How do you use a coaching communication style to develop and empower your team members and successors?

1. Shift Focus from Telling to Asking, Examples: "What challenges are you facing?" or "What ideas do you have to overcome them?" Actively listen to their responses, probing deeper with questions like "How do you think that approach might work?" or "What concerns do you have about pursuing this idea?" 2. Empower Ownership and Accountability 3. Focus on Strengths and Development, Identify individual strengths and talents. Ask "What are you passionate about?" or "What tasks energize you the most?" Help team members believe in their ability to learn and develop. 4. Celebrate Progress and Learning, recognize achievements, acknowledge successes, big or small. Learn from setbacks. 5. Create a Safe Space for Learning 6. Lead by Example

In my experience, one bit of misconception I have come across is that coaching is a generic approach to unlock higher performance in individuals. However, effective Coaching should be focused and targeted - e.g. "How do I coach my managers to become business drivers or leaders?" In this approach, the coach still is an enabler, guiding the coachee to their own discovery of potential and capabilities to unlock, but can also use guiding questions (never "leading" questions!) to show another avenue for the coachee to consider. This will broaden the canvas in which the coachee develops and position them for significant growth.

Coaching communication style = empowering individuals It's about asking, not telling = encourages self-discovery Listening > Speaking = fosters trust and respect Feedback = personal growth and development Embracing a coaching communication style can significantly impact how one leads and develops others. It's a shift from directive to facilitative, which has profound effects: Open-ended questions = individuals think for themselves Active listening = deeper understanding of different perspectives Constructive feedback = clear direction for improvement This approach not only nurtures a culture of continuous learning but also aligns individuals with the broader vision, encouraging autonomy and confidence. It's truly transformative!

The coaching communication style is so powerful and effective because it is probably the best way to transfer capability and competence to a direct report or successor, without "teaching" them or "training" them to be a clone of the manager's thought process. An organization is only as rich in collective capability as the diversity of its talent pool, and preserving that diversity is crucial. This is where the coaching communication style comes in - helping grow leaders comfortable in their own personality but highly capable of expanding and driving organisational boundaries for success.

Beyond building rapport and enhancing skills, a coaching communication style fosters adaptive leadership within our team. By encouraging critical thinking and reflective practices, we enable team members to approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset. Additionally, this style cultivates a culture of continuous learning, where feedback is not just top-down but multidirectional, allowing for collective growth and innovation. Finally, a coaching approach shifts the focus from merely achieving goals to developing leadership capacity at all levels, ensuring that the organization is resilient and future-ready, with leaders who are capable of driving strategy long after the current leadership has moved on.

Well, most people want to move into a strategic position. The truth is that many people don't have the experience or the fortitude to handle an executive position. When talking to individuals, I will let them know the expectation of a strategic role. Also, I am honest that the executive pool is limited. As you move from the manager, director, or vice president, the number of roles diminishes as one gets nearer to the top. Be direct is the best style, if your sitting in front of someone that doesn't have the strategic qualifications, guide them to how they need to follow a path or let them know where they honestly fit.

As positive and direct, the "you can do anything" attitude is a disservice to the individual. For example, I have many people ask me about being an entrepreneur. My answer is simple, "It's not Shark Tank." Very few people reach that opportunity, and many more don't understand that it's not an easy path. "I want to be an entrepreneur." or "I am an entrepreneur." These statements are made like soap bubbles; the life of an entrepreneur is scary. One will be tried and tested in ways unimaginable. I like mentoring and coaching people that know the risk and understand that no one, not even "Shark Tank", has the answers. I let them know to be successful, get a business degree or classes for the fundamentals.

When I use a coaching communication style, I focus on asking open-ended questions like "what," "how," or "why" to encourage thoughtful responses. I avoid leading questions and instead ask probing ones that help the person dive deeper into their own thinking. Active listening is something I prioritize, ensuring I pick up on verbal and non-verbal cues to fully understand their perspective. When I give feedback, I make sure it’s clear, timely, and actionable. I often rely on the SBI model—describing the Situation, Behavior, and Impact—so they know exactly what worked and what can be improved.

Using a coaching communication style to develop and empower team members involves active listening, asking open-ended questions, and providing constructive feedback. This method encourages self-reflection, fosters problem-solving skills, and promotes autonomy. Benefits include increased employee engagement, improved performance, enhanced creativity, and a stronger, more resilient team. Such an approach also helps identify and nurture future leaders, ensuring long-term organizational success.

coaching communication style can bring many benefits for you and your team members and successors, such as increasing their motivation and engagement, boosting their confidence and self-esteem, improving their learning and growth, enhancing their collaboration and communication, and improving their results and performance

Looking at it in an (over-) simplified way, to develop and improve on coaching communication style: "When you want to tell and instruct, ask and guide instead." This is not an easy shift in managerial paradigms, which is why the coaching style is not very common. It will test your patience, especially if you are a Type 1 personality, or an ENTJ, for example ??, used to getting things done quickly and seeing results. But the big payoff is the development of your ability to grow solid leaders with high competence, rather than followers who worry and obey.

Mastering a coaching communication style takes time and practice, but here are some steps that I take that come to mind: - Attend coaching workshops or training programs to learn best practices. - Seek feedback from your team members on your communication style and areas for improvement. - Observe and learn from experienced coaches, both within your organization and in your industry. - Regularly reflect on your interactions with employees and identify opportunities to apply a more coaching-oriented approach.

I have a saying, "Adapt, Adopt, or Die?" Moving into strategy is cut-throat, there are fewer positions, and the people at that level are afraid that the next person could be replacing them. In order to survive, listen. In order to thrive, listen. In order to make a difference, make sure it is the strategy that helps the company, not the individual.

To use a coaching communication style to develop and empower team members involves active listening, asking open-ended questions, providing constructive feedback, and encouraging self-reflection. This approach helps individuals identify their strengths and areas for improvement, set their own goals, and find their own solutions to challenges. It fosters a culture of continuous learning and self-efficacy, where team members feel valued and supported in their professional growth and development.