B & Q, my Garden Centre Revelation
Picture this: You find yourself at a garden centre, not in pursuit of office supplies, but rather in search of some greenery to liven up your back garden. While perusing the plants, your attention is drawn to an engaging conversation between a visiting operations manager and the store manager. They are situated outdoors, amidst an array of plants, trees, and vegetables.
What makes this conversation so fascinating is the steady stream of thought-provoking questions from the operations manager: "What are your thoughts on these products? Which are best sellers? Why have these specific plants been placed here? Who on your team tends to this area, and how have you supported their development? How do you encourage team members to engage with customers? What are your future plans for this area, and are there any concerns you'd like to discuss?" The best part? He's intermittingly sprinkled praise like confetti, based on the store manager's responses and his keen observations.
This isn't just a leisurely stroll through a garden centre with two colleagues; it's a live coaching session! It's a dynamic exchange involving situational understanding, crystal-clear communication, creating an atmosphere for open dialogue, goal setting, and constructive feedback. From my perspective, it was not just about plants or visiting a store; it was a coachable moment in action, and that's what made it exciting to see.
Coachable moments are not always obvious, but they happen all around us, if you know what to look for. In the world of sports, coachable moments are the lifeblood of improvement and success. Every athlete knows that their journey is a relentless pursuit of excellence, and these moments are the keys to unlocking their full potential
The beauty is coachable moments are not exclusive to athletes, as underscored by the example involving the store manager They can and should occur within any organization if we genuinely aspire to unleash the latent potential of individuals and foster their growth.
These coachable moments often occur when individuals encounter challenges, make mistakes, seek improvement, set specific goals, or confront key decisions. They are distinguished by a person's willingness to reflect on their actions or circumstances, seek input or feedback and actively work toward enhancing their skills, knowledge, mindset or performance. They represent valuable opportunities for learning, development, and positive change.
To paraphrase the wisdom of Tom Landry, "A coach is someone who imparts truths you may prefer not to hear and guides you to see aspects you may prefer to overlook, all with the ultimate aim of enabling you to become the best version of yourself." For me, coachable moments, indeed, stand as the secret ingredient that turns setbacks into setups for success.