Discover the power of coaching skills
Would you love to know how coaching skills can help you to be a better manager? So let’s take a moment to think about the worst manager that you’ve worked for?
The attachment manager
Perhaps you have experienced a manager who micro-manages everything you do. From the wording on emails to the number of coding and user assessment hours assigned on the project plan. Who watches over everything you do. Who jumps in immediately there’s the slightest problem or the smallest hitch. Who seems to be there every time you turn away from your screen. Who has the answer to every scenario.
What happens to the individuals in that manager’s team? After a while, they stop problem-solving. What’s the point if the manager’s going to jump in with her solutions. They stop taking risks. What’s the point if the manager rescues them every time she thinks it’s not going well. They lose creativity. They forget how to make decisions. They stop thinking. They become demotivated, demoralised and eventually when they find a new job, demob happy!
The abandonment manager
When you think of your worst manager ever, is it somebody who left you to your own devices? Who didn’t trust their own experience. Who gave you no direction. Who lacked vision. Who seemed uninspiring. Who was always missing in a crisis. When faced with a decision, she responds “it’s up to you, it’s your project”. We all need direction and guidance. We need somebody who is able to communicate a clear vision so that we are able to make more effective decisions. So that we can think more creatively. In order to troubleshoot issues in a way that will take us closer to the end goal.
The attachment manager and the abandonment manager are just two examples. I’m sure you have others.
The coaching manager
What if you had a manager who shares their vision and who is inspirational? What if you had a manager who listens to you when things are going wrong? Who communicates openly and honestly? Who gives direction and guidance without jumping in to dot your i’s and cross your t’s? What if you had a manager who had the knack to ask you just the right question at just the right time that gives you that spark of creativity to find THE solution?
What do you think the coaching manager’s team is like – inspired, motivated, enthusiastic, brilliant at troubleshooting, happy to own up to mistakes, bags of creativity and very effective at decision-making.
What if it is you?
What if that coaching manager is you? How would that boost your performance and raise your profile at work? What if you had staff who were highly motivated, enthusiastic, a pleasure to work with, happy, inspired, and shared your vision.
Here’s the secret … discover how to harness the power of very simple yet highly effective coaching skills and tools. Many of the best managers and leaders have an instinctive coaching style. Today I’m going to tell you a bit more about just one of those skills. For more skills, join me Monday 1pm for my online class on coaching skills that will enhance your performance at work.
Coaching skills lesson no 1 – open questions
Incredibly, one of the most powerful yet easiest skills, and something you ALREADY know how to do – ask open instead of closed questions. Now you probably already understand the different between an open and a closed question.
A closed question is one that requires a simple yes or no answer, or requires a choice from a list of options, or requires you to identify a piece of information.
- “Did you switch on the alarm?”
- “Do you want brown or white bread?”
- “What time does Reception close?”
Closed questions provide facts. They are easy to answer. You get quick responses. They can be useful if you are on a fact-finding mission or you are undertaking research.
An open question encourages a longer, more detailed response. An open question does not have a right or wrong answer. When you ask an open question, you get more information than if you had asked a closed question. For example a closed question “Will you finish the report/survey/testing/interviews today?” elicits a simple yes or no response. You might get a bit more background information as well. Whereas if you ask:
- “How is the report looking?”
- “How are you getting on with the survey results?”
- “Where are you up to with the testing?”
- “What is the progress on interviews for the service delivery role?”
These open questions encourage more detail, more story, more explanation, more feelings, more reflection, more thinking, and more control to the respondent. Which in turn opens up to more creativity and greater understanding. Increased creativity and understanding leads to more effective problem-solving.
Try open questions
Next time you are in a team meeting, or in a one-to-one, or discussing challenges with your supplier, or your manager, try using more open questions. Think about starting your question with:
- What
- How
- Where
- Tell me about …
- Could you explain a bit more about …
If you want to be that coaching manager, with a team of inspired, creative, enthusiastic and effective staff, listen to yourself next time you talk to your team. Notice whether you ask more closed or more open questions. Challenge yourself to ask more open questions and notice the difference in results.
I’d love you to join me Monday at 1pm for my online class on some other powerful coaching skills that will enhance your performance at work. (It’s free – just click HERE to register).
