I'm Not an Idiot

Years ago, one of my dear colleagues gave me some not-so-positive feedback. After the initial ‘ouch’ I felt, I realized that there was something about how he delivered the feedback that made me want to change my behavior in a very positive way.

Here’s what happened:

He and I used to facilitate leadership programs together regularly. We often took turns being at the front of the classroom. I loved how he presented things and created interaction with participants, and out of pure enthusiasm for what he was saying I would occasionally interject my ‘two-cents worth’. After all, I thought, isn’t it great that we model teamwork-in-action in this way? What I saw each time was that he would let a wonderfully reflective pause hang after I was finished, before starting to facilitate again. 

We had a great habit of exchanging feedback at the end of each day, which would often lead to coaching each other. (Many coaching discussions actually start with the exchange of feedback.)

During this particular debrief he said: “You made several contributions while I was facilitating. Just know that when you do that, I tend to go blank and can’t think of what to say next. It’s very uncomfortable for me.”

I was caught completely off guard. I had no idea that this had been going on inside him.

Once he had shared that new information with me, it was a ‘no-brainer’: I stopped interjecting! We had a great discussion, and I felt like this was a relationship-deepening moment.

But, what was it about his feedback that I found so powerful? Here’s what I think:

• Be specific about what the person said or did: He described exactly what I had done in behaviorally specific terms, instead of using interpretive language (for example: “Sometimes it’s hard to work with you.”) 
• Share what you thought or felt in reaction to the person’s behavior: He shared the unknown, what was going on inside of him, which helped eliminate my misinterpretations.
• Don’t advise, but instead let the feedback sink in, and trust the receiver to come up with his/her own next steps: He did not attempt to give me any advice (for example: “Would you please stop interrupting me during my presentation!?”). Instead, he simply gave me the information I needed to make my own decision on how to behave next time. How respectful! After all, I’m not an idiot.

When we as coaches offer feedback to our coachees, we need to remember to focus on the behavior we observed (what the coachee said or did), and to share the impact that behavior had on us, without giving any advice. This will provide our coachees with the opportunity to reflect on what was said, and to find their own way to make changes in their behavior.

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Develop Your Coaching Leadership Style in just 9 Months starting Spring 2023!
Coaching is An Art (CIAA) Leader as Coach Coaching Program

Are you and/or your colleagues:

• Experiencing high attrition rates?
• Taking on the work of others?
• Working too hard to stop and listen?
• Not getting enough out of your team?
• Watching people line up to ask you for solutions, instead of coming up with the answers themselves?

Would you and your colleagues like to:

• Inspire employees to be fully engaged and accountable for their work?
• Ask questions that catalyse creativity and innovation?
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• Take your leadership to the next level, increasing your personal and organizational impact?

Does it work?

There are a lot of ‘Leader as Coach’ programs out there, and we venture to guess that ±95% of them have no or negligent lasting impact.

I (Julie) was once asked to design a program ‘that works’ – that actually gets leaders to develop and sustainably and successfully apply solid coaching skills in the workplace – so I DID.

This gave birth to our cornerstone program: Coaching is an Art

We have personally witnessed Senior Business and HR Leaders transform their leadership - increasing their impact on individuals, teams and the organisation.

Here’s what past participants are saying:

Participant 1:

“There are so many things that I am doing differently (and better!) in conversing with colleagues and clients now! This course took me on a significant journey, reviewing and transforming how I interact with others. With a plethora of extremely effective tools now at hand, I am more curious, listen more deeply, am more patient, and I stimulate deeper and more innovative thinking in others. I am much more conscious and intentional now – and all this gives me enormous energy!”
Senior Global Partner
Big 4 Advisory Firm

Participant 2:

“I previously prided myself on always having an answer and advice when others approached me with their challenges. However, through the coaching program I have learned the value in guiding individuals in how to reach the answers themselves, leading to directions that are fully owned by the individual … and better suited to the situation… As a result, I am seeing my team members feeling empowered to … make their own decisions ... This gives me more time to lead the strategy …  Everyone wins with coaching!”
Senior Leader
Global Consumer Goods Company

Global HR Sponsor 1:

"This flexible, 9-month program really works! Our senior leaders are developing and successfully applying solid coaching skills, which are particularly important in times of transformation and change. Leaders coach selected talents and as a result, we notice significant behavioral shifts in daily interactions, team collaboration, performance and how employees take ownership on business commitments and drive results.

Currently in the process of rolling out our 5th wave, we see this program as a key enabler to build the desired culture, which allows us to position ourselves ahead on the competition in a highly dynamic market. The impact of this program on retention and engagement is high, and it continues resonating across a diverse and multigenerational workforce.”

Global HR Sponsor 2:

“I recommend this program for all leaders who really want to achieve their full leadership potential, and for your organization as a whole in order to be truly competitive in the marketplace.”

In-House Programs
Would you like more information about our In-House Program? Let’s have a chat. We would love to learn about your needs, give you more information, and answer your questions. Send an email to Julie at julie@julie-johnson-consulting.com

Open Enrolment Programs
Would you like more information about our yearly Open Enrolment Program? The next (5th) run is set to start in March 2023. This could be a great way to ‘test the waters’ with one or two participants from your organization.

We are now accepting "Early Bird" registrations for the March 23 launch, offering a 15% discount if registered by December 15, 2022. Send an email to Julie at julie@julie-johnson-consulting.com