6 ways a manager can coach their team to success

By Emma Foster

It is hard to find a manager who is not busy juggling projects, meetings and a stream of pressing problems. This leaves them with little time to develop the skills of their team.

Yet according to workplace experts, it is the managers who coach their teams, rather than simply manage them, whose lives are made much easier.

“Being a good coach and a manager can remove a lot of the stress,” says Guy Hargreaves, principal at HR and coaching consultancy The Workplace Coach.

“That’s because your team will be more engaged. They’ll be happier in their roles, morale will be higher, absenteeism will be lower, and you’ll have fewer conduct issues. It can be a big timesaver.”

 

"When we’re using coaching skills, we’re asking questions and guiding rather than telling. We’re listening to people, helping them to solve their own problems, to set their own goals, and giving them feedback in a respectful way. That leads to positive action in the future."

 

The terms managing and coaching are often used interchangeably, but the approaches are distinct. Managing is about organising people and processes to deliver work on time and on budget, while coaching focuses on getting the best out of people by helping them improve their own effectiveness.

“When we’re using coaching skills, we’re asking questions and guiding rather than telling,” explains Professor Grace McCarthy, dean of business at the University of Wollongong.

“We’re listening to people, helping them to solve their own problems, to set their own goals, and giving them feedback in a respectful way. That leads to positive action in the future.”

Hargreaves believes that, while some situations may require a more direct management approach, managers should never take off their coaching hats.

“Every interaction you have with someone in your team is an opportunity to either build that relationship or damage it,” he says.

“Going into those conversations, you should always be asking, ‘What am I trying to achieve? How can I make sure it’s a positive experience and that the person will be more engaged, not less’?”

Coaching is not a skill set that comes naturally to all managers, but the experts agree that following a few simple rules can help managers put coaching into action.

The top skill for a good coach is the art of listening and not being tempted to rush into problem-solving mode, McCarthy says.

“If someone has a problem and the manager says they’ve seen it before and solves it for them, that doesn’t help the person grow their own thinking capacity,” she says.

 

"Every interaction you have with someone in your team is an opportunity to either build that relationship or damage it."

 

“If the manager asks to hear more, very often, by the time the person has talked it out, they’ll say, ‘Oh, I know what to do now’.

Simply paying attention and listening can help the person get clearer in their thinking, so the solution becomes obvious.”

2. Mind your words

Hargreaves adds that coaches cannot be “lazy” with their language.

“Rather than saying, ‘Why did you do that?’, which could feel accusatory and put the person on the defensive, you could say, ‘Take me through your thinking. How did you get to that point?’.

It’s a very different feel,” he says. “It’s really about getting better at communicating and being mindful of how what you say sits with another person.”

3. Let go of positional power

As there is an implicit power imbalance between a manager and their team members, a good coach will remove the inequity by nurturing a sense of being “in the trenches together”, Hargreaves says.

They will also be comfortable with stepping away from the credit limelight.

“For some managers, it’s hard to let go of being the star of the show, but if you take a ‘servant leadership’ approach, it allows your team to shine, which also reflects well on you.”

4. Lean into hard conversations

Most managers avoid difficult conversations for fear of negative or emotional reactions, yet addressing shortcomings is as important as acknowledging strengths, Hargreaves says.

Whether it is about performance, values, attendance or behaviours, his advice is to go into those conversations with a coaching mindset and with the intent of helping the person grow professionally.

“That’s the secret sauce – to have the courage to say the things that other people won’t say and to turn those challenging interactions into positive experiences.”

5. Reflect regularly

McCarthy says a good coach will also set aside time to reflect on their conversations.

“Reflection is how we learn and grow ourselves,” she says. “Without reflection, we can lose track of the important insights we’ve had.

When you look back you may ask, ‘Is there any pattern I’m seeing here?’ or ‘Why did that conversation go well but not this one?’. Being self-reflective is key to becoming a better coach.”

6. Check in with AI

McCarthy also suggests leaning on generative artificial intelligence programs to help with coaching conversations. More specific prompts give a better result, but take care not to divulge confidential information.

“For example, you could ask for general suggestions on how to get better at listening, or be more specific like, “I am a finance manager who’d like to coach an underperforming employee.

What questions can I ask during a difficult conversation?’. It’s like a little pocket reminder to help stretch our skills.”