Recently, I was talking with Jim, a former client who has retired from his role as CEO of a major nonprofit organization. As we talked about his desire to support other CEOs, the idea of “leader as coach” came up, and with it, the notion that we can develop others more effectively with questions than advice. “I didn’t spend a lot of time asking questions as CEO,” Jim confessed. “It’s just inefficient.”
That’s not an uncommon view from executives. It’s true that asking questions to spark insights takes more time than just imparting advice or offering solutions. Whether that’s “inefficient” depends on your goal. If all you want is to get the job done with the least investment of your time, advice and solutions might get you there. But, if you take a bigger view that includes helping your team learn to adapt to ever more complex conditions and requirements, now the use of questions seem very efficient.
A recent Harvard Business Review column noted that an increasing number of organizations are acknowledging that their managers need to be coaching teams to support their development. The authors also point out that it’s easier said than done. Coaching isn’t just about sharing your hard-earned wisdom and expertise. While there is a place for that, most of a manager’s coaching time should be spend asking questions that provoke new thinking and fresh insights.
Developing capacity in your leaders (or any team members) requires you to get outside the comfortable habits of giving advice, solving problems and sharing experience. The coaching mindset asks you to shift from a focus on the problem or task to a focus on the development of the individual who has the problem or task. This shift in focus drives a shift in behavior.
Below is a quick self-assessment. Answer the questions on a scale of 1 to 5. You can assess your own coaching habits in about 3 minutes.
The first step in coaching your team is assessing your own capacity. I’d love to hear how that goes for you.
Self Assessment – Leader as Coach
RATING SCALE:
1 – Never engage in the described behavior
2 – Seldom engage in the described behavior
3 – Frequently engage in the described behavior
4 – Usually engage in the described behavior
5 – Always engage in the described behavior
ASSESSMENT:
1. I listen more of the time than I talk when I’m coaching a team member.
2. When I’m in a coaching conversation, most of what I say is provocative questions.
3. I invite experimentation and respond to “mistakes” as learning opportunities.
4. I invite my team members to define what success means to them when they ask me for help with a problem or challenge.
5. When coaching a team member after a project or event, I invite self-reflection and self-assessment so my team members can learn how to drive their own learning.
6. At the end of a coaching conversation, I ask the team member to define specific next steps in their learning.
If you rated yourself more in the 2s and 3s than 4s and 5s, let’s talk. Developing your own coaching capacity will have a significant positive impact on your organization!