What Great Bosses Know About 7 Coaching Questions And Answers

Most managers I know share similar goals. They want to:

• Grow and maintain quality staff and products
• Do less "fixing" of unsatisfactory work
• Delegate decision-making to others, with confidence
• Be attentive, accessible and involved, without micromanaging

You'll improve your chances of reaching these goals by building a key skill: Coaching.

It's such an important skill that I regularly include it in my leadership teaching — and it's often among the most highly rated topics in our seminar evaluations.

Here are 7 questions and answers about coaching.

1. What exactly is coaching?

I think of coaching as guided discovery.

2. How does it work?

Acting in partnership, a coach helps an individual make a decision, solve a problem, or improve a skill.

3. Why is coaching effective?

Coaches don't simply tell people what to do – or do it for them. They help them realize how to bridge the gap between where they are and where they want — or need — to be.

4. Who can be a coach?

Any person who takes the time to learn and practice can be a coach. While it is a useful skill for anyone, it is a critical competence for managers who want to become great bosses.

5. What's a coach's most important tool?

The question.

6. You mean a coach never gives direct advice?

It's an option, but usually not the first option. Skilled coaches know exactly when direct advice is needed, usually when a situation is urgent or speed is essential, or the other person clearly desires and would benefit from an opinion, recommendation, or absolute direction.

7. So, exactly what does a coach do?

• Asks questions throughout the process
• Listens actively — which means repeating or reflecting — as in "Here's what I'm hearing you say … Is that correct?"
• Thinks analytically, mentally examining the subject at hand to identify missing information and broaden the perspective: "I've heard you say this is a resource issue. Might there be other options, like work flow or timing? What do we know about that?"
• Clarifies: "Is it possible there's another way of seeing this?"
• Focuses: "Would the key issues be…?"
• Identifies steps toward solutions: "What have we uncovered here? What actions can you begin to take? How can I help?"
• Establishes coaching language — shared descriptions (nicknames or metaphors), for issues or solutions that become common shorthand for the coach, employee and other staffers: "The compound, complex sentences in your writing become 'speed bumps' to the reader — slowing down the pace of the story. How could you re-craft that sentence to smooth out the 'speed bump'?"
• Tracks the next steps the other person takes
• Provides constructive feedback

At first blush, coaching can seem challenging. It's a new skill set and you have to practice to get good at it. As a manager who once routinely "fixed" work rather than coached employees to improve it themselves, I can tell you it is worth the effort to learn.

You'll improve quality, turn more responsibility over to your staff, reclaim time for other important managerial duties and take a big step toward becoming a great boss.

Thanks to Jill Geisler / Poynter