The Coaching Habit
Book Reviews aim to provide succinct, thoughtful summaries of books I have read. They contain quotes from the book, thoughts from others, and also some thoughts of my own. Typically they will be structured in the following order: author, introduction, message and purpose, remarkable chapter, and conclusion. This review will cover The Coaching Habit, a book written by Michael Bungay Stanier that encourages leaders to ask more questions instead of rushing to give advice.
Author
Michael Bungay Stanier
Introduction
An abundance of leadership books exist that offer foolproof ways for leaders to provide solutions to those they lead; The Coaching Habit is not one of those books. This extraordinary bestseller is a fast and practical read, and it unravels the habitual curiosity that is needed for modern-day leaders to effectively lead those around them. Bungay Stanier discusses that instead of rushing to give advice and find a solution for your employees, managers should stay curious a little longer, ask better questions, and allow the employees to come to the answer on their own.
Message and Purpose
Bungay Stanier outlines the seven essential questions that must be asked when leaders are faced with an advice-giving situation. They are:
The Kickstart Question: “What’s on your mind?”
The AWE Question: “And what else?”
The Focus Question: “What’s the real challenge here for you?”
The Foundation Question: “What do you want?”
The Lazy Question: “How can I help?”
The Strategic Question: “If you’re saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?”
The Learning Question: “What was most useful to you?”
Bungay Stanier explains in the introductory chapter that "the questions work not only with your direct reports but also with customers, suppliers, colleagues, bosses and even (occasionally and, obviously, with no guarantees offered) spouses and teenage children." The primary message of the book revolves around efficiency; leaders are more efficient when they are doing meaningful work, not addressing prosaic day-to-day concerns from their subordinates.
The seven essential questions are meant to be asked in the predetermined order laid out in the book. If the first question doesn't quickly resolve the situation, move on to the next question. By the time you ask the seventh question, if the person you're managing still doesn't have adequate answers, then, and only then, can you move into advice-giving mode. The seven essential questions are built to have your employees come to their own conclusions, reducing the time, energy and effort you presumably might spend attempting to rectify the situation on your own.
Remarkable Chapter
Of the seven core chapters (seven essential questions), The Strategic Question is perhaps the most remarkable. In this chapter, Bungay Stanier unravels the science behind asking the question, "If you're saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?" When talking with one of your employees who is facing a dilemma between whether they should or shouldn't take on a task, the real question that needs to be addressed is The Strategic Question.
For example, let's say one of your employees approaches you with a proposal to take a prospective client out to lunch. In theory, this shouldn't be an issue. But, using The Strategic Question, you could asking your employee, "Okay, so if you take this prospective client out for lunch, what are you saying No to?" It's important they understand all of the options that are automatically eliminated by them saying Yes. If they say Yes to this lunch meeting, they're saying No to something else that's happening at the same time as the lunch meeting. Understanding this type of No helps them understand the implications of the decision.
In a world where everyone is busy all the time, every Yes has an opportunity cost (something that you won't do as a result). Understanding the implications of each decision can be a useful resource when it comes time to make a decision.
Conclusion
The Coaching Habit is a tremendous read for, yes, high-level executives and managers, but also for a variety of people in varying fields. It offers an unorthodox approach to problem-solving; rather than jumping to provide answers right away, this method enables you to gather more information while creating space for your employees to resolve the situation on their own. Bungay Stanier mixes in some nice tips, tricks and stories that make it a fun, useful and worthwhile read.