As a leader on your staff have you ever thought of yourself as a coach, too? Here's some advice from Poynter's Jill Geisler on how to be a good leader and coach.
Jill Geisler, leadership and managment group leader at Poynter, writes in her column,
The Manager as Coach: Tools for Teaching:
The
best teachers help us discover, then celebrate the discovery with us.
That process takes longer than simply telling people to listen, take
notes, memorize, then parrot back the words. The secret is coaching.
Here are some tips from her column:
- Know your staff. Pay attention to their work and to them as human beings.
- Check your ego at the door. Resist trying to impress a student with your knowledge.
- Ask questions. What
are we aiming for in this story? What did you see out there? What did
you like most about the assignment? What's causing you concern? How would you like to approach the problem? Who else might we want to include?
Is there another way to look at this? What would happen if we turned things upside down?
- Listen completely. Resist the temptation to give instant advice or answers. Give the student time to get a point out fully.
- Be positive. Emphasize growth and goodness. Praise people when they do something right.
- Look for "teaching moments." Be on the alert for opportunities to reinforce values and skills.
- Inspire. "Don't
be frightened by that notion," Geisler writes. "You may not think of yourself as an
inspirational figure, and your humility is laudable. But even the most
humble leaders were known for their values."
- Be responsible risk-takers. Celebrate creativity that respects values but try things a different way.
