26 Dec
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4 min
Maybe you’ve been thinking about getting a coach for a while or someone has recommended working with a coach as part of your leadership development? If you’re in two minds whether it would work for you, here are five good reasons why every manager needs their own coach:
It’s so easy for managers to get caught up in the day to day melee of firefighting, problem solving, people issues, decision making, team difficulties, getting things back on track – the list is never ending. Leading a team is often so full-on that just getting to the end of the working week feels like an achievement!
Time to reflect, to look at the bigger picture and to adopt a longer term perspective often feels in short supply. For many individuals, the aspirational move from ‘operator’ to ‘manager’ to ‘leader’ is never clear-cut, with many roles nowadays involving elements of all three. However, if too much time is spent in operational mode, then who is actually managing and leading? Yes, departments need operators, but organisations and people need managers and leaders.
1 to 1 sessions with a coach to reflect on how effectively you’re filling these roles gives you a chance to step off the hamster wheel and pause for thought: stop just functioning in the ‘now’ space and develop a future focus. What does the future look and feel like? What sort of team or organisation are you trying to create? What needs to be in place now, to achieve that then?
We all have limiting beliefs – beliefs we hold to be true, things we feel emotionally sure about, often relating to ourselves, sometimes relating to others – that hold us back and can restrict our progress. Often we don’t even know from where these beliefs originated – but we do know that they hover in our mind and prevent us from moving forward. Maybe there’s something stopping you from addressing conflict, taking on a challenging project, applying for promotion, or dealing with particular individuals or situations confidently.
A coach challenges you to notice and name these thoughts, assess the ‘cost’ of holding on to them and then do something about changing them.
Managers often have to portray confidence; to look as if they know what they’re doing and have everything under control. But everyone is aware of those niggling feelings of self-doubt – yes, even those senior executives and directors have that inner voice whispering in their ear, highlighting anxieties and fears.
A coach recognises that even the most outwardly successful managers have confidence issues and can provide a safe space for managers to discuss fears and not feel judged, to address any doubts and develop deeper self-belief.
We’ve all got strengths – skills that come naturally to use; skills that are instinctive and traits and behaviours that sit comfortably with us. You may be very precise and analytical, or great at building social connections, perhaps you are naturally good at creating team harmony, or action-oriented and goal focused?
Of course, as managers, we should be building on and maximising these strengths…but what about your blind spots?
Some blind spots are (often to the manager’s own surprise) inherently tied up in your strengths and only surface when these strengths are overplayed in the workplace – so what if you don’t recognise them? What if no one in your team, or even your own line manager has given you constructive feedback for you to take onboard? How can you develop further as a leader without self-awareness?
A coach will help you reflect, recognise your own values and drivers and see more clearly the implications of both your action and inaction.
We’re only truly learning and developing as individuals when we’re outside our own comfort zone. Often managers can be reluctant to leave their comfort zones for fear of being vulnerable, especially when experiencing recurrent ‘But what if…’ thoughts about what might happen if you do.
A supportive coach can help you step from the comfort zone, handle the fear and uncertainty that sometimes arises from that move, then encourage you into learning and growth mindsets. A fixed mindset restricts us by playing on our fear of failure, but developing a growth mindset enables us to take healthy risks, focus on achieving positive outcomes and builds a stronger sense of self-belief and self-efficacy.
Vulnerability may feel anaethma to managers who feel they must always be in control of events and their own feelings, but stepping into that emotional state can allow us to develop deeper self-awareness and ultimately become better leaders. Discussing those steps in a confidential, safe environment with your own coach can allow you the space to spread your wings and fly!
If you’d like to discuss how coaching works, whether it’s for you and how we can help, please get in touch.
