Chain of Learning: 44| Master the Coaching Continuum and Become a Transformational Improvement Coach

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How many questions is too many?

You know that asking effective questions is key to helping others solve problems and unlocking improvement, but can you ask too many questions?

Yes! And when you do so, you actually hinder progress, not enable it.

In this episode, I share one of the most common mistakes leaders and coaches alike make when learning to Break the Telling Habit® and moving from “telling” to “asking”. 

It’s a crucial shift to stop being the expert with all the answers, but when you overpivot to only asking, you can leave the person you’re intending to support feeling frustrated and stuck. 

Coaching for improvement isn’t just about inquiry—it’s about navigating what I call the “Coaching Continuum”—knowing when to provide open support for problem-solving and when to step in with direction.

And importantly, always keeping the problem-solving responsibility with the person you are coaching.

YOU’LL LEARN:

  • When and how to switch between directive coaching and open coaching
  • The Coaching Continuum and how to maintain the ownership of problem-solving with the actual problem owner
  • Three key steps to navigate the Coaching Continuum effectively
  • A leader or coach’s role in overseeing the problem-solving process, whether using an A3 report or another improvement method
  • The importance of embracing struggle in the learning process and allowing time for response

Tune in to learn how to navigate this continuum and become a more effective Transformational Improvement Coach!


IMPORTANT LINKS:

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

02:59 Navigating the coaching continuum 

03:59 A brief explanation of the coaching continuum to be a more helpful coach

05:32 The 3 key steps to effectively navigate the coaching continuum

05:43 Step 1: Understand their thinking to know whether open coaching or directive guidance is needed

07:12 Step 2: Get comfortable with struggle

08:26 When to pivot from open coaching to directive coaching

8:37 How to label your actions to clarify your intention

11:01 Step 3: Today’s not the only day, follow up with a coaching process question to encourage learning

11:27 Benefit of asking a process question to understand next steps

13:32 A leader’s role in developing an  A3 report and owning the thinking process not the thinking

15:13 Why coaching and leadership is situational

15:35 Steps to make a plan for effective coaching

15:42 Step 1: Ask a question before immediately jumping in

15:54 Step 2: Give an example how you might approach the problem

16:15 Step 3: The next step to take and what to expect

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