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I’ve Lost Faith In Regular Coaching (But There’s A Better Alternative)
- Regular coaching may not be effective in solving problems in an engineering team, since engineers often prefer to be left alone. Addressing issues regularly, however, is necessary to ensure that problems do not escalate any further, much like brushing your teeth every day. If you decide to intervene early, two principles are helpful: first, let your engineer know that there is an issue that needs to be addressed, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Second, wait for them to finish venting before you present the opposite perspective or solution, rather than immediately offering advice.
- In coaching for engineers, it is necessary for the manager to help staff understand the impact of their actions, rather than achieve goals set by the coach. The EM should become aware of issues themselves before attempting to address them and understand that coaching is not always about underperformance. Addressing issues such as communication and conflict requires a broader, big-picture view. Classical coaching methods have often failed as they tend to avoid problems, while intervening early is more effective in resolving them.
- There are no fixed rules for incentivizing staff to change their behaviour, but small steps such as bringing up conversations early on and allowing staff to vent their emotions before presenting another perspective can go a long way towards resolving issues within a team. As an EM, withholding feedback can lead to more problems down the line, so it's better to address the situation earlier than later to avoid unnecessary consequences.
- EMs can use coaching to help the engineering team understand the impact of their actions on the team. Regular brushing of problem issues help to avoid any grave consequences by identifying the problem at an early stage. One should change their mindset for a start and work to improve the given situation by sticking to the principles. Moreover, a change in perspective, such as seeing feedback and coaching as a routine maintenance act, can make it easier to take essential actions.
- The author suggests that not offering advice immediately when addressing the issue can be more effective when discussing matters with an engineer. Providing the big-picture perspective before attempting to provide a solution can go a long way towards the proper resolution of the issue, as it helps the engineer to fully understand the impacts of their behaviour.
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