A few simple questions that will instantly make you a better coach to your team members.
Read More
How is coaching distinct from teaching, consulting, mentoring and other modalities?
Read More
This article provides great points on what makes coaching effective.
Read More
As a leader, what is your mindset around accountability? Some leaders believe that people resist accountability. When you are acting based on a false premise it makes you ineffective. Coaching from the mindset that people resist accountability causes you to believe that your job is to create sufficient pressure to overcome that resistance. But what happens when you apply pressure to people (think about your kids or your spouse)? You increase their resistance to you! And how do you overcome increased resistance? You increase the pressure - which causes their resistance to get stronger! Remember the definition of insanity?
Read More
Some very deep insights in this article for leaders who want to coach more effectively. Although the article is about providing support during someone's final days, the lessons about "holding space" are incredibly relevant for the coaching relationship.
Read More
“Unless, therefore, an executive looks for strength and works at making strength productive, he will only get the impact of what a man cannot do, of his lacks, his weaknesses, his impediments to performance and effectiveness. To staff from what there is not and to focus on weakness is wasteful - a misuse, if not abuse, of the human resource.” - Peter Drucker, The Effective Executive
Read More
There are so many advantages to coaching employees when they bring you problems.
The employee is developing and honing their critical thinking skills.
The boss isn’t getting sucked into every little employee problem (what we often call ‘reverse delegation’).
The employee is learning how to take initiative and be proactive.
Short article with great tips and useful coaching questions.
My favourite: If you want people to listen to you, listen to them.
Also: Talk less. People listen when you talk less.
And: Ask questions before making statements.
This is a popular question from leaders when they are struggling to make a difference with one of their people. In my coaching certification I did not like the answer. They suggested that everyone is coachable - it's just that there are ineffective coaches. Ouch!
Read More