Welcome

This week I want to dive into the world of coaching in your 1:1’s. This is hugely important piece for a new manager. I briefly looked at this mindset change in last weeks newsletter. 

The reason I am stressing this for you all is to really understand something vital as a new leader.

When I first started in my role as a leader I kind of understood that my role was to better the team. What I failed to grasp was the importance of coaching or how to improve my team. My initial thinking was giving them the answers or solving their problems. I thought that if I focussed wholly on giving them the answers they would be more productive. I was however significantly wrong. When you provide all the answers a few things happen:

• Growth stops

• Development opportunities are reduced

• Engagement reduces

What I also found was I was also doing more things and over too much that I shouldn’t have been. It then hit me through speaking with other leaders that I wasn’t leading I was the specialist IC on the team.

For me to grow as a leader and my team to really grow I had to move from giving answers to helping them find the answers.

I had to change my mindset from me to we.

In today’s newsletter I want to look and dive deeper into the space of coaching and developing this coaching skill in your 1:1 and how this can help you move to a higher performing team.

The Importance of Coaching

Coaching helps team members become more self-sufficient, empowered, and motivated. Rather than just managing tasks, a coach helps employees set and achieve their own goals, develop their skills, and overcome challenges. In doing so, managers focus more on developing people than just getting things done.

Benefits of Coaching in 1:1s:

• Development over Management: Focus on growth rather than just performance updates.

• Empowerment: Foster self-confidence and problem-solving within the team.

• Building Trust: Strong coaching relationships build deeper trust between managers and team members.

• Long-Term Success: Developing your team today creates high-performing leaders for tomorrow.

Using LEAD+M Framework

I have been using a framework from when I started out leading to help me navigate certain topics and points as a new leader. This is a great thing to be using weekly or as regular as you like. Feel free to modify this and items to reflect on.

1. Lead

• Tip: Shift from directive leadership to asking questions that help your team reflect on their challenges and opportunities.

• Action: Ask open-ended questions to encourage team members to come up with their own solutions, helping them build autonomy.

2. Engage

• Tip: Be fully present in your 1:1s, listen actively, and focus on coaching them towards their goals.

• Action: Encourage team members to reflect on their current projects and how they feel about their progress.

3. Act

• Tip: Help your team create actionable plans for growth. Coaching is not just about identifying areas for development but taking steps to improve.

• Action: Collaborate with your team member on concrete action steps they can take to address challenges or opportunities.

4. Develop

• Tip: Foster a culture of continuous development. Ask about long-term career goals and skill-building, and connect their day-to-day work with these goals.

• Action: Help employees identify key skills they want to develop and the steps to get there, whether through training, mentoring, or stretch projects.

5. Mental Health

• Tip: Create a supportive space to talk about well-being. Coaching should include checking in on work-life balance and mental health.

• Action: Ask questions that allow team members to share any stress or challenges they’re facing, and provide guidance or resources to help.

Upto 60% of new leaders fail in their role as a leader.

One of the top reasons is limited to no training, guidance or resources. My goal is to build out resources and training items to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Make sure you are subscribed here and that you are following me on LinkedIn for more tools and resources or my YouTube channel.

Top questions to be asking

One of the key things to learn is asking questions. Instead of jumping straight through into solving the problem work with the individual and try and get them to get to the answer.

Here are some questions that will help with this.

• How do you feel about the progress you’re making in your role?

  • Encourages self-reflection and opens up a conversation on development.

• What are your current challenges, and how do you think we can tackle them?

  • Focuses on problem-solving and ownership of solutions.

• What skills or experiences would you like to develop more in the next few months?

  • Shifts the conversation to personal and professional growth.

• How can I best support you in achieving your goals?

  • Puts the onus on you as a coach to provide the right resources and support.

• What’s one thing you would like to focus on improving before our next meeting?

  • Helps identify specific, actionable steps for the next 1:1 session.

I have also included these questions and more information in the 1:1 meeting teamplate, get this here.

Tips for new leaders

• Be Patient: Coaching is a long-term process. Progress may be slow, but consistent support will lead to significant growth over time.

• Ask, Don’t Tell: As a coach, your role is to guide and ask questions, not give directives. Let your team find their own solutions.

• Focus on Strengths: Encourage team members to leverage their strengths while also addressing their development areas.

• Provide Constructive Feedback: Be honest but supportive when offering feedback. Always tie feedback to growth opportunities.

• Follow Up: Always check in on the actions agreed upon in the next 1:1 meeting to ensure accountability and progress.

Book Recommendation

The First 90 Days offers a valuable framework for new leaders, not only for navigating the transition but also for shifting their mindset from individual contributor to team coach. Michael Watkins emphasizes the importance of taking a coaching approach early on to build trust, align with team goals, and accelerate development within your role. The book provides actionable strategies to guide new leaders in supporting their teams and creating a growth-oriented environment.

3 Key Takeaways for Coaching and Mindset Shift:

1. Adopt a Coaching Mindset Early:

   • Watkins stresses that leadership success depends on developing your team, not just executing tasks. As you transition into leadership, you must focus on coaching rather than simply managing, helping your team achieve growth and success.

2. Build Relationships and Influence:

   • Building relationships is critical in your first 90 days. Rather than directing, use a coaching style to foster collaboration, trust, and engagement. New leaders must work to understand their team members' strengths and development areas.

3. Secure Early Wins through Empowerment:

   • Empowering your team to achieve "early wins" together builds confidence and demonstrates your ability as a leader. Focus on coaching your team to solve challenges, fostering a sense of ownership and progress.

That’s all for this week! Hopefully you have some additional resources and tools to help you navigate your role this week a little bit better.

Until next week

PS If you have enjoyed this content and found it very helpful you will love my First 90 days course check it out here.