Coaching
Construction should adopt a coaching style of management to make every person count
Building Magazine published one of my articles back in April, it seems to have struck a chord on LinkedIn with more likes and re-posts than usual. In it I confront the “skills shortage” – a perennial problem, much talked about ever since I joined the industry in 1976. Lots has changed since then; we now have collaborative contracts, BIM and MMC but the default management style remains. Changing that will change everything, here’s how to get started
Read MoreThe Results Leader 2023
On their own few leaders work simultaneously on: the result, themselves and their team – the so called Three Key Factors.
When coaching an executive, I’d often ask “what’s your business result?”. Some respond with incredulity, “Isn’t it obvious Dave?”. It might be to them, more often it’s not, but even if it was, what about everyone else?
Ten years ago, I was steeped in this question and wrote a blog post called The Results Leader. Tomorrow the post is ten years old; it seems as relevant now as it was then so here it is – The Results Leader 2023.
What’s it like at the top these days?
This year I’m adjusting my focus a bit. I’m still coaching leadership teams though looking to do more 121 work with the people right at the top. By all accounts 2023 is going to be a tough year and support is being ramped up for staff, but who is there for the person at the top? They have their business advisors, that’s handled; I’m talking more about them as a person as a human being. If you’re right at the top what’s it like for you?
Read MoreCoaching Steve
Steve wanted to work up a strategy for getting his people on board. He mapped out where he thought they were at, and initially decided Nathan was up for the chop. Though it didn’t turn out that way.
This is coaching Steve – an illustration of what coaching is and what coaching isn’t. Includes some insights into leadership and getting people on board and a useful mapping tool.
Read MoreDouble-plus coming of age
“What one piece of wisdom would you give that people would want to share?” Mine is this: your capacity for success equals the conversations you’re having, minus the conversations you’re not having, multiplied by the way you’re having them.
Read MoreCalling time on the team away day
We were sent out to shout at the trees. It was the annual management team away day. It was a ridiculous workshop with absurd exercises, totally unrelated to the business numbers. However I did enjoy the shout, not sure about the tree and the golfers definitely didn’t appreciate it. And I forgot about it the day after; in fact I have only just remembered it now 25 years later. So much for team away days.
Read MoreWe can adapt
This is evident. Enable someone to work it out for themselves and they will reliably get it done.
Tell someone what to do and how to do it and they stop thinking and it won’t get done, or at least not without you nagging them.
If you don’t know how to enable, you are stuck with telling and nagging
Few managers have a robust way of enabling people; the training has not existed until now.
To start to change your organisation, put 10 people on the course. To change it fast put 1000 people on the course.
Why is it always so difficult around here?
‘There’s no clear path to addressing a complex problem, but there are actionable steps to be taken now, even if they only solve part of the problem’
‘We can do better, even without definitive answers’
(Inspired by “Net Positive” by Paul Polman and Andrew Winston)
Ineffective communication is a complex problem; here’s a coaching session with Simon and his team in which they plan for better.
What’s possible – revisited
What if everything that can be invented has been invented and there was only one way to overcome the predicament and that one way wasn’t working. It would be pretty hopeless, right! How often do we hear people say ‘there’s only one way to do this’ or they leap for the first solution and then give up cos it didn’t work. Or what if there was unlimited possibility and we all got together and worked it out? Today we are revisiting what’s possible and an essential update to ‘management’ that will enable it…
Read More“If someone had just listened to me, I think I would have got through it”
Six years ago, John had a breakdown. He’s OK now though never returned to work. If someone had listened to him, he’d have got through it. John needed support. I care about leadership team performance though more for the wellbeing of the players and their people and right now some are on the edge. In this post we look at the importance of balancing support with challenge and how to provide both.
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