At the 2024 Fundraising Convention, an audience member asked me:
"What’s one small thing I can do now to start adopting a coaching approach to management?"
I don’t remember exactly what I said at the time, but afterward, I found myself thinking, “I wish I’d said THIS instead…” So here it is:
🔴 Stop suggesting solutions
✅ Start asking questions
When a team member brings you a problem and you immediately jump in with solutions, you’re assuming responsibility for solving it and deprive your colleague of the chance to do it for themselves. In small doses, this isn’t an issue. But if you manage a large team, constantly stepping in can pull you away from the high-impact work that only you can do.
Instead, when you ask questions, you encourage your team to develop problem-solving skills and become more self-reliant.
Here are three simple coaching questions to help your team build autonomy:
1️⃣ What do you need? (resources/permission/information)
2️⃣ What’s in the way of solving this yourself? (identifying barriers)
3️⃣ What are your options? (encouraging independent thinking)
✨ Bonus Question: When exploring solutions with a team member, don’t settle for their first answer. Follow up with “What else?”—this often unlocks new thinking and leads to better outcomes. For example:
Colleague: "I don't know how to respond to this email from a tricky donor"
Manager: "What are your options?"
Colleague: "Do what they want, or tell them it's just not possible. But I'm worried about the fall out." (the options they have already considered)
Manager: "What else (could you do)?"
Colleague: (After a pause to think) "I suppose I could offer a compromise and see if they are happy to proceed that way? Or I could ask Donna because she manages the relationship with this donor."
Manager: "Excellent. Let me know how you get on."
Of course, a coaching approach won’t fit every situation. Sometimes, as a leader, you’ll hold the key information or authority needed to move things forward. But by shifting your default response from solving to coaching, you’ll empower your team to handle more challenges independently—so you’re not the first stop for every problem.
Do you use a coaching style of management? What are your go-to questions for unlocking problem-solving in your team? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear! 👇🙂
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Hi I'm Matt, a Transformative Coach working across the UK with Third Sector Leaders. Get in touch today to find out more about the transformative power of coaching.
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