Stop solving every problem: coaching for busy managers
If your day is a constant stream of 'Quick question...' messages, you're not alone. For most new managers, being the person with the answers feels like doing the job well. You were promoted because you were good at the work, so when someone gets stuck, you fix it.
The trouble is that every time you solve the problem for them, you guarantee they'll bring you the next one too.
Telling solves today. Coaching solves next week.
There's a simple difference between telling and coaching:
Telling gives instructions that fix the immediate issue.
Coaching asks questions that build the other person's thinking.
Imagine a team member messages you: 'The supplier still hasn't confirmed the delivery. What should I do?'
The telling response is quick: 'Call them again and escalate.' Problem solved, for now.
The coaching response takes about ten seconds longer: 'What have you already tried? What's your next best option? Who else could help?'
The first answer gets the delivery confirmed. The second gets you a team member who won't need to ask next time. Over a season, a year or a career, that difference is enormous.
Many managers resist coaching because it sounds like something that needs an hour, a quiet room and a qualification. It doesn't. Some of the most effective coaching happens in a corridor, on a Teams call or in a voice note. Read on....
The 60-Second Coach
When you're busy, use this four-step structure. It takes about a minute.
Ask one question. Just one. 'What's your plan?' or 'What have you already tried?' This hands responsibility back to them.
Listen properly. Don't interrupt, don't jump to the answer, and don't assume you know it. Give them 20 to 30 seconds. People often know what to do; they just need space to say it.
Offer one insight. Not a lecture. One helpful nudge: 'Good plan. The only thing I'd add is to loop in the account manager early.' One insight is memorable; ten are overwhelming.
Agree one action. 'Great, go ahead and let me know once it's done.' This closes the loop and builds accountability.
The most common mistakes are asking too many questions, giving too much advice, solving it yourself, and forgetting to agree the action. Try the 60-Second Coach once with each team member this week and it soon becomes second nature.
When you have five minutes: the GROW model
For a slightly bigger issue, GROW is one of the simplest and most widely used coaching frameworks:
Goal: What do you want to achieve? This stops the conversation drifting.
Reality: What's happening right now? What have you tried? This grounds things in facts rather than assumptions, which is vital when you don't see everything your team sees.
Options: What could you do? If time weren't a barrier, what else might work? This is where confidence grows, because they move from 'I don't know what to do' to 'I have choices.'
Way forward: Which option will you take, and when? Without this step, coaching is just a nice chat.
Here's how it sounds in practice. A team member is overwhelmed by customer complaints.
Goal: 'I want to feel back in control and reduce the complaints.'
Reality: 'I'm reacting to everything as it comes in and not prioritising.'
Options: 'I could group complaints by urgency, ask my team leader for support, or update customers before they chase.'
Way forward: 'I'll sort them into three categories this morning and speak to my team leader by lunchtime.'
That took four minutes, and the plan is theirs, so they're far more likely to follow it through.
Feedback and coaching work together
Feedback tells someone what happened. Coaching helps them decide what to do next. Pair them up.
Use the SBI model (Situation, Behaviour, Impact) to describe what you saw: 'In yesterday's handover (situation), you didn't share the updated schedule (behaviour), so the team weren't sure who was covering what (impact).' Then switch straight to coaching: 'What could you do differently next time?'
Listening is the real skill
Coaching lives or dies on listening, and busy managers find that the hardest part. Four habits help:
Pause before responding. Silence gives them room to think.
Reflect back. 'So what I'm hearing is...'
Ask open questions. 'Tell me more about that.'
Resist the solution, even when you know the answer.
If your team works remotely or across shifts, keep it light: a voice note instead of a long message, 'What's your plan?' instead of 'Do this,' and a shared document to track what you've agreed.
Remember ... coaching isn't extra work
It can feel slower at first. But coaching is how you get your time back. Every question you ask instead of answering builds a team that thinks for itself, escalates less and grows in confidence.
Try one thing this week this week: Use the 60-Second Coach with every team member at least once. Notice how many of them already had the answer.
If you got this far then being a better and more confident leader obviously means a lot to you. Book a discovery call with Kate today to understand how she could help you further, throuh training, coaching, leadership skills and outsourced HR. Book time with Kate Coulson: 30 minutes meeting
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