Q3: How can new leaders be effective coaches?

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Q3: How can new leaders be effective coaches?

Coaching can be the difference between gaining compliance from your employees and gaining real commitment. The goal of coaching is to move someone from awareness to action. This means moving someone from understanding the impact they are having on the team to having them commit to small steps that will change their behavior.

Most managers are good at the action part—setting goals, building a plan and ensuring accountability. The awareness part is often more challenging. How do you help someone see the impact they’re having on an organization and team? Start with the four effective questions detailed below. Once they start to understand the impact of their behavior, then they will move to action on their own, instead of being told what to do.

The 4 types of effective coaching questions a new  leader needs to learn are:

1. Open-Ended (Tip: Start with ‘how’ or ‘what’)
2. Advice-Free (Tip: Don’t get wed to your advice. Allow the coachee to choose their next step.)
3. Short and Simple (Tip: 8 words or less)
4. Forward-Focused (Tip: Use forward chronological language, such as ‘next week’ or ‘in 6 months’)

If an organization won’t pay for coach training, I recommend 3 things:

• Practice one open ended question per day
• Listen to your employees
• Know when to coach (and when not to coach)

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