Like leadership coaching, executive coaching is designed to help you and your team become better leaders. A good leader is the key to a successful, efficient workplace, and leadership skills aren’t just necessary for leaders; all members of a team can benefit from executive coaching strategies.
According to Risely, although similar, leadership and executive coaching differ slightly. Leadership coaching focuses on “developing personal growth or turnaround strategies,” while executive coaching helps leaders develop the skills to effectively manage people and teams.
Here are four executive coaching strategies to help you build a more confident, cohesive, and successful team.
Ask (Open-Ended) Questions
It’s not enough to ask your team questions — you have to ask the right questions in the right way. Open-ended questions, specifically, will help you access your team’s wants, needs, and desires. Great questions encourage self-reflection and invite them to find the answers they’re seeking within themselves.
If you’re unsure of where to start, SOCO/ Sales Training expands on seven coaching models, as well as various clarifying and potentially transformative questions to ask your team.
Most importantly, be present and show your curiosity. Enthusiastic listening is a sign of an authentic leader and an effective executive coaching strategy because we tend to get more enthusiastic, genuine answers in return.
Look for Teachable Moments
Actively observing your team’s behavior and interactions to find teaching moments may allow you to provide relevant insights and suggestions in the moment — not a week later. These moments may lead to employee questions that are timely and helpful.
Obviously, you may schedule weekly one-on-one meetings with each employee so that you can respond to their questions or concerns regularly. At the same time, though, real-time comments demonstrate you are in tune and interested.
Build Confidence & Self-Awareness
We all want employees who can work and be productive independently. Most, however, need a nudge and guidance from bosses and coworkers to find that kind of equilibrium. Don’t underestimate the power of your attention to successful goal achievement. An effective coach can engage the person to develop skills and the confidence to persevere.
In team meetings, discuss goals, progress, and setbacks. Allow everyone to share their thoughts, concerns, or perspectives with you and each other, and encourage healthy, meaningful dialogue amongst the team. A positive workplace where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas will help build everyone’s confidence.
Likewise, self-awareness helps people grow — to a certain point — and fosters mutual accountability. Self-criticism fosters neither growth nor learning, but you can help your employees develop their self-awareness by modeling it yourself. Executive coaching will guide them through the process of developing an innate habit of continuous improvement.
Invest in Your Own Development
Your employees aren’t the only ones who should develop a habit of continuous improvement. Work to improve your own competencies and skills to provide better advice to your clients and set a positive example for your team members.
Develop expertise, share what you are learning, and consider finding your own mentor to experience the other side of a coaching relationship. A mentor can share practical advice on how to be a better coach yourself. Finally, ask for feedback from the people on your team for ways you can improve your communication and coaching skills.
Even the most efficient teams can still improve. Executive coaching is not a general approach to training. Rather, it’s an individualized approach that targets real needs and helps managers invest in each team member. Employees learn by doing, and immediate feedback helps them grow.