Coaching-Based Leadership: What to Ask and Why it Matters

The strongest managers aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones who know how to coach – turning one-on-one interactions into conversations that help employees think through challenges, build confidence and generate their own answers.

That skill is more important than ever. Managers today are expected to do more with less while leading larger teams, navigating constant change, guiding AI adoption and driving results. In this environment, there's little time to monitor and control every decision or provide step-by-step direction as work evolves. Organizations need employees who can adapt quickly and solve problems independently.

Coaching helps make that possible. By creating opportunities for employees to learn, think critically and make decisions, managers build trust while developing the confidence and capability of employees. The business impact is significant. McKinsey & Company research shows that when managers coach and develop their employees, 74 percent of respondents report having effective performance management systems and 62 percent say their organization's performance is better than competitors. When employees don't see managers as effective coaches, those numbers drop to 15 percent and 30 percent respectively. “So if organizations do nothing else to improve performance management, they should invest in managers' capabilities and communicate their expectations for having high-quality coaching and development conversations with employees,” McKinsey says.

You can often spot ethe results of effective coaching. Empowered frontline workers are confident problem solvers who respond to  customers’ special requests and unique needs, making sound decisions. We spot these standouts and notice their skills, but sometimes forget that a manager somewhere trusted them and made it “ok” for them to make decisions on their own.

Asking vs. telling is coaching

A coaching style of management can be challenging because most managers are comfortable telling people what to do, suggest Hermina Ibarra and Anne Scoular for hbr.org.

Asking people what they think they should do is not as easy, especially if we already think we know.

We are used to giving answers, advice and solutions, especially if we’ve got the technical experience. And, of course, sometimes that is the right course.

But, this style of directive management can result in solving the wrong problems (because we didn’t let the employee finish explaining), not understanding the details, or the employee not having ownership of the solution. Moreover, an existing solution may not be as strong as one that emerges through collaboration.

Coaching is non-directive. It involves asking questions and listening to the answers. 

All managers need to learn how to coach. It is not a fad. By coaching employees, we empower them and help them realize that mistakes will happen occasionally in the course of learning to make good decisions on their own.

Learn more about coaching when you sign up for a live, virtual 3-hour management seminar.

What do meaningful workplace coaching conversations really look like?

Coaching is a critical management capability. In addition to creating more confident, solution-focused employees, it helps them feel more in control of their circumstances. This feeling of trust builds motivation and job satisfaction. With so many upsides, it's just a matter of changing those conversations about assignments and responsibilities . Here are some questions to get you started:

• What are we trying to do?

• What’s working?

• What’s not working?

• What do you need to do next?

• How can I help?

• What would you do differently if you faced the same project again?

• I’m going to describe a problem I see. I may be wrong, and if so, I hope you’ll tell me. And if I’m not, let’s discuss ways to address it.

As organizations navigate disruption and change, they need employees who can solve challenges as they arise. Building those abilities and mindset starts with managers who are skilled at coaching employees and asking thought-provoking questions.