Here’s a secret at the very onset: Your team doesn’t need any fixing. It’s you as a leader who needs a feedback to discover what can you do better to increase your team’s performance. Also, do you realize that certain habits that brought you professional success will not take you to the next level?
In fact, working as an executive presence coach with senior management, I have noticed that working on self is the least developed behaviour in executive leaders. So how about using a strategy that will not only help you grow as a leader but also bring out the best in your team?
We all know that telling your team what is wrong is an ineffective way of changing behaviour. Using your power (threats, fear, etc.) or offering rewards to get results also do not produce long-term results. Studies have found that organizations whose leaders display strong coaching leadership style have higher engagement and performance. In fact, a star leader daily evokes feedback out of his stakeholders- not only to increase his effectiveness as a leader but also to help the team develop. And it is this display of behaviour of Focus that makes the team respect the leader and enjoy working with him.
Today, like a star leader, how about having a candid chat with your team member for about 30 minutes? See magic unravel as you ask him the following 7 powerful questions:
- What are you most proud of in your current title?
- What can I as your manager do more to bring out the best in you?
- What can I as your manager do less or stop doing to help you shine more?
- What else do you require from me to help you move forward?
- What’s holding you back to give your awesome best at work?
- What can you let go of to be more effective at work?
- What would you really want me to ask you to help you achieve more?
As you ask these 7 powerful questions, you as a leader have 3 critical executive presence traits to display: listen actively without interrupting the speaker, thank the person for sharing his candid views, and create an action plan. Asking powerful questions can transform how your team member sees himself and the world around him. And most importantly these discoveries, if implemented by you as a leader, can lead to bringing out the best in you!
Summary: Coaching is a critical leadership tool that doesn’t come easily to every leader. However, busy leaders don’t realize that it takes just 10 minutes of daily questioning habit blended with 3 simple skills to unlock the potential of your people, your organization, and yourself #BeTheStar
Comments: Can you think of some other ways in which one could use the power of questioning to bring out the best in teams? Share your thoughts. I love learning from my readers. And please do share this science of executive coaching.
Author: Coach Vikram is a Star maker! He creates that Star leader in you so that you develop powerful executive presence, stand out, and build market dominance! Leaders in Asia and Europe have moved into senior management roles and cracked million dollar deals using Vikram’s innovative model of executive presence which is designed around: Behaviors of Focus, Power, and Warmth.
Visit him at www.CoachVikram.com