INTHEBLACK October/November 2024 - Magazine - Page 52
WORK SMART
“Every interaction you have with someone in your team is
an opportunity to either build that relationship or damage it.”
GUY HARGREAVES, THE WORKPLACE COACH
1. LISTEN KEENLY
The top skill for a good coach is the art of
listening and not being tempted to rush into
problem-solving mode, McCarthy says.
“If someone has a problem and the manager
says they’ve seen it before and solves it for
them, that doesn’t help the person grow
their own thinking capacity,” she says. “If the
manager asks to hear more, very often, by the
time the person has talked it out, they’ll say,
‘Oh, I know what to do now’. Simply paying
attention and listening can help the person
get clearer in their thinking, so the solution
becomes obvious.”
2. MIND YOUR WORDS
Hargreaves adds that coaches cannot be “lazy”
with their language.
“Rather than saying, ‘Why did you do that?’,
which could feel accusatory and put the person
on the defensive, you could say, ‘Take me
through your thinking. How did you get to that
point?’. It’s a very different feel,” he says. “It’s
really about getting better at communicating
and being mindful of how what you say sits
with another person.”
3. LET GO OF POSITIONAL POWER
As there is an implicit power imbalance
between a manager and their team members,
a good coach will remove the inequity by
nurturing a sense of being “in the trenches
together”, Hargreaves says. They will also
be comfortable with stepping away from the
credit limelight.
“For some managers, it’s hard to let go of
being the star of the show, but if you take a
‘servant leadership’ approach, it allows your
team to shine, which also reflects well on you.”
4. LEAN INTO HARD CONVERSATIONS
Most managers avoid difficult conversations
for fear of negative or emotional reactions,
yet addressing shortcomings is as important
as acknowledging strengths, Hargreaves says.
Whether it is about performance, values,
attendance or behaviours, his advice is to
go into those conversations with a coaching
mindset and with the intent of helping the
person grow professionally.
52 INTHEBLACK October/November 2024
“That’s the secret sauce – to have the courage
to say the things that other people won’t say
and to turn those challenging interactions into
positive experiences.”
5. REFLECT REGULARLY
McCarthy says a good coach will also set aside
time to reflect on their conversations.
“Reflection is how we learn and grow
ourselves,” she says. “Without reflection, we
can lose track of the important insights we’ve
had. When you look back you may ask, ‘Is
there any pattern I’m seeing here?’ or ‘Why
did that conversation go well but not this
one?’. Being self-reflective is key to becoming
a better coach.”
UPSKILL NOW
6. CHECK IN WITH AI
McCarthy also suggests leaning on generative
artificial intelligence programs to help with
coaching conversations. More specific prompts
give a better result, but take care not to
divulge confidential information.
“For example, you could ask for general
suggestions on how to get better at listening, or
be more specific like, “I am a finance manager
who’d like to coach an underperforming
employee. What questions can I ask during a
difficult conversation?’. It’s like a little pocket
reminder to help stretch our skills.” ■
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