Time is something we all want more of. We want more time to build a strong workplace culture, more time to focus on employee retention, more time to work on that big project, and more time away from work to spend with friends or family.
But finding that time can be a real challenge for leaders and decision makers who are frequently tied up putting out fires both within their teams and across the organization.
So how can we change that? What can leaders do to get their time back?
During my 20 years of experience in leadership development I’ve found one of the best ways to sustainably improve time management in leaders is through the adoption of fundamental workplace coaching skills.
In other words, being a more coach-like leader is the best way to get the most out of your time. And the added benefit is that you’ll be improving your workplace culture and subsequently boosting employee retention at the same time!
Here are 3 ways being a more coach-like leader will improve your time management for the long term.
#1: Creates Stronger Communication with Your Team
When you adopt a coaching mindset, you understand how to better communicate with the people around you. You learn how to ask the right questions, listen mindfully, and come up with a plan that works for all parties involved.
By understanding the needs of your team, you can create plans collaboratively so everyone understands what action items need to be completed, what their responsibilities are, and when it needs to be done by.
This clear communication between parties eliminates confusion and unnecessary back-and-forth between the team.
Coach-Like Leaders know how to build a plan based on everyone’s needs, that works the first time.
#2: Builds Big Picture Thinking
So many leaders get into the habit of diving right into a problem and trying to fix it all on their own. The problem with this is that it uses up so much of a leader’s quality time.
Think about how much time you’d save per week if you didn’t have to put out so many fires?
That’s where the 30,000 foot perspective comes in.
When you possess fundamental workplace coaching skills, you learn how to survey the problem at hand while remaining at 30,000 feet. You are zoomed out far enough to get the full picture and discover the root problem without diving head first into it.
Now, you can give your team guidance on where things went wrong and build an action plan with them, without having to fix anything yourself. No more hours wasted fixing something your team can do with the proper guidance.
You’ll also notice the impact of this empowering leadership style on your workplace culture and employee retention.
#3: Fosters Sustained Behavior Change
The most valuable time management skill gained from being more coach-like in your leadership style is the sustained behaviour change you instill in your team.
You may notice that many of the same problems come up over and over again in your workplace. This is because when you swoop in and fix something as a leader, you aren’t addressing the core issue at hand which means team members are likely to repeat the same mistake.
But when you learn fundamental workplace coaching skills, you work with your team to instill new working habits and skills. Everyone you work with gains clarity and a deeper understanding of their role, and you encourage your employees to not be afraid to ask questions and to not make assumptions.
This greatly lowers the chances of the same mistake happening twice, meaning you’re going to be saving time for years to come while
Overall, learning fundamental workplace coaching skills and becoming a coach-like leader is one of the best ways to improve your time management and get back some valuable hours in your week, all while helping to build a strong workplace culture and improve employee retention across your organization.
