I have had the pleasure of running two cohorts of coaching capability building for a global client. Fourteen and a half hours of classroom training spaced over 14 weeks with group coaching sessions between each to reflect on and discuss our experiences of coaching as a leader.
Some participants were skeptical, others excited. Many were beginners with some experienced coaches joining as a refresher / upskill. All were committed to the journey.
And over those weeks together we discovered so much together:
If you tell your team what to do eventually they won't think for themselves
If you ask questions, those who want to be told will freak out - at first
If you ask questions your team begin to show up to team and 1-1 meetings more prepared and ready for a conversation - you accelerate that development by listening to what your team says (not just hearing)
If you give up the need to "have the solution" or "know the answer" in every case, those conversations invariably get to a better solution or point that the leader could come up with alone
And by inviting others into the problem solving or situation management, those conversations drive deeper employee engagement, uncover hidden talents and are instrumental in better work throughout the team.
Both cohorts faced challenges of time, resources and energy - in a faced paced growing organization. But as they coached more, they saw the investment paid off handsomely in almost every situation.
How are you getting the best out of your team?