Are you an under-achiever? I’ll bet you’re not.
But you may be underachieving in how you coach your team at work.
Research with more than 3500 executives discovered that most are much less effective than they imagine. All the executives interviewed considered themselves above average as coaches.
Yet 24% were rated in the bottom third by their colleagues.
Leaders don’t realise they are underachieving
‘Coaching old-style’ is a one-on-one meeting with a member of your team or a colleague where you tell, advise, direct or instruct – maybe in a supportive way. And it is not effective enough for today’s needs.
If you are using old-style coaching, you won’t be wasting time but you will be under-achieving.
You will be encouraging others to look to YOU for solutions.
What companies need now is ‘Non-Directive Coaching.’
What’s the difference?
Non-Directive Coaching means:
- Instead of providing answers, you ask for ideas and listen with an open mind
- Instead of telling or dictating what should be done, you listen without allowing yourself to think of solutions and with belief that others can produce better ones
- Instead of asking questions where you know the answer, ask new questions and let them explore their own thinking.
This way you get different answers, other solutions, new ideas – and new buy-in.
Gain better results, many more benefits
Non-directive coaching gives better results than old-style coaching, including:
- Employee buy-in
- Motivation and engagement
- New solutions
- Improved and more creative thinking
- Discretionary effort from a real sense of buy-in and ownership.
This doesn’t mean you can never make a suggestion but it does mean changing your approach.
Get how-to help in my book on coaching for the workplace
‘How To Coach Your Team Into Superstars’
Ditch old-style coaching
It’s time to ditch old-style coaching and embrace what works now.
For training, click here Coaching Skills for Leaders – training
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