While it sounds simple, listening is actually a difficult skill to master. Perhaps the most crucial part of coaching is asking questions, because it causes the other person to reflect and evaluate. When leaders invest in their coaching skills, employees benefit. Employees report reduced stress, greater purpose, and greater resilience after a client's manager has received 4 months of leadership coaching training.
One of the most important coaching skills a leader can develop are inclusive leadership skills. A good leader makes all employees feel a deep sense of belonging. An inclusive leader develops a level of self-awareness to help address their own biases, both unconscious and implicit. In the end, inclusive leadership skills help the coach to take advantage of their abilities and strengths.
Fostering a sense of belonging in the workplace isn't just good for employees. BetterUp Labs found that employees are 50% more productive, 90% more innovative and 150% more engaged. Inclusive leadership also translates into a 54% reduction in employee turnover. One of the most needed effective coaching skills is communication.
A great coach has great communication skills. They have invested in establishing a good relationship with their coaches as part of their training approach. They have found a way to use effective communication as part of their training technique. Managers with effective training skills employ many of the same communication and active listening techniques as professional coaches.
Whether you're training a team or an individual, good training skills can make the difference between thriving and languishing. The second is an internal training relationship, in which a manager or leader acts as a coach for their team. This is more of a habit than a training skill, but it ensures that you always provide powerful, high-quality training to each of your clients. It has been said that coaches should never offer opinions, but should only ask questions to guide the person being trained on the subject.
The coach doesn't say it, but asks for permission to make suggestions and ask questions, while respecting the person being trained. The most important attribute of any coach is that they want to help the person or people they are training to learn. It shows no respect for the opinion of the person being trained and is unlikely to lead to a productive coaching relationship.
