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How will you Coach: Push, Pull, or Partner?

  • October 8, 2019
  • Comments Off on How will you Coach: Push, Pull, or Partner?

As I have completed my Coaching Certification with New Normal Coaching, I have a greater appreciation for those coaches in my life. Individuals inside and outside of the organization who have taken an interest in me. Those who have invested in me, asking for nothing in return.

I believe Coaching is instrumental for Team Member and Organizational success. Coaching trumps talent, because coaching is a system. A system that moves the Team Member on a journey of self-discovery, that transforms them from the inside out.

This transformation includes:

  • Opportunity to identify their potential; often hidden
  • Challenge their belief systems
  • Create new habits
  • Change their life trajectory

Leaders vacillates between the following:

1. Push Approach: You tell the Team Member what to do. They may try it next time, but they will not be able to sustain it.
2. Pull Approach: You step in and do it yourself. They may remember what you did but will not be able to reproduce it.
3. Partner: You guide the Team Member on a journey of self-empowerment. They are able to do it, because they become self-sufficient.

Many factors play into why Leaders Push and Pull: time constraints, urgency of the issue, frustration, impatience, poor communication skills, leadership style…….and so much more. But how does this impact the Team Member? Are you really solving the problem or delaying it?

Coaching accelerates learning. Read that again. The goal of Coaching is to uncover the Team Members’ potential to solve their issue/challenge/problem.

It operates on the premise, that within everyone is the ability to solve their problems. As the late Pablo Picasso stated, “Everything you need is already within you.” The answers lie within. As a Leader, you need to draw those answers out with effective listening and question skills. Notice I said listening first. If you do not take the time to listen, then you are telling the Team Member how to fix it. One of my colleagues shared with me the acronym WAIT: why am I talking? If you need more insight, try WAIST: why am I still talking?

As a Leader you can create self-sufficient Team Member.. Those who can do their job, so you can focus on your job. Think about that; self sufficient Team Members. That is not a utopian state, but can be a new reality.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

Reflect: On your career

  1. How did your Coach lead you on a journey of self-empowerment?
  2. In what areas are you now self-sufficient?
  3. How does it feel to be self-sufficient?

Challenge: Examine your coaching

  1. How do you currently coach (push, pull, or partner)?
  2. What are the results?
  3. How are you creating self-sufficient Team Members?

Take Action: Change your coaching

  1. Introduce the Partner Approach
  2. Seek feedback from the Team Members on your coaching
  3. Track your results

You have the Power to move your Team, Department, and Organization forward. As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, states small changes can have a big impact. If you commit to a 1% improvement each day for a year, by the end of the year you will improve by 37.78%. That is compounded improvement over time.

Today, make that change and watch the results.