How can you use situational leadership to improve your coaching?

1 What are the four styles of situational leadership?

Situational leadership proposes that there are four styles of leadership or coaching that vary in the amount of direction and support you provide to your coachee. These include Directing, Coaching, Supporting, and Delegating. Directing is high on direction and low on support; you give clear instructions, feedback, and supervision to coachees who are new or inexperienced. Coaching is high on both direction and support; you guide your coachee through the task or goal, providing direction, feedback, and recognition for those with some competence. Supporting is low on direction and high on support; you facilitate learning and development, listening, empathizing, and praising those with high competence but needing more confidence or commitment. Delegating is low on both direction and support; you entrust your coachee with the task or goal while providing minimal feedback and supervision for those with high competence and commitment.

2 How do you assess your coachee's readiness?

In order to effectively use situational leadership, you must assess your coachee's readiness for the task or goal you want to coach them on. Readiness is a combination of competence and commitment, which can vary based on the situation. Competence is the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform a task or achieve a goal, while commitment is the motivation, confidence, and willingness to do so. To assess readiness, ask yourself questions such as: how familiar is your coachee with the task or goal? How confident are they in their ability to perform or achieve it? How motivated are they? How much feedback and support do they need or want? Based on your answers, you can classify your coachee's readiness into four levels: R1 (low competence and low commitment - unable or unwilling), R2 (low competence and high commitment - unable but willing), R3 (high competence and low commitment - able but unwilling), and R4 (high competence and high commitment - able and willing).

4 What are the benefits of using situational leadership for coaching?

Using situational leadership for coaching can help you improve your coaching effectiveness and outcomes. This approach encourages tailoring your coaching to your coachee's individual needs and goals, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Moreover, it builds trust and rapport with your coachee by showing that you understand and respect their level of readiness and involvement. Situational leadership also enhances learning and development by providing the right amount of direction and support at the right time. Additionally, it empowers your coachee to take ownership and accountability for their performance and results, rather than relying on you for guidance and approval. Finally, it develops your own leadership and coaching skills by being adaptable and versatile in different situations and with different coachees.

5 How can you practice situational leadership for coaching?

Practicing situational leadership for coaching involves identifying a task or goal to coach someone on, assessing the readiness level of your coachee, choosing the appropriate coaching style, applying the coaching style with the appropriate behaviors and techniques, evaluating the effectiveness of your coaching style, and adjusting it if needed. For example, directing may involve giving instructions, setting expectations, monitoring performance, and providing feedback. Coaching may include explaining reasons, asking questions, and encouraging participation. Supporting requires active listening, empathizing, and praising. Finally, delegating includes assigning tasks and defining boundaries. Through observation and feedback from your coachee, you can measure progress and outcomes of the task or goal to determine if adjustments are needed.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?