Learning a new skill takes time, that’s no secret. You have to learn about it, practice it, and eventually over time, you’ll become proficient in it. Workplace coaching skills are no different.
Agile leadership coaching is a skill that takes time to become effective at. But just like any other skill, once you are an effective coach, there are some great benefits.
Zenger Folkman found in this study that some of the most important qualities in a leader are that they inspire and motivate others, solve problems and analyze issues, and communicate powerfully and prolifically.
The problem is that so many young and new leaders don’t know or understand how to do these things, which can hurt all aspects of the organization. But a leader who understands coaching skills, or coach-like leader, possesses all of these qualities.
So today we’re going to look at 3 simple ways you can start building your own coaching skills and begin your journey to becoming a more coach-like leader.
1. Hold People Capable
Holding people capable is believing in others’ skills and ability to problem-solve.
By holding people capable, you show them they are able to achieve greatness and have their back through the learning process.
By showing this level of belief and confidence in your team, their results will improve, but more importantly, they’ll begin to believe in themselves.
Once people truly believe in themselves, the sky’s the limit for their progress and performance at work.
2. Always Be Learning
As a beginner or veteran coach, you need to always be learning new workplace coaching skills.
When you’re starting out, you need to find the right leadership coaching training program that can help guide you and any other leaders in your organization down the path of coach-like leadership.
If you’re a veteran, you need to be constantly re-learning and refreshing your workplace coaching skills so you can stay up to date on all the latest coaching methods and remain agile in your leadership coaching. You want to ensure you are sustaining your coaching skills and coaching mindset over the long term.
One of the best ways to put all your leaders on the same page when it comes to coaching skills, is to put them through a leadership coaching training program.
We have a 1-year program teaching a leadership coaching framework. It’s called The Coach-Like Leader and is built around learning and sustaining coaching skills. You can learn more about it here
3. Practice, Practice, Practice
Lastly, nothing beats getting out there and practicing coaching for yourself.
This is the best way to hone your workplace coaching skills and become much more comfortable with coaching being a part of your leadership toolkit.
So make sure you get out there in the office and push yourself to have at least one coaching conversation a day. By doing that you’ll start getting more and more comfortable with these conversations and find a groove that works best for you.
Building up your workplace coaching skills is just like any other skill. It takes time and practice, but if you commit yourself to the process it will pay off.
Remember to:
- Hold People Capable: Believe in both your leader’s and employee’s skills.
- Always be learning: Take the time to learn more about coaching whether you’re new or a veteran.
- Practice, Practice, Practice: Get out there and coach as much as you can. The more you do, the more natural it will become.
