Building a coaching habit, as difficult as it is, is an “essential leadership behavior” that should be adopted by most managers in order to:
- Help their team unlock their true potential.
- Make their team members more confident and therefore self-sufficient.
- Provide purpose and value to their team on a daily basis.
Seven Essential Questions
Leaders and managers often admit that they don’t get or give effective coaching.
Most often, coaching is too theoretical, too boring, unpractical and not empowering enough. The greatest reason why coaching doesn’t seem to work is because it is difficult to shake off old habits.
There are seven questions that you can pose, one at a time, to coach someone in seven minutes or less. These seven questions will assist you in leading a full conversation and successfully coaching yourself and your team.
1. The Kickstart Question: “What’s on Your Mind?”
The Kickstart question breaks the ice and helps you start an opened and focused conversation.
It allows people to easily talk about the things that matter to them the most.
2. The AWE Question: “And What Else?”
The advice that leaders and managers gives is not always the best.
The AWE question restrains the need to give advice and instead helps you to stay quiet, curious and genuine.
It stops you from offering up advice in the form of a question.
3. The Focus Question: “What’s the Real Challenge Here for You?”
Leaders may want to always have the solution and be able to fix the problem without identifying it or having their team fix the problem.
The Focus questions helps you help your team identify the challenge that needs sorting out
4. The Foundation Question: “What Do You Want?”
It takes courage to ask for what you want knowing that the answer can be possible be no, that your question can be misinterpreted.
The Foundation question is a direct question that gives people the “responsibility for their own freedom” which is difficult to do.
5. The Lazy Question: “How Can I Help?”
Leaders and managers love to step in, be helpful and feel needed. However, this need to help gradually becomes the root of their frustration.
With the Lazy question, you get a clear and direct request. Then, you stop helping for no reason and you save up on time.
6. The Strategic Question: “If You’re Saying Yes to This, What Are You Saying No To?”
Leaders have to be clear about their boundaries which means they have to know how and when to say yes or no.
The Strategic question allows you to be clear about what you want, to be committed to your “yes” and definitive to your “no”.
7. The Learning Question: “What Was Most Useful for You?”Â
Leaders need to create learning spaces for their teams.
The Learning question is a great way for you to finish the conversation and leave people with a sense of empowerment.
Review
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier is easy and fast book to read, with great tips for managers who are looking to improve their leadership and communication skills.
The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier is written for on the clock managers who have no time for long-winded trainings.
The seven questions are direct and allow leaders to minimize their stress and to improve the interaction with their team.
Furthermore, The Coaching Habit presents several tips and scenarii to help managers specifically identify their emotional, situational or locational triggers. With The Coaching Habit, managers are able to pick up some new skills and define different habits in less than 10 minutes.
Let me know below what you think about this book!
Favorite quote(s)
Tell less and ask more.
Your advice is not as good
As you think it is.
Ratings 3/5
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