What makes a great coach? Decision Making

Our job is to build good strong decision makers

Well it’s official! What Makes a Great Coach? has hit Amazon #1 Best Seller in Australia across Leadership, Organisational Behaviour, Workplace Culture, Teams, Management Skills, Leadership Training, Sports Coaching, Tennis…and most importantly Mentoring and Coaching.

We are so grateful for your support, messages and for helping us celebrate. And we are looking forward to continuing the momentum by discussing the top 10 practices in our forthcoming Coaching Café’s.

This week we focus on Decision-making. And there is a very clear message in the Book that our job as leaders and coaches is to build the decision-making capability in the people we are working with.

Listen to the Coaching Cafe podcasts

Deferring rather than decision-making

We often see people deferring a decision to their manager, stating reasons such as ‘that’s above my pay grade’. When often it is well within their roles and responsibilities. If we make all the decisions, how are our team members to learn themselves? Furthermore, what do they do when you are not around?

As Alicia Molik, former WTA World No. 8 tennis player; Australia Federation Cup captain says:

‘It’s important for a player to problem-solve. Even though you (the coach) know the answers. And you know the information. Or want to give it to them quickly. Unless they make the decisions themselves, they are not going to make the changes.’

Building strong decision-makers has benefits

In the workplace, whilst people may not be making as many decisions, the need for decision-making is critical. Allowing our team members to make decisions builds their confidence and helps them to take responsibility and accountability. Furthermore, if they make the wrong decision, then depending on the situation, this can be unpacked as a learning experience. For example, just as we see on the tennis court.

Allowing our team members to make decisions also enables them to adapt to different situations and circumstances.

Importantly, this leads to a more innovative workplace. Indeed, a more inspired and motivated workplace.

It also builds their ability to make important decisions when they count the most. And to be accountable to act on their decisions.

It starts with asking great coaching questions. And you can find out more about our ICF and government accredited coaching programs here.

The sliding doors moment

The theme of decision-making is explored on Emma’s The Coaching Podcast. Particularly via the Sliding Doors Question. Emma frames the following question:

‘Tell us about a sliding doors moment. When your life is heading one way and something happens or someone walks into your life and you end up turning dramatically left or right.’

We will have many of these moments throughout our careers. But often there are critical decisions we will make that send our lives in a different direction.

Importantly, as coaches in the workplace, we can influence and be catalysts for these sliding doors moments in the people that we work with.

Reflecting on our coaching practice

What Makes a Great Coach? gives us the opportunity to reflect on our own coaching practices. You can listen to Emma and Natalie on the Coaching Café this week. They share the research and stories around decision-making from the book. Most importantly more questions that we can all use to reflect on how we coach around building strong decision-makers. Particularly in the people we are working with.

FREE Coaching Cafe Webinar

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Join us this Friday for FREE. Register now.

Our programs

Coaching Culture Certification

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Coaching course Certificate IV in Workplace and Business Coaching (10834NAT)

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Leader as Coach

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