Question: I’m a team leader and my boss recently told me I should be approaching my role with my team like a coach. What does it mean to be a coach at work? And how do I do it?

We asked Angie Harrop, director, organizational development, at Bell Canada, to tackle this one:

A coaching leadership style starts with the belief that my team can do it and I’m just here to coach them on.

We all are familiar with sports team coaching. This is different, because a sports coach still tells you what to do – they are giving you drills and exercises and telling you what plays to do on the field. Coaching in leadership is a low tell, high ask dynamic. I’m not giving answers. I’m asking questions, and more specifically, questions that start with ‘how’ and ‘what.’

If you come to me with a challenge, instead of solving your problem, I will say, ‘What do you suggest? What would that look like? What have you already tried?’. It’s rooted in curiosity.

Let’s say someone hasn’t delivered something on time. I can make an assumption that the person is a poor performer. But a coach would ask, ‘What’s going on? What’s in your way?’ Maybe the power went off in their house so they couldn’t get their report done, or they are confused and need clarification.

As a leader, you’re not in coach mode all the time. If something is off the rails, of course you take the reins. You might need to decide before a meeting how much you will be in coach mode versus directive mode. But in most cases, when you have a capable employee and it’s not a 911, it’s better to take the coaching approach because you are building enablement and accountability.

To be transparent, becoming a certified executive coach changed my leadership style. I used to be very directive. People would come with a problem and I would solve it for them. The result of that was that I felt a lot of accountability and burden. Now, I don’t feel the burden of needing to have answers for everything. The coaching mindset shares accountability because it’s not just everyone waiting for me to have the answer. It generates more productivity, amplifies our effectiveness and it’s a much more engaging way to work.

To adopt a coaching mindset, choose who you want to be as a leader. There is a lot of research out there you can utilize – books, articles, TikToks. A coaching certification is a big commitment. It can be a bigger financial and time investment, with a required amount of training and practicum hours. I recommend this path for those who are serious about becoming a professional coach.

What is more accessible is to decide that you are going to ask more questions. That’s the first step. In the next one-on-one you have with your direct report, decide that you’re going to ask more and talk less, and help your team member come up with the answers themselves.

Why some Gen Z workers are saying ‘no’ to being the boss

Younger workers are shunning management roles and seeking ways to advance their careers without overseeing others. The trend, known as “conscious un-bossing,” could create future leadership gaps, experts say.

“[Gen Z] started their careers with remote work, with flexibility regarding when they start and end their day and they don’t want to give that up [to become managers],” says Robert Half Canada regional vice-president Sandra Lavoy. “The younger generation of workers will actually take less money to avoid a position where they have to manage or supervise people in order to have a better quality of life.”

Meet the ‘granfluencers’ finding purpose, and paycheques, on TikTok

Vivan Boyko is approaching half a million followers on TikTok. Her page is filled with comedy skits, recurring characters and the occasional costume change, thanks to her ever-growing collection of wigs and glasses.

Ms. Boyko is part of a group of older adults who are reimagining what retirement can look like. Sometimes dubbed “granfluencers,” or “oldfluencers,” these retirees are building online followings from their kitchens and living rooms, sharing their lives, and their wisdom, on TikTok and Instagram. In an internet culture that often renders older people invisible, these content creators are choosing visibility and joy.

Why women’s reluctance to embrace AI could be a career killer

AI marketing expert Susan Diaz has found that when it comes to generative AI technology, women are more apprehensive and slower to adapt.

One issue is that women tend to see using AI as “cheating,” Ms. Diaz says. For example, if they use a program like Grammarly – a writing assistant that uses AI to improve written communication – they feel they are not doing the work themselves. They fear losing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, she adds.

Indeed, a recent Harvard study found women are adopting AI tools like ChatGPT at a 25 per cent lower rate than men.