Welcome to your journey into practical coaching for growth and development. This unit is inspired by the work of Michael Bungay Stanier, whose book, "The Coaching Habit," has become a modern classic for managers seeking to make coaching a natural, everyday part of leadership. Stanier’s approach is refreshingly simple: coaching isn’t a separate event, but a habit you can build into your daily interactions. As you move through this unit, you’ll discover how to spot the right moments to coach, use curiosity to unlock learning, and make coaching a seamless part of your leadership style.

Throughout this course, you’ll learn to identify coachable moments, ask questions that drive ownership, support autonomy, and reinforce growth over time. By the end, you’ll have a set of practical tools to help your team develop and thrive.

The foundation of effective coaching is recognizing when someone is open to reflection or growth. Coachable moments often appear in the form of hesitation, frustration, or curiosity. For example, when a rep says, "I'm not sure how to handle this client objection," or "I feel like I keep hitting the same wall," they’re signaling a readiness for guidance rather than a quick fix.

Pay close attention to subtle cues—uncertainty in their tone, a pause before answering, or even a direct question about how to improve. These are invitations to step in as a coach, not just a problem-solver. When you notice these signals, resist the urge to immediately provide answers. Instead, recognize that this is your opportunity to help your rep reflect, learn, and grow.

Once you’ve identified a coachable moment, your next move is to lead with curiosity. This means asking open-ended questions that encourage your rep to think for themselves. For instance, rather than saying, "You should try a different script," you might ask, "What have you noticed about how clients respond to your current approach?" This subtle shift shows respect for your rep’s experience and helps them build confidence in their own problem-solving abilities.

Curiosity also normalizes coaching as a daily habit. When you regularly ask questions like, "What options have you considered so far?" or "What do you think is getting in the way?", you create an environment where learning and growth are expected. Over time, your team will come to see coaching as a natural part of their development, not just something that happens during formal reviews.

Here’s a short sample dialogue that demonstrates this approach in action:

• Natalie: I just got off a call with a potential client, and honestly, I’m not sure what I could have done differently. They seemed uninterested the whole time.
• Jake: That sounds frustrating. What do you think made them seem disengaged?
• Natalie: I think maybe I was too focused on the product features and didn’t ask enough about their needs.
• Jake: That’s a great insight. If you were to do the call over, what’s one thing you might try differently?
• Natalie: I’d probably start by asking more questions about their challenges before jumping into the demo.

In this exchange, Jake resists the urge to offer immediate advice. Instead, he uses curiosity to help Natalie reflect and arrive at her own solution. Notice how the conversation stays focused on learning and ownership, rather than correction.

The most impactful leaders weave coaching into everyday moments—quick chats after a call, a message on Slack, or a brief check-in between meetings. By treating coaching as a habit, you reinforce the idea that growth is continuous and accessible. This approach helps your team see that every challenge, question, or setback is a chance to learn.

As you practice spotting and acting on coachable moments, you’ll notice your team becoming more open, engaged, and self-reliant. You’ll also find that your own leadership becomes more rewarding and effective.

In the next role-play session, you’ll have the chance to practice using curiosity in real time with a rep who’s facing a challenge. This will help you turn these concepts into practical skills you can use every day.