How can you support employee growth with a coaching mindset?

The fundamental aspect of adopting a coaching mindset as a manager lies in recognizing the transformative power of allowing employees to find solutions themselves. It involves relinquishing the "I know the answer" attitude and creating an environment where individuals have the time and space to reach their own conclusions. This shift in mindset is crucial for effective leadership and managerial success. It takes significant effort to train yourself not to jump to answers and give advice. Instead, focus on sharpening your craft as a coach by asking better and better questions over time.

A coaching mindset is a set of core values that drive the individual and team forward. For the person, it a personal mission statement. For the team, it's the values and attitudes that, together, can move the team forward much farther together rather than a moving forward alone.

A coaching mindset is beneficial for employee growth because it encourages a culture of continuous improvement. By emphasizing ongoing learning and development, employees are motivated to seek out new knowledge and skills. This commitment to learning not only enhances their current roles but also prepares them for future challenges and opportunities within the organization. It fosters a forward-thinking approach that aligns individual growth with the evolving needs of the workplace, contributing to a dynamic and resilient workforce.

To nurture a coaching mindset as a manager, begin by consistently reflecting on assumptions and biases. Embrace challenges as valuable opportunities for learning and encourage an open, vulnerable approach. Share your personal stories of overcoming challenges with coachees, emphasizing that mastering oneself is a continual journey. By showcasing vulnerability and the ongoing nature of self-improvement, you create an environment where coachees feel comfortable exploring their own growth. This approach fosters trust and connection, paving the way for effective coaching interactions. Remember, your ability to guide others in their development is enriched when you authentically share and engage in a mutual journey of continuous improvement.

Have an open mind and be open to learning from others. It's not a passive process, though. It takes work and commitment to develop this growth mindset. It acknowledges that someone else may have more information on a particular topic than you do. Be humble enough to admit this.

Coaching does not need to be a standalone "thing you do" - you can use coaching as a management style where you bake the frameworks into your conversations with team members when they face challenges. Before giving them advice and mentoring, first you can ask questions to explore their own thinking. As a coach you ask questions which help to raise the awareness and for the coachee to start seeing new and better choices they can make. For coaching you do not have to be a subject matter expert, you just can use coaching questions. For example using frameworks like GROW or OSCAR.