What does it take to hold an effective coaching session? Comprehensive training? Developing an action plan? Often, it is just about learning how to ask better questions. If leaders are able to coach somebody in five minutes or less, everybody wins. And sometimes that is as simple as having the discipline to ask good questions, and then taking the time to listen to the answers. Coaching can be infused into every day interactions without a huge amount of extra effort and time, which is exactly what time-poor managers need.
What questions can leaders ask for an effective coaching session?
When running a coaching session, leaders are often tripped up by adding too much structure. If the session is too focused on following a specific line of questioning, it does not necessarily allow for the conversation to unfold naturally, making it more challenging to learn what is really on an employee’s mind.
The seven key questions to ask in a coaching session are:
- What is on your mind?
- And what else?
- What is the real challenge here for you?
- What do you need?
- How can I help?
- If you are saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?
- What was the most useful for you?
Although simple, that is the point. Asking an employee “what are the challenges here” can prompt a vague response, but being more curious and instead asking “what is the real challenge here for you” will make employee think and probe further to get to the real issues.
Leaders can be prone to trying to solve employee problems, often jumping at the opportunity to impart wisdom and advice, but that is not always useful. During coaching sessions, an employee might first test the waters, and assess how safe it is to disclose any challenges or concerns. For example, it might be that an employee will first talk about the frustrations experienced during a recent project instead of communicating a deep dissatisfaction with their line manager.
Being able to figure out the cause of an issue is an immensely valuable skill as a manager, and communicates to employees that the business is focused on understanding the real challenges and addressing them effectively.
Coaching the coaches
Teaching leaders to level up when coaching employees can be challenging, and often means having difficult conversations such as being willing to tell a manager that they are prone to giving too much advice, rather than listening deeply to what an employee is saying (or not saying).
Building capability across leadership teams, we can run targeted sessions to develop the skills and potential of managers to think more strategically when supporting their teams. We know that a one fits all approach does not work for most businesses, so our training programs are specifically developed for the needs of your team. We can work one on one or in group sessions, delivering practical and engaging content that you and your leaders can implement immediately.
Want more details? Get in touch with our team for an obligation free chat now, we can help. Find our articles helpful? Remember to follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to keep up to date with our practical tips and information for business owners and managers.