Coaching makes the manager stronger in interaction with the team: he knows when it is better to ask a question instead of giving instructions; he does not play with subordinates in «dad» and «delinquent children» – they are together looking for methods of achieving results. Top manager with a large arsenal of coaching skills can even conduct full-fledged training for the team.
Therefore, a good leader today is not only the one who solves problems and achieves company goals, but also knows how to support employees and increase their capabilities. Coaching leadership skills are not a fashion statement and need to be developed not because «everyone does it now», but because coaching activates productivity, commitment, team motivation and generates new ideas.
Why do leaders find time for coaching in their busy schedules?
A manager is better able to develop the talents of his or her subordinates if staff see him as a mentor. And leaders who act as coaches for their organisation believe that this is how they strengthen their leadership position. They may not be professional coaches, but they do spend enough time mentoring.
Being a mentor isn’t the same as being a good friend to your employees. It means competing for talented employees in the market, keeping potential leaders in the company. As a result – to achieve cool goals for the company.
If the leader has a reputation – «under his leadership many have advanced», valuable people want to work in his team. But not only employees-«stars» are important for the company, but also those who are characterised by high productivity and performance. These employees can be helped by a coaching manager to keep up with the market by developing other skills – for example, creativity.
Mentor leaders are like artists: they look at a person, see their potential, and they get an idea of how to make this material something better and unique. They understand that not all were ready specialists when they came to their team, especially since each company has its own specifics of work. Therefore, they aim to promote the growth and development of their people, to teach them to change as quickly as the business market.
Effective leaders know that people with potential are the most important thing to a company. If you support these people, then they show the coolest results.
Coaching skills help a supervisor to communicate differently with each employee, depending on their needs. It’s not easy, but many leaders see it as their responsibility.
Coach managers ask a lot of questions out of curiosity. They’re really interested in what’s going on in the team, what’s the problem, what’s missing, what kind of help their subordinates need. It is thanks to the mentor’s curiosity that communication with subordinates is casual, in such a dialogue everyone easily shares their knowledge, ideas, perceptions and viewpoints. Staff are open to management and speak out without fear about their doubts, decisions, successes and failures. Together with the coaching manager, they can find solutions to the problem, making their overall work more efficient.
What does a competent leader do?
Millennials (between the ages of 21 and 36) have become one of the major segments of company employment. The generation of «millennials» wants their leaders to develop and help them become successful. Such changes have influenced the requirements for leadership. It is no longer possible to give the task (without paying attention to the difficulties that subordinates may encounter) and simply wait for it to show results – it is necessary to maintain it and at the same time to provide space for their thoughts, decisions, experiments and errors.
To do this, tops have to climb high – right to the peak of coaching skills, and be able to:
1. Ask questions
«The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of the questions you ask yourself,» said Anthony Robbins. This also applies to leadership development.
If a leader thinks he knows everything, and his teammates don’t know anything, that’s not the right way to follow. Effective managers believe that any employee is able to «beat» the boss in anything, and therefore ask them questions that stimulate their creativity.
2. Finding solutions
To make employees more self-reliant and confident in their actions, the leader needs to learn not to give advice and let the team make mistakes. Coach-competent leader allows subordinates to think outside the box, to offer «crazy» ideas.
3. Show possibility
It is not enough to simply indicate the direction of the employee or tell what the result is – an effective leader helps subordinates see their own way to the goal. Staff will then strive for achievement and individual development. The manager is responsible for unlocking the potential of team members and opens up new opportunities for them in the company. In this way, a leader becomes not only a leader, but also an inspirer and a mentor.
4. Develop your emotional intelligence
To influence others, you need to be empathetic and insightful. Because often people hide their true feelings. Emotional intelligence helps a leader find an approach to employees with different temperaments to identify their true needs, motivations, and future.
5. Set goals and understand staff expectations
Communicate with each employee and explain that to achieve a concrete result – real, ask if he understands what will get in return. This is how you can help your team grow: you will know how to support each individual member of your team and track their effectiveness. And the employee will be easier to manage if he clearly understands the tasks assigned by the manager.
Such five skills are components of coaching thinking. They have very effective managers. When you begin to apply such approaches in practice, you will see the problems of the command organisation in a new way, and understand what other skills you need to develop to become the «ideal» leader.
