Being a Coaching Leader
What is it and why? Listen here
Coaching leadership is a leadership style that requires The Leader to focus on the needs of the team…not just the business…get the team right and on a regular basis, and the rest will follow.
It involves identifying both the strengths and weaknesses of your overall team, and of individual members. When done successfully, it helps you to empower your team and create more meaningful dialogue in the workplace. What then has to happen?
Identify Weaknesses. It helps to identify and discuss potential weaknesses, issues etc. with team members. This allows you to identify which team members require additional coaching. Similarly, through regular 121s, you see things from their perspective. This can also help you to recognize areas of strength and also interest…allowing you to better empower.
Constructive Feedback. This should be given as a way to improvement. It should also be balanced with what worked well. This helps to develop and also encourages further improvement. Overtime, you should also better understand by individual, the triggers that leads to improved performance.
Personal Learning. Find some time to reflect on your own coaching style. Ask yourself questions about the overall process and if you are learning yourself, and getting better responses from your people? Reflect on any challenges and ways to improve them. Are you learning and improving?
Preparation. Plan each session, what needs to be discussed and how. Do you have access to all of the information that you want to discuss. Within reason, have you got access to the potential resources needed to offer to help improvement?
Be in the moment. Coaching is something that you need to live and breathe. All of the time and every day…use real examples and in real time to both praise and mentor individuals. Don’t wait until the next 121.
Always follow up. Be accountable both for the follow up of actions yourself, but to keep employees accountable for their own personal development. This then becomes a complete end to end solution.
Help to make your team want to learn, and progress, and for you to become a Coaching Leader.
“A manager is a title, it does not guarantee success. Coaching is an action, not a title and actions will result in successes!”
Catherine Pulsifer