Dr. Ryan Meers

Well said. I feel that management is about systems & processes or "things." Coaching to me is the leadership aspect in that through effective coaching I can more effectively lead people. Ryan

Absolutely! Great response Michael, especially your point about actively listening to the other person. I would build on what you said regarding the building of trust in that it also allows you as the leader/coach to truly hear the concerns of the other person. Great job. Ryan

Jenny, I think what you have detailed here is a great first step toward building credibility. Others can definitely tell if we are not sincere. Another great way to build credibility is by listening to the other party. Too often when we are trying to persuade we try to dominate rather than listening to the other's concerns & ideas. Ryan

Absolutely! I think the idea of defining the objective is so key and unfortunately is often missed. I think this applies to discovering if I'm trying to inform, persuade, influence, etc. Do I want my audience to take action? Do I need their permission or support to move forward? Or am I just being curteous by informing them? It is so important to define that objective. Great job. Ryan

I completely agree. Additionally, when you are relaxed I feel this allows you to come across authentically. Too often I see presenters coming across as fake or "showy" and I believe a good deal of that stems from the fact that they are incredibly nervous. When I am well prepared, I am much better able to relax and as you said come across as confident, knowledgeable & credible. Ryan

Great points regarding building credibility & trust. I also think in the area of leadership that when we are dealing with employees or even other business partners we need to shift away from an "adversarial" mentality in negotiations. When we enter with this mindset we tend to think that someone has to "give" therefore someone is the loser & someone is the winner. I honestly believe that through effective dialogue we generally can come to a result that is beneficial for everyone. Now, when it comes to negotiating for a purchase, then that's often a different story. Ryan

Richard, Great observation regarding the difference between managing and coaching. And you are not alone, many do not see the difference between managing and coaching, which I believe is unfortunate. To me, coaching is the true work of leadership as you observed in your post that this requires the leader to take the time to understand the other & gain their trust. Great observations. Ryan

Again great ideas. Thank you so much for your comment regarding expanding on bullet points rather than just reading them. This is one of my personal pet peeves as too often I see instructors just reading what's on the screen. Thank you. Ryan

Joseph, Great insights & thank you for pulling the visually appealing concepts into your response. I think these are some great tips for all of us. Ryan

Yes, listening is so key to the coaching conversation. Not only does it assist in getting more information or facts, but it also helps you to hear where the other person really has concerns, fears, etc. By listening we also demonstrate our concern for the other person & this helps them to trust us more. Good work. Ryan