Who was the person in your career that really made the difference for you?

That one particular manger, that did more than just teach you how to do certain things, but also taught you to think differently, to find your own solutions and encouraged you to challenge yourself? Most of us can think of someone. Whether it’s an old boss, a teacher or a mentor, someone that helped you make a huge step in your development.

The number one reason why people change jobs.

 Now, more than ever, employees desire growth and development. Research from Gallup shows that the number one reason why people leave their jobs is ‘lack of career and growth options’. A big factor in the growth of employees, is de way a manager leads and coaches employees to reach their full potential.

It is therefore no surprise, that more and more attention is being paid to a coaching leadership style, because coaching can be a powerful way to shift behaviour and increase involvement. Employees develop much faster if they are not constantly told what to do and how.

Asking the right questions

Coaching, with an emphasis on asking questions in such a way that people can discover the answers for themselves, respects people’s intelligence and allows for diverse perspectives.

Yet, it’s quite a challenge for many managers to put this into practice. Of course, it is not easy either. When a team member approaches you with a problem, there is a tendency to immediately tell them how to solve it instead of helping the employee find their own answers…

5 good tips to practise coaching others:

• Practice active listening: Stay in the moment during a conversation. Be present, listen without judging and focus without immediately telling your own answer. Don’t answer immediately, but listen.
• Ask open questions for clarification or ask questions that can provide more insight.
• Don’t jump straight into a solution mode. Ask the employee what next steps he / she wants to take and what solutions he / she sees.
• Discuss the pros and cons of that solution with the employee.
• Let the employee choose which steps to take and ask if and how you could help with this.