Unlocking Potential: Empowering Others with Coaching Conversations

up and potentially increase the levels of creativity and innovation within your organisation.

Here’s our guide to getting started with a coaching-style conversation.

1. Cultivate curiosity. Instead of having your own solutions in mind, be genuinely curious about the other person’s ideas.

2. Ask open questions. Instead of a yes or no answer, ask open questions that invite consideration.

3. Let go of being right. While success in the past may have stemmed from having right answers, experiment with not knowing.

they’re saying instead of thinking about your response. When it’s your turn to speak, follow your curiosity and ask an open question about what they’ve just said.

6. Don’t let the first answer be the final answer. Practice saying ‘And what else?’ to generate more thinking. You’ll be surprised at what comes up.

7. Be discerning about when you use coaching skills. Coaching can and should sit alongside more directive approaches and training.

Leaders often tell us that their operational demands leave little time for the type of creative thinking they’d like to do. Developing coaching skills can empower your teams to come up with their own solutions, which can free you

4. Trust your team. Know that your people can come up with great ideas given the space and support.

5. Practice listening. Listening is one of the most under-used skills, but it can be improved with practice. When someone else is speaking, tune fully into what