Coaching is one of the most effective leadership styles. Why? Because it’s a two way conversation. The best coaching sessions frequently involve a division of ‘airtime’ in which the manager listens to the employee for 80% and contains their comments within 20%. This technique builds commitment – commitment from the employee to take responsibility for their performance, to identify their development priorities, to engage in the activities that are going to help them practice new skills and to ask for support from others when they need it.
It has the potential to underpin coaching capability in your organization at many levels, by helping with:
- supporting line managers in delivering the performance review process effectively
- building ‘best practice’ in delivering feedback – and encouraging others to ask for it!
- framing one-to-one coaching interventions or as an element in management development programs
- balancing long term development activities with short term business targets
- as an introduction to other tools or ideas, e.g. leadership styles or emotional intelligence competencies
