Coaching isn't managing tasks or mentoring with advice. A coach asks questions to unlock what the person already knows, listening more than speaking. Managing gets work done, mentoring shares wisdom, coaching builds people.
Before we talk about how to coach, let's talk about and get clear on what coaching actually is, because it gets confused oftentimes with managing and mentoring. Managing is about directing. It's very task-focused. When you manage someone, you're primarily concerned with outputs. Did the work get done? Did it meet standards? Are we on track? Managing is necessary cuz it keeps operations going. But it doesn't really grow people. Now mentoring is about sharing. A mentor draws from their own experiences and expertise and says, here's what worked for me and here's what I wish I had known, and maybe that'll benefit you. Now there's real value in that, but it's very one-directional. The mentor's wisdom flowing to the mentoree. Now coaching is different from both. Coaching is about unlocking. It's the belief that the person in front of you already has the capacity and the capability to figure things out, and your job is to help them access. Coach asks more than they tell. They listen more than they speak. And coaches help someone develop insight rather than just handing them the answers. So you can look at it as managing gets work done, mentoring passes wisdom down, and coaching builds people up.
From Stuck to Leading, Episode 2 — Meet the 5 Inner Fears Destroying Your Leadership
