Free Leadership Article

9 Steps to The Coaching Style of Leadership

There are a number of different coaching models and a score of specific techniques that you add to your repertoire. However, you can start coaching people today, all because you read these 9 steps that outline the essentials of conversational coaching.

One
Make time every day to build and strengthen the relationship you have with your staff. Showing a genuine interest in their work and in them as people establishes a foundation for conversational coaching.

Two
Rather than always waiting for staff to come to you with problems, get out and ask staff how they are going. This way you will get opportunities to coach more staff than you would if you only deal with those people who come to your door.

Three 
Clarify whether the person would like your assistance to tackle the challenge at hand, or whether they are just venting.

Four
Ask questions that help both you and your staff member gain a more accurate picture of the challenge. Tease out facts from beliefs and look at the situation through the eyes of different stakeholders to get a more complete picture of the problem. If you have additional facts or information that can help clarify the situation, share it at this time.

Five
Be fully present in the conversation and give your full attention to what your staff member is saying. Occasionally repeat back a summary of what has been said to ensure you have understood it correctly. Do not jump in with solutions or by comparing their situations with war stories of your own.

Six
Help the person identify different ways forward and then help them evaluate the each option.

Seven
Get your staff member to make a firm commitment to the next steps they will take. These steps may involve a total resolution of the problem, or in some cases they may only be initial actions leading to a subsequent decision on how to solve the problem.

Eight
Finish the conversation by indicating you are interested to know how it turned out and ask them to let you know. You can also extend the offer of further assistance at this time.

Nine
Check back in with the person and see how they have gone.

You and your fellow leaders can start coaching your staff today.