FALLACY #1 COACHING IS A LEADERSHIP ADD-ON – NO! IT IS YOUR LEGACY
When you evaluate the performance of a leader, three questions come to mind:
1. Did they get it done? Were they able to Lead the team to deliver a result or execute a strategy?
2. How much did the team improve individually and collectively as a result of their Leadership.
3. What did they leave behind?
So, when leaders say that it is hard to find the time, or they see coaching as a chore, an add on to their Leadership responsibility, the answer is NO! It IS fundamental to your Leadership. It is the reason you exist, to help people improve, professionally and personally. To help them become a better version of themselves.
That involves coaching…and it will be your Legacy
FALLACY #2 COACHING IS A PROCESS – NO! IT’S A RELATIONSHIP
Turning coaching into a process is a bad idea. Sure, there are some skills to learn and a there should be a solid method to your approach, but too often we have seen organizations try to turn coaching into a process, a checklist of things to discuss. To operationalise something that is personal.
No, coaching is a relationship. To be effective you have to develop trust. To understand the person, their strengths, weaknesses, their ambition. They need to know you are with them. To help, support and above all, challenge them. That’s not a process. It is a strong human connection. You have to care.
FALLACY #3 COACHING IS FOR THE LESS EXPERIENCED AND POOR PERFORMERS – NO! IT’S FOR EVERYONE
Coaching the less experienced and the underperformers is logical, but what about the more experienced and high performers. We have often heard leaders dismiss this group, “they are OK, they are doing a good job,” or “they have been around for years, they know what they are doing. What could I possibly teach them?”
Coach everyone, challenge everyone. There is not one person on you team that cannot improve at something, learn a new skill or expand their scope of experience. Sure, your approach might be different with a veteran than someone less experienced, but regardless, you have to challenge them. Anything less is an abdication of your responsibility as a leader.
FALLACY #4 COACHING IS A FORMAL MEETING – NO! IT CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME.
Some of the most meaningful coaching interactions we have seen have been less that a minute. A quiet suggestion that someone can do better, a recommendation to try something new, encouraging people to think for themselves to solve their own problems.
This is not to say you should have a regular sit down one to one’s on operations, performance or behaviour, but coaching in a ‘live’ environment, on the spot when someone does something exceptional or has not lived up to standards, that can be extremely effective.
