What do you do if your coaching and mentoring approach is too focused on strategy?

To recalibrate a too strategy-focused coaching approach, recognize signs like sessions overly focused on long-term planning without addressing personal development or immediate challenges, and feedback indicating mentees feel overwhelmed by strategic jargon or lack actionable steps.

It's important to balance strategy with other crucial aspects of coaching and mentoring, such as empathy, active listening, and emotional support. Consider incorporating more personalized approaches to better understand your clients' needs, aspirations, and challenges. Building a strong rapport and fostering trust can enhance the effectiveness of your coaching and mentoring efforts, ensuring a more holistic and impactful experience for your clients.

If you find your coaching and mentoring approach too focused on strategy, take a step back to reassess. It's crucial to remember that coaching is about more than strategic aspects; it's also about personal growth and development. Make a conscious effort to balance strategy with a more holistic view that includes emotional intelligence, leadership skills, and personal well-being. Ask for feedback from your coachees to understand their needs better and adjust your approach accordingly. As a coach, engaging in self-reflection and continuous learning will help you stay adaptable and responsive to the diverse needs of the professionals you work with.

It is usually beneficial if one incorporates a more holistic approach that considers both strategic planning and personal development. While strategic planning is important, effective leadership also requires strong interpersonal skills such as communication, empathy, and relationship-building. This will help you tailor your coaching approach to address their specific needs and preferences. Take the time to understand your mentee's goals, strengths, and areas for development guide your mentee in reflecting on their values, motivations, and personal growth aspirations. Emphasize the importance of continuous learning and personal development.

In my coaching programs, this typically happens when the mentee or coachee is struggling with turning strategy or goals into actions. They feel comfortable talking about strategy; they also have plenty of ideas. But, they struggle to convert the ideas into actions on the ground. To tackle this, I urge the coachee to identify how the strategy that was articulated is translated into actions for today, this week and the coming 2 weeks. The idea is to pivot the coachee on 2 levels- one at 30,000 feet to create and lock the vision and two at a granular level to ensure that the actions being taken are resonating with the vision. In my experience, unless the linkage between the two is established, goals cannot be accomplished.

Stuck in strategy mode? Time to limber up and embrace flexibility! If your plan doesn't bend, it might break under the weight of real-life challenges. Open the floor to what's clicking and what's clunking, ready to swerve with the needs of the day. This approach not only nurtures growth but also keeps strategy and reality in the same room.

Having a growth mindset is key to coaching and mentoring others. Individuals do not respond to the same method. Continuous open dialogue, even in an informal setting, helps pave the way for intrinsic motivation to drive personal development.

Life can be up and down is not a straight line. Embrace the fluidity of each person's unique circumstances. Be prepared to adapt your approach, question assumptions, and explore alternative perspectives. A rigid strategy may provide temporary direction, but true growth often emerges from the unexpected twists and turns. Remain open-minded and willing to pivot when the situation demands it.

Be open to adapting your approach based on the individual needs and preferences of your mentees. Flexibility allows you to tailor your guidance to better suit their unique situations and learning styles.

Focusing solely on strategy is like baking a cake with only flour. Sprinkle in some personal growth spices—communication, leadership, emotional intelligence—and watch your mentees rise. Encourage a journey of self-discovery, aligning their inner compass with the strategic map. It's about creating leaders, not just planners.

It is important to have a holistic approach to coaching meaning you should take into account the whole person when you discuss goals, objectives and desires. Even though the coaching relationship can be focused on work goals or career development, it is critical to take into consideration someone's interpersonal relationships, their physical and mental health and their ability to leverage their strength, mindset and network. If your coachee's focus ends up being quite narrow, don't hesitate to ask open question to broaden their perspectives to encourage them to consider other factors that may influence them positively.

Ultimately, coaching is not just about imparting knowledge or devising strategies. It's about facilitating personal growth and transformation. Encourage self-reflection, vulnerability, and a willingness to confront limiting beliefs. Celebrate small victories and help your client find meaning in the journey itself. True wisdom lies not in having all the answers, but in asking the right questions that inspire self-discovery and lasting change.

If your strategic goals feel as distant as Mars, it's time to build a rocket out of actionable steps. Break down those grand plans into bite-sized tasks. This shift from the what to the how not only bridges the chasm between strategy and action but also fuels your mentees' confidence to steer their own ships.

A strategy too rigid for feedback is like a ship without a rudder. Foster a culture where feedback flows freely, adjusting your sails to the ever-changing winds of personal and strategic development. This creates a coaching dynamic that's both responsive and empowering, ensuring your strategies don't just look good on paper but truly resonate with your mentees' journeys.

Coaches need to have the mindset that their clients naturally have the inner resources, creativity and full ability that they need to be their best versions. But these can get clouded by their inner critics and fears. It is the coach's job to focus on what the client needs and flow with that, whilst keeping the holistic view of the client as a person and what is needed for transformation.

Effective leaders balance culture and strategy by ensuring they align and support each other. They embody the organizational values, foster an inclusive and engaging culture, and promote open communication. Investing in employee development is crucial for strategy execution, as is the adaptability of both culture and strategy to changing environments. Regular measurement and celebration of cultural and strategic achievements reinforce their mutual importance. By integrating culture deeply with strategic goals, leaders create an environment where both can thrive, driving sustainable success.

If your coaching and mentoring approach becomes overly focused on strategy, it's crucial to rebalance by integrating personal development aspects. Acknowledge the importance of strategy while also addressing individual needs, strengths, and growth opportunities. Utilize active listening, empathy, and reflective questioning to understand mentees' personal goals and challenges, fostering self-awareness and holistic development alongside strategic planning for comprehensive success.