Research in educational and industrial-organizational psychology is uncovering many of the secrets behind how people learn best. One of the findings is that people learn best when they’re allowed to come to solutions themselves instead of being lead right to it or, worse yet, simply told what to do.
This is what makes the role of a leader so important in both company culture and overall long-term success. In order to ensure that you are finding the right balance between showing employees the answer and encouraging them to find the solution themselves. Here are some of the most important tips from professional coaching that leaders can utilize in their own careers.
Facilitating is Better than Micromanaging
In recent years, the workforce has started to see more shifts in how it functions, which includes the approach that both leadership and management take with their employees. While micromanaging has common for many years, professionals are concerned that employees never really learn how to operate independently as a result.
The Harvard Business Review found that the best leaders and managers acted more like coaches in that they were less concerned with micromanaging and prescribing rules to follow. Instead of closely managing employees, it was found that facilitating employees to arrive at the solutions led to overall better outcomes.
Share Constructive Feedback Compassionately
Professional coaches are trained to provide constructive feedback and communicate with others without putting them down, or making them feel unwelcome among their team. This skill is also important for anyone working in a leadership role. Leaders should understand how to communicate both positive and negative feedback without putting employees down or making them unwelcome. When a leader can present constructive feedback compassionately, other employees are encouraged to speak up if they see a problem.
Provide a Solutions-oriented Mindset
Like professional coaches, leaders typically have a larger goal in mind and think in terms of solutions, rather than problems. Thinking in terms of problems runs the risk of breeding a defeatist mentality among your employees, which can have devastating long-term consequences. Leaders should take a solutions-oriented approach to their role, to ensure that your team feels confident in your larger long-term goals for the company.