As you work on developing your ability to influence others in your workplace, there’s a very strong temptation that can trip you up if you’re not careful.
It seems obvious, on the surface, that if you’re going to influence someone, you’ll have to share your opinion or advice on what you think they should do about a situation. Every once in a while a situation will be so urgent that the efficiency of action is worth simply declaring your opinion. But in most cases, you’ll create more value by holding off.
Whether you’re accepting a formal management title or simply gaining more credibility as a technical expert, you can be more effective – and more valuable – over the long term by shifting from advisor to coach.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you need to do what I did and walk away from your corporate career and become a full-time professional coach. But I am suggesting that learning some key coaching skills and making an effort to apply them can make a significant difference in your ability to influence others in your workplace.
If you’re open to the idea, Michael Bungay Stanier’s book The Coaching Habit is an excellent way to get started. It’s geared toward those in formal management, but the principles work just as well for those who serve as mentors or other informal leaders.
And if you’d like to understand more about the difference between coaching, advising and other forms of help, let’s talk. Visit stevedwire.com/talk to start the conversation.
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