while also getting things done.
Break Up Your Coaching Sessions
To be honest, somewhere along the way coaching seems to have evolved into sessions. Each session is supposed to last an hour or so. Add a little coffee in a quiet corner and you’re good to go. Rubbish. In workplace coaching, you can have coaching moments. Provided you keep true to the principles above, you can ask them a brilliant question and then ask them to come back when they’ve had a chance to think about it.
Sure you need to judge this carefully and make sure you don’t appear like you are giving them the brush-off, but don’t be shy of calling the fact they may need some time to think about things and meet up again later — it could even be later in the day. One of the massive benefits you have in your role as both manager and coach is that you are likely to be in close proximity much of the day.
Focus on a Coaching Culture
Coaching is not just something you do to others. It is a two-way process. Even the best coaches flounder with people who just don’t want it. Both parties have a part to play. Both sides have to work together to make it happen.
So, raise the topic at your next team meeting. Help them to develop a clear understanding of what it is and what it is not. Make sure they are aware of the benefits they can gain (no, not a chance to tap into your infinite reserve of wisdom!).
At this point, you can also raise the reality of the situation. If you are a busy team, don’t try to pretend you will always have the time to devote to coaching. Under-promise and over-perform. You can also brainstorm with the team how you are both going to manage this shared responsibility for getting even better results through coaching.
Peer Coaching
Umm, did anyone tell you that you are the only one allowed to coach? In theory, to be a coach all you need is to be able to ask great questions and keep the principles above at the forefront of your mind (e.g. making sure who keeps responsibility).
If you accept that it is important for your team members to be empowered to develop their performance, find answers to their challenges and grow together, it is entirely feasible that even the most junior of your team should be able to coach the more experienced ones. In fact, they have a distinct advantage in that they can ask the “stupid” questions. Provided that you have instilled a positive and curious attitude in all of your team, all you need to do is help them with a basic set of questions they can keep challenging each other with.
Go on, get a trainer to come and help them all learn how to coach. You might be surprised at the extra benefits you will get.
Coach Yourself
This final point should make you smile a little. If you want to be a better coach, coach yourself. Go on, ask yourself…
- Regarding your coaching role, what would you like to achieve?
- How will you know you are being successful?
- What is the reality? Why aren’t you doing this now? What is getting in the way?
- How could you make changes to move towards your goal?
- What benefits will you gain if you are able to achieve these goals?
- Specifically, what action will you take now?
Ah, I’ve let the cat out of the bag now. Take the questions above, and replace in question one, “Regarding your coaching role”, with “Regarding this challenge” and you have a core set of questions to give your junior team members to coach their more senior colleagues with.
Come on, it isn’t difficult this coaching work!
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