The BTM Book Report: ‘The Coaching Habit’

Michael Bungay Stanier’s The Coaching Habit is a business book for managers to help them lead their teams and coach their staff. Through seven essential coaching questions, the author describes how to change from a manager who swoops in to save the day with solutions to one who helps their employees find their own solutions while developing their skills along the way.

Early in the book, the author details the process of changing habits. Managers have habits of leading a certain way, so we must learn how to change these habits. Most of the time, there is a trigger that needs to be identified in order to move on to the desired behavior. Rather than jumping in with solutions when these triggers happen, the author suggests a seven-step process that is guided by asking seven questions.

While we won’t detail all seven questions in this summary, two of the keys worth mentioning are The Kickstart Question and The Foundation Question. The Kickstart Question of “What’s on your mind?” is the question to ask to start a coaching conversation. This opens the conversation to what the other person views as the problem rather than having the manager immediately identify and solve something. While the manager might jump to the most obvious item, it isn’t necessarily the real problem that the employee is facing. The Foundation Question of “What do you want?” is also a key part of the process. It allows the employee to voice what they really want from the interaction.

Among the many pieces of valuable information for would-be coaches is the importance of safety. The human brain is wired to always scan for safety. If there is physical, emotional, or mental danger, the mind shuts down and prepares for fight or flight. When the brain feels safe, it is easier to think and perform, so it is vital for managers and teammates to make others feel safe.

According to the author, another key piece of the coaching puzzle is getting comfortable with silence. When ...