This is an update of a classic volume that aims to help managers to become more effective and inspirational, written by a partner and leadership coach at consulting firm McKinsey.

The book is short and has the simple premise that only a few techniques are required to attain proficiency as a coach, albeit that mastery requires a more sustained level of practice.

The author notes with some satisfaction that the techniques he first outlined in an earlier version in 1996 were not only of interest to a few enlightened managers but have gained a wide following with 200,000 copies sold to date.

Each chapter focuses on a specific technique and it employs the narrative technique of a fictional character called Alex to illustrate its point.

Surprisingly, one of the reasons he says interest in coaching is now so popular has as much to do with selfishness and philanthropy.

Better results

Apart from the buzz of helping someone, as a good coach you will also have more time for yourself as you will be able to delegate more; you will be able to enjoy the fun of working with a team of people who relish working with you; you will achieve better results as a team, more quickly; and you will build your interpersonal skills more broadly, which will enable you to interact with customers better, with spin-off benefits in your personal life as well.

Among his conclusions are that you cannot be a leader without a following, the autocratic leader faces extinction and that investing 10 minutes in coaching will save an hour.

Inspired by Socrates’s description of himself as a “midwife to understanding”, Landsberg describes the coach’s role as being “a midwife to skill building”.

The coach’s most important role, he says, is deciding whether to instruct or suggest, whether to ask a question or whether to use a style of interaction somewhere in-between.

An empowering or controlling spectrum is presented for different circumstances ranging from the controlling approach of telling what and how each may be appropriate in limited circumstances through to demonstrations, making suggestions and finally simply asking questions at the most empowering end of the scale.

Asking questions

One of the most important changes readers are urged to make, is to try asking good questions where the natural instinct might have been to issue an instruction instead.

Good coaches are typically those who have mastered the art of effective questioning. Coachees can often learn a lot more from questions such as, “How well do you think you did there?” and “What do you think you might do differently next time?” than from being told, “Here’s what you did wrong and here’s what to do next time”.

Coaching involves a lot more than feedback.

Great coaches have a high degree of awareness and don’t focus exclusively on the coachee but also know how to overcome their own limitations is another observation here.

The best coaching comes in small doses and it is suggested that small investments of time – as little as five minutes in some cases – can yield very tangible results.

Coaching will also spread to other areas of life, it is suggested, and those who develop their coaching skills at work find that they are better able to help their friends, partners and children.

Where feedback is required, this should always be either positive, in other words providing simple praise for a job well done or constructive, sensitively pointing out areas for improvement.

Observable facts

In the latter case, the feedback needs to be very specific. For example, it should focus on observable facts such as, “You did not fully address the question asked at the end of the presentation” rather than on perceived traits such as “You tend to be evasive”.

Negative feedback is essentially destructive and should be avoided wherever possible.

It creates defensiveness and confrontation, focuses on blame, undermines confidence and self-esteem and leaves people feeling judged. Ultimately, it does not improve skills either.

Landsberg has a good range of practical models and lots of other solid advice here in a very accessible book that will be of benefit to all managers.