3 ways to jump in with micro-coaching

You don’t need to be coaching formally to make a useful change.??

Here are three instant interventions you can use as a?micro-coach,?meaning it doesn’t have to be a coaching session or even a coaching client who you helpfully influence.

1?.?As a solutions-oriented practitioner, you are always looking at?what’s wanted and at progress, rather than focusing on problems and what’s not wanted. This opens up opportunities to rename what’s going on. For example, if someone stammers or stutters, you could explore the problem by counting the stammers per minute, but you are likely to make more progress by discussing?‘communicating as you would like' and looking for evidence of that.

2?.?Along similar lines, you can shift the emphasis in a project from dauntingly difficult to temptingly tangible. Suppose we are considering a major change project in an organisation, and want to revolutionise how our leaders behave. It sounds challenging and maybe there’s a hint of resistance. So perhaps we don’t have to put the emphasis on behavioural alterations. Instead, we can?invite participants to catch it when it happens. Notice the incidents of the desired behaviour, talk about how that happens and find ways to nurture and support more of what’s wanted.?

3?.?You can also micro-coach when you are a contributor, and not in charge of the project or running the meeting. We call it ‘Guerilla SF’. You take the moment to?plant a solution-filled seed, such as asking a colleague their best hopes for a project or a meeting. Or compliment them on the behaviour you want to reinforce: ‘I loved the way you arranged your email with such clear steps for each of us to take’.?

What solution-filled seed will you plant this week??