Coaching

The ability to develop others by facilitating their learning, growth, and problem-solving through active listening, powerful questioning, and supportive dialogue. It involves empowering individuals to find their own solutions, focusing on both performance improvement and long-term development while building trust, clarity, and accountability.

“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” – Sir John Whitmore

Why coaching matters

Coaching matters because it directly drives individual and team capability while embedding a culture of continuous learning. Leaders who coach well create the conditions for people to develop critical thinking, resilience, and problem-solving skills. It strengthens engagement, enhances performance, and ensures that knowledge and expertise are distributed rather than concentrated in a few individuals, making teams more agile and effective in complex, changing environments.

Without effective coaching, teams rely heavily on the leader for direction, slowing decision-making and limiting growth. Opportunities for innovation and skill development are missed, and employees may disengage. Strong coaching enhances adaptability, builds follower-ship, and fosters trust, enabling leaders to cultivate high-performing teams who take ownership of their own development while increasing the leader’s credibility and impact.

“What great coaches do is help people see what they can be, not just what they are.” – Bill Bradley

What good and bad look like in coaching

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell

Barriers to coaching

Lack of time: Leaders often juggle numerous responsibilities and may feel they don’t have enough time to dedicate to coaching. Effective coaching requires consistent effort, regular check-ins, and time commitment, which some leaders may find difficult to prioritise.

Short-termism: Many leaders are under pressure to deliver quick results. Coaching is a long-term investment in people’s professional growth, which doesn’t always yield immediate benefits. Leaders may shy away from coaching because they don’t see or get an immediate payoff for their tasks or projects

Unsure how to coach: Some leaders aren’t clear on what coaching actually involves. They may confuse coaching with giving directives or solving problems for others, missing the opportunity to guide employees toward their own solutions.

Control freaks & perfectionists: Leaders who struggle with control or perfectionism may find it hard to embrace coaching. Coaching requires leaders to step back and allow team members to experiment, make mistakes, and learn. Those who prefer to have things done their way might resist this approach.

Low trust: Leaders may be hesitant to trust their team members’ abilities fully. This lack of confidence can result in leaders avoiding coaching altogether, as they fear delegating responsibility and letting others take ownership of their development.

Low self-confidence: Not all leaders feel confident in their ability to coach. Without training or experience, some leaders doubt their ability to guide and mentor others effectively, leading them to avoid coaching conversations.

Problem-focused: Some leaders only see coaching as a tool for correcting issues or poor performance. They might not recognise that coaching can be a powerful way to nurture strengths and help high-performing employees reach even greater heights.

Inconsistency: Effective coaching requires a sustained commitment over time. Leaders who struggle with consistency in their coaching approach may abandon it after a few attempts, especially if they don’t see the immediate results they desire from their team members.

Wedded to their expertise: Leaders often rise to their positions because of their expertise. Transitioning from being the expert who provides solutions to being a coach who asks questions and facilitates others’ learning can be challenging.

Poor boundary management: Some leaders blur the lines between coaching and traditional management. They may struggle to strike the right balance between guiding employees’ development and giving direct instructions, resulting in a coaching approach that feels more like micromanagement.

“The power of coaching is this, you are expected to give people the path to find answers, not the answers.” – Tom Mahalo

Enablers of coaching

Listen actively: Effective coaching starts with listening. Practice being fully present in conversations, focusing on understanding rather than simply responding. Listening deeply helps you uncover insights, motivations, and challenges that can guide your coaching conversations.

Ask powerful questions: Great coaches don’t focus on answers; they ask questions that prompt reflection and discovery. Develop the habit of asking open-ended, thought-provoking questions that encourage team members to explore solutions and think critically.

Be holistic: Shift your mindset from solely managing performance to fostering development. Identify growth opportunities for your team members and encourage them to stretch beyond their comfort zones, focusing on long-term capabilities as well as immediate outcomes.

Create psychological safety: Effective coaching thrives in an environment of trust and safety. Show empathy, build rapport, and ensure your team feels comfortable being honest about their challenges and goals without fear of judgment.

Create clarity: Collaborate with your team members to define clear coaching goals. Setting specific, measurable, and realistic goals gives direction to your coaching efforts and helps track progress over time.

Raise your zen: Coaching is a process that takes time. Be patient with both yourself and those you’re coaching, allowing space for growth and learning. Persistence is key—consistent follow-up and support lead to meaningful development.

Empower: Encourage team members to take ownership of their learning and development. Rather than providing solutions, guide them toward finding answers themselves. This empowers them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Balance your feedback: Effective coaches balance constructive criticism with positive reinforcement. Recognise strengths and celebrate successes while also addressing areas that need improvement. Balanced feedback keeps motivation high and fosters growth.

Raise your self-awareness: Reflect on your own coaching style, strengths, and areas for improvement. Understanding your tendencies and biases as a coach allows you to adapt your approach and become more effective.

Keep growing: Great coaches are always learning. Invest in your own development through coaching courses, reading, or seeking feedback from peers and mentors. The more you grow, the better you can support the growth of others.

“Coaches and the people they coach know that for the future to be different, we need to change the way we do things in the present…. More often, changes involve shifts in attitudes, thinking, perceptions, and behaviour.” –Gary Collins

Reflection questions on coaching

Who in your world are good role models as coaches? What could you learn from them?

How would you describe your current approach to coaching within your team? How could you improve it?

What challenges do you face when trying to coach your team members? How do you address them? How can you reduce them over time?

Reflecting on your recent coaching conversations, how much time do you spend listening versus talking? When you coach, do you tend to provide answers, or do you focus on guiding others to find their own solutions? What would be a better balance?

How do you ensure that your coaching sessions are collaborative and not simply directive?

Do you balance immediate performance needs with long-term development goals when coaching? If not, how could you get a better balance?

Do you adapt your coaching approach to fit the unique needs and learning styles of different team members? How can you do more of this?

In what ways do you encourage a growth mindset within your team through coaching?

How do you follow up after coaching sessions to ensure that progress is being made and goals are being met? How do you ensure they take the burden of accountability?

What steps can you take to improve your own coaching skills and become a more effective leader?

Do you have a coach yourself (internal or external)? How could (or does) having one help you be even better as a leader and coach?

“The manager needs to have a coaching mindset, looking for opportunities to help others learn…. The coach and coachee relationship must be one that rests on a foundation of trust that can allow the coaching dialogue to take place.” – James M. Hunt

Micro practices in coaching

1. Ask open-ended questions: Use questions that encourage reflection, exploration, and problem-solving. For example, “What options have you considered?” or “What could you do differently next time?” This shifts focus from solutions provided by the leader to solutions discovered by the team member.

2. Balance listening and speaking: During coaching sessions, aim to spend the majority of time listening. Pause before responding, summarise key points, and avoid jumping in with immediate answers. This fosters understanding and encourages the employee to take ownership of their development.

3. Set clear coaching goals: Collaborate with team members to define specific, measurable, and achievable development goals. Clarifying expectations and desired outcomes creates direction for coaching conversations and helps track progress over time.

4. Encourage reflection and experimentation: Invite employees to review successes, failures, and lessons learned. Encourage them to test new approaches in low-risk situations, providing guidance while allowing them to take responsibility for their learning journey.

5. Follow up consistently: After each coaching conversation, check in on progress, obstacles, and next steps. Reinforce accountability while offering support, ensuring coaching translates into tangible development and improved performance.

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” – Steven Spielberg

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