Recently I’ve been hearing more about coaching cultures and personally, I think many people are missing the point. There seems to be an assumption that creating a culture of coaching implies that all leaders and managers should essentially open up their own mini-coaching practices, conducting lengthy coaching sessions with all of their employees on a regular basis. This of course, on top of ALL the other things they have to do. It makes me tired just thinking about it!
It takes a lot of training and practice to be able to conduct successful ongoing coaching engagements. A well training professional coach will often have hundreds of hours of specific coach training, in addition to working with a mentor coach (or coaches).
I think we need to learn to walk before we run. To me that means helping leaders learn how to use basic coaching skills in day-to-day conversations. That’s what we call coaching-based leadership.
What is coaching-based leadership?
Coaching-based leadership occurs when people integrate basic coaching approaches into their day-to-day conversations. Coaching approaches such as asking questions to gain insight instead of just gathering information, listening to understand what’s stuck, and appreciating how the other person views the situation are a few of these approaches.
What are the benefits of
coaching-based leadership?
- Development in the moment – challenges are viewed as opportunities to learn
- Agility – leaders who use coaching approaches are better able to adapt to a changing environment and help others do the same
- Collaboration – coaching-based leadership creates the space for people to think and act together
- Engagement – people are more fully engaged in moving the ball forward and enroll others to join them
I think that
coaching-based leadership is the foundation that coaching cultures are built
on, and as a result, it’s worth investing in doing this well.
I have a background in
gymnastics – both as a competitor and as a coach -- and I understand the need
to build solid capabilities over time.
As a gymnastics coach, I insisted that kids who were learning basic
skills pay attention to their form.
A cartwheel may look like a simple thing, but it is the foundation for
many other moves in gymnastics. If
the cartwheel is sloppy it limits what can come next.
I believe that we will
evolve to a place where managers will guide their employees’ development using
structures and approaches that professional coaches commonly use. I just don’t think it’s a reasonable
place to start. Let’s get the
basics down first. That’s
coaching-based leadership.
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