5 Coaching Questions to Spark Behavior Change in Your People Managers

Are you investing in your people managers this year? They have such a central role in the organization – taking the vision and strategy from leadership, and helping your teams put all of that into action. It requires a lot of skill and leadership. Yet, people managers don't always have the training or the support that they need to be successful. So, in today's episode of Learning for Good, we'll explore five coaching questions that you can ask to spark behavior change in your people managers.

Listen to the episode or scroll down to read the blog post ↓

Key Points:

01:53 Why coaching is essential to spark behavior change in your people managers

02:50 Five core questions to spark behavior change in your nonprofit organization

05:32 How you can offer more support as they go through that change

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5 Coaching Questions to Spark Behavior Change in Your People Managers

Are you investing in your people managers this year? Have you ever wondered if you'll ever get through to them? They have such a central role in the organization — taking the vision and strategy from leadership, and helping your teams put all of that into action. It requires a lot of skill and a lot of leadership. Yet, people managers don't always have the training or the support, they need to be successful. 

So, if you're struggling with your people managers, today's episode of Learning for Good is for you. We'll explore five coaching questions that you can ask to spark behavior change in your people managers.

What Can You Do to Spark Behavior Change in Your People Managers?

If you’re reading this, you are ready to invest in your people managers. You want to see behavior change. But you may be asking yourself, what can I do to spark this change? 

Well, I'm a big fan of coaching. 

Why?

Because it provides the person the opportunity to discover what they need to do, versus you telling them what to do. 

Coaching is essential. It's important because it allows the person to think critically about a situation and build problem-solving skills that they can take with them forever. 

It allows them to figure out what it would take to address a particular situation so they can make a plan of action. Hello, goal setting!

“The individual that's going through the coaching process is learning key skills that will benefit them for life. The organization also benefits because investing in your staff can increase employee engagement, employee retention, and of course, productivity if you're really talking about behavior change.” Heather Burright, Learning for Good Podcast.

I believe people are worthy of investment. And I also believe that investing in your people makes them feel valued, and gives them new skills and a new passion for their work. 

So if you're ready to use coaching as part of your learning strategy, let's talk about some key coaching questions that you can use to help spark behavior change in your people managers. 

1. What Is Challenging You Right Now?

The first question you can ask is, what is challenging you right now? Or what is challenging you in this particular situation?

This question prompts them to reflect and identify the most challenging parts of the situation they're facing. 

2. How Have You Responded to Similar Situations in The Past?

Once they’ve identified the challenges, you can move on to the second question, how have you responded to similar situations in the past? 

This encourages them to reflect on their own past experiences, and combined with the next question that I'm going to give you, it also allows them to learn from those past experiences. 

3. What Worked And What Didn't in Those Situations?

The next question is, what worked and what didn't in those situations? 

The goal here is to get them not only to reflect on those situations and how they responded, but reflect on what worked and what didn't. That's allowing them to truly draw those learnings out of their experiences. 

4. What Is The Best Possible Outcome in This Situation?

Here’s where you bring them back to the current situation. Ask them, what is the best possible outcome in this situation? 

This allows them to imagine the ideal scenario, what they want, hope or need to happen. 

5.  What Is The One Thing You Can Do in The Next 30 Days to Help You Achieve That Outcome?

And then the last question is, what is one thing that you can do in the next 30 days to help you achieve that outcome? 

I love this question because it prompts them to pick only one thing. It feels manageable and measurable. And it gives them a timeline of 30 days for making that change. 

Also, it's focused on the outcome they want. They were the ones who identified the best possible outcome and the action they can take to get there. So, they can see the value in actually making that change and putting that work into the process. 

How You Can Support Your People Managers Further And See Them Through That Change

If you have more time, I also recommend asking them a few more questions so you can understand what are the best ways to support them through that change. Here are a few ideas:

• What support will you need?

• What barriers do you expect to face?

• How can we overcome those barriers?

Those are important parts of implementing anything new. 

And if you want success, I recommend checking in with them regularly to see how things are going – as we can easily get back into our everyday tasks and this particular situation or task falls off the priority list. 

So, checking in with them is just providing that little bit of accountability that they're going to need to be successful. 

This is it, my friend. Those are my top five coaching questions to spark behavior change in your people managers. Coaching is generally done by a professional certified coach, and coaching can be built into your larger learning strategy. It's a great complement to formal training. 

If you're ready to formalize your learning strategy, my team is ready to guide you. Send me an email at heather@skillmastersmarket.com to explore this together. 

To hear the full episode on the Learning for Good Podcast, scroll all the way up and tune into episode 32.

The Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective

Do you wish you could connect with other nonprofit learning and development leaders? 

I know what it feels like to want someone to bounce ideas off of and to learn from, someone who really understands you and your work. Imagine if you could have a simple way to meet people in the field, ask questions, and share information. 

That's why I created the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective – so nonprofit L&D, talent management, and DEI leaders can connect with each other quickly and easily in a virtual space. 

When you join this community, you will walk away with a new, diverse, and powerful network – and a sounding board for your staff development needs. 

So if you're ready to exchange ideas and collaborate with your peers, come join the Nonprofit L&D Collective