Is Coaching a “Silver Bullet?”
I love a good infomercial, don’t you? They’re entertaining, and sometimes the products are truly exceptional. And the personalities! I just got back from a week of vacation in California, where I took my kiddo to one of my favorite summer experiences: the Orange County Fair. As a kid, I loved the Ginsu knives demonstration. It was mesmerizing, entertaining, and I’d see big promises unfolding in front of my very eyes!
Is Coaching a Panacea for Leadership Woes?
You’ve heard that coaching skills can transform the way you lead. But, if you’re like me, you’re skeptical when you hear bold claims like these:
Easily delegate work to eager employees!
Save time!
Make your team less dependent on you!
Reduce conflict!
Get your people to hold themselves accountable!
No more need for micromanagement!
Do more with less headcount!
Reverse the signs of aging!
Ok…that last one’s a stretch, but the rest? They’re actually true.
Coaching Unlocks Motivation
To understand why, I'll refer to Dan Pink’s book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Pink identifies three elements that impact motivation most: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Today’s knowledge workers want to choose how, when, and with whom they get their work done (autonomy). They want to grow in an area or skill that is important to them (mastery). And they want to feel like their work contributes to a greater good that resonates with them (purpose). Leaders, Pink says, cannot manufacture motivation, but leaders can create an environment where these three elements exist and where their employees thrive.
When employees are coached, they get ALL of this.
They get autonomy because THEY are the ones generating the solution. You’re not directing the path, holding their hands, and developing options anymore. As the leader, you retain dominion over the outcome. But how they get there? It’s up to them (within the parameters you agree upon, of course).
They get mastery because they are NECK DEEP in the learning experience. DEEP. No longer reliant on you for the plan, they have to find their way through. With sole responsibility, they fully absorb the lessons attributed to the success or failure of their actions.
They get purpose because you, the coach, must tie everything back to MISSION. Coaching aligns people’s decisions and actions with the purpose of the organization. When the coachee owns the way forward, they have to connect it to a more profound sense of purpose, or they won’t have the drive to see it through. Coaching conversations draw that connection out and make it explicit.
But Wait…There’s More!
When your team operates more autonomously, grows in their mastery, and connects with a deeper purpose, perhaps those worry lines on your forehead WILL disappear! Is coaching the next Fountain of Youth?
Find out for yourself in the Coaching Skills Academy! Starting on August 16th, join us for five mini-workshops, where you’ll learn the fundamentals of coaching and how to integrate it into your leadership style.
In our online community forum, you’ll connect with other growth-minded leaders, share resources, and learn from each other.
Add in the Monday Momentum-builder calls and daily Areté Activation texts that keep you engaged day in and day out for five weeks, and you’ll SEE and FEEL the difference in yourself, your team, and your results in just five weeks.