Why Coaching Has Become a Must Have Skill for People Managers
In a fast-moving workplace, people are expected to think, adapt, and make decisions, often without close supervision when you throw hybrid working into the mix.
In this environment, a telling approach has limits.
Coaching skills help people managers move from being the centre of problem solving to being a facilitator of thinking. This matters for several reasons:
- It builds capability. When people think problems through themselves, learning sticks. Confidence grows before competence follows.
- It improves engagement. People are often more committed to actions they have shaped, rather than tasks they have been assigned.
- It protects capacity. People managers who coach effectively avoid becoming bottlenecks, because decisions and responsibility are shared.
- It strengthens culture. Coaching conversations model trust, curiosity, and accountability, which shape how teams work together day to day.
So how can you start using the GROW model in conversations?
Well, the good news is that you do not need to become a professional coach to use GROW effectively. Small shifts in behaviour make a significant difference.
Start with curiosity, not solutions
When someone brings a problem, try if you can, to resist the urge to fix it. Ask a goal focused question first, such as, “What are you hoping to achieve?”
Slow the conversation down
Space allows thinking. Silence can be uncomfortable at first, but it is often where insight emerges.
Listen for reality, not reassurance
Encourage honesty by asking open questions and acknowledging what you hear, without judgement or correction.
Invite options, even imperfect ones
The aim is not the perfect answer, but ownership. Ask, “What else could you try?” and then let people explore.
End with commitment
Always close with clarity. What will happen next, and when will you check back in?
The impact of coaching led people management
When people managers use coaching skills consistently, some shifts become visible.
- One to ones become more focused and meaningful. Performance issues are addressed earlier, with less defensiveness. People managers spend less time firefighting and more time leading.
- Perhaps most importantly, people begin to see themselves as capable decision makers, not just task doers.
That is the real value of coaching. It does not just improve conversations. It changes how people see their role, their responsibility, and their potential.
A Final Reflection
The hardest promotion is not into people management. It is from having the answers to trusting others to find them.
Coaching skills, supported by simple frameworks like GROW, help people managers make that transition with confidence.
If your people managers were delighted three months from now, what would you be seeing and hearing differently in their conversations?
That question is often the best place to start.
