Developing your own coaching style doesn’t happen immediately. Once you have a benchmark of best practices, it’s time to allow your gifts, personality and natural talents to radiate through the coaching you deliver, as you transform from manager to coach.
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Enhanced Video Transcript
When people ask me what my style of coaching is, I say, “Trusting, authentic, direct yet positive, exploratory, action-oriented, accountability driven, collaborative, a partnership, easily adaptable, enjoyable, tactical, and results-oriented. I’m your safe sounding board, your advisor, your accountability partner, your biggest fan, your personal trainer, and your consultant.
Developing your own coaching style is something that doesn’t happen immediately but as an organic process as you coach more and more people.
Initially, there are the mechanics of coaching that you must learn. The foundation, best practices and core competencies. Even a new process to follow or a coaching framework to leverage when engaging with your direct reports. In many ways, learning how to coach effectively is as as if your dominant hand was being tied behind your back and you now had to write with your other hand. Uncomfortable at first? Sure, but then eventually you adapt and the style becomes your own.
Just think of any professional athlete or even when you learned how to play a certain sport, such as golf or baseball. You were first taught the basics, the fundamentals of the game, the best practices. Then, the more you played, you developed your own style and your own swing.
The same holds true for coaching. While it may feel unnatural at first, even mechanical when having to remember a certain coaching process or questions to ask, eventually you make it your own and then the natural shift happens. You shift from coaching from your head and start coaching from your heart because now, it’s just part of your DNA.
The most effective coaches have learned to trust their heart and in turn, trust their personality. Their style of coaching compliments who they are naturally. So, give yourself permission to be the authentic you and let your gifts radiate throughout the coaching you deliver.
If you have any resistance to making the transformational shift from manager to coach, that is perfectly normal and natural. Considering what is required of you, it’s a tall order. Through your company’s eyes, at least for now, much more is expected from the manager than the coach. After all, you have a responsibility to achieve certain targeted goals.
However, imagine what will be possible for you and for your team once you make this transformation from being directive to being a coach. Then, you can watch your team’s productivity soar.
