48 EXECUTIVE COACHING 7. What authority does the person have? People need to be given the necessary authority to accomplish the task. They must know what decisions they can make without getting permission. 8. What are the benefits or consequences of the project for the person? When the leader meets the person where they are at each stage of the process, they build not only competence but also a sense of psychological safety, the confidence to take necessary risks in order to accomplish the task. Leadership is about building other leaders. Leaders need to help build self-efficacy in the people they lead. Most of the time, leaders aren’t leading; they’re managing, with a focus on maintaining the status quo by carrying out tasks. Leading, on the other hand, is about developing people. The issue for most leaders is that development takes time, and the results are not immediately visible, so they avoid the time-consuming conversations and check-ins until something goes wrong. Employees tell me they rarely know how well they’re doing until their annual review and more disturbing is many haven’t received annual reviews for years. Coaching by example Leaders have an enormous opportunity to elevate employee performance by including coaching. I teach leaders a conversational model with four basic elements that mirror effective leadership and keep the conversation focused. A coaching conversation is a partnership that I asked myself why I had taken so long to acquire that skill. The answer for me, and most leaders, is that we’re not taught how to delegate. Too often, leaders believe delegating means simply handing off the task with a deadline, when actually, it’s a process with distinct steps. In delegation, the expectations and parameters need to be clear. A confused mind will say “no”. Often delegation fails for both parties because of a lack of clarity. Here is a simple formula to guide leaders through successful delegation with their team. 1. Define the goal and the outcome. What will success look like? 2. What actions or resources are required? 3. When is the project due? What are the required milestones? 4. When and how will the leader follow up throughout the process? The leader needs to schedule check-in points to determine whether progress is on track or support is needed. 5. How will this project impact workload? Determine the impact on the person’s workload and help them reprioritise if necessary. 6. What obstacles or challenges may come up? Identify any obstacles or challenges and determine how to mitigate them. helps team members build confidence and competence. • First, get to the point and clarify the purpose of the conversation. Why are we here? Be clear about the goal or situation you are coaching toward in relation to the needs of the individual and organisation. • Next, we identify the goal of the conversation, where are we heading and what will success look like? Seek to identify what a good job, success, change in behaviour, or the result will look like. You will want to know where the person is trying to go. Identify this first before going to solutions. • Develop Solutions: Identify what is needed or required to move from point A to point B. Once you both have a clear picture of where the person is now (point A) and where they are heading (point B), only then is it time to problem solve. Help the person identify options for getting to the goal. Notice here, I didn’t say that this is the point to give people advice. You may have some. Just hold on to it until it’s needed or wanted. Once you both understand the gap between A and B you are ready to think together toward the desired outcome and create a path for getting there. Here is where you partner with the person to identify a way forward. • Create Accountability: Gain commitment and ownership. I often hear from leaders: “I wish people would just take accountability!” We, coach leaders, to hold themselves accountable for
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