Leading and coaching a single person, let alone an entire organization, can be a daunting endeavor. People and teams are complex. In any coaching situation, there are a number of ways things can go south.
The most effective coaches break down the coaching process into smaller objectives and then focus on sequencing them strategically. If you attempt to skip or bypass any of these stages, you’ll find your audience is much less open to adopting new success initiatives.
Here are five essentials to effective coaching, in chronological order rather than order of importance:
1. Build trust by developing a real relationship.
The best leaders concentrate more on their team’s success than their own. Anytime a leader’s actions don’t directly reflect this philosophy, there’s bound to be turmoil.
That’s why trust is important. If trust isn’t established first, it’s going to prove very difficult to make an impact. A leader should never assume that their title commands trust — it needs to be earned. This requires not only time but also a real intentional focus on getting to know each team member and their goals and ambitions.
2. Listen, listen, listen.
I’ve made the mistake of working with a new team member and immediately going into diagnostic mode, trying to fix everything at once. By barging in and starting to prescribe solutions instead of listening intently and carefully, I rushed into feedback that lacked contextual understanding.
I was doling out advice that lacked the surrounding critical nuance required to really make a difference. The art of…