Source | www.weforum.org | Ian Burke
All managers want to see their employees thrive, but it can be tricky to maintain a balance between guiding and hand-holding.
While some managers might think the best way to lead is to constantly offer their employees advice, recent research suggests that coaching employees, or helping employees maximize their own performance potential, is a more effective leadership style. Unfortunately, the percentage of managers who use coaching as a leadership strategy is slim. In fact, a recent study published in the Harvard Business Review shows that the majority of managers act as consultants, rather than coaches. In other words, they lead their teams by micromanaging and prescribing advice — not by helping them learn to come up with their own solutions.
Although managers who constantly give advice might mean well, the best managers are those who help their employees set actionable goals, give constructive feedback, and practice compassionate directness. Here are three simple Microsteps (small, science-backed, too-small to fail behavior changes) to help you avoid management pitfalls and become a better, more effective leader.
