Why HR Leaders Should Embrace a Coaching Approach

📝 Why HR Leaders Should Embrace a Coaching Approach

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes. This article explores the coaching approach to leadership, providing insights into its benefits and implementation.

HR professionals are being asked to lead in new ways—especially in hybrid environments where influence often outweighs control. If your team is falling short of potential, the missing piece may not be another tool or policy. It could be your approach. What if the secret to unlocking performance is simply asking better questions?

What Is the Coaching Approach to Leadership?

The coaching approach to leadership focuses on asking open-ended questions, encouraging reflection, and helping others identify their own solutions. Unlike traditional top-down management, coaching empowers employees by treating them as capable decision-makers. A few hallmark behaviors include:

• Asking “what” and “how” questions (e.g., “What’s getting in your way?”)

• Listening more than speaking

• Reframing mistakes as learning opportunities

Research shows coaching leadership styles improve performance, engagement, and innovation—especially when managers adopt a growth mindset.

Why HR Leaders Are Perfectly Positioned to Coach

As culture stewards, HR leaders already influence behavior and development. However, HR teams often get stuck in compliance and firefighting mode. By taking a coaching approach, they can shift from transactional support to transformational leadership.

This approach helps HR:

• Build trust across teams

• Model curiosity and continuous improvement

• Equip managers with tools to support development

• Influence leaders without direct authority

In short, coaching is a strategic asset. It creates ripple effects of better thinking, performance, and accountability throughout the organization.

How to Start Coaching Conversations That Work

Transitioning to coaching doesn’t require a certification. It starts with one shift: stop giving all the answers. Instead, ask powerful questions like:

• “What would success look like here?”

• “What’s the real challenge you’re facing?”

• “What’s one step you can take?”

The quality of your questions will shape the quality of your leadership. Encourage reflection. Create space. Then support action. Tools like SimplyMerit can supplement this with structured decision-making data—but the real magic happens in conversation.

When Coaching Fails—and How to Avoid It

Coaching isn’t always the right tool. If someone lacks competence or clarity, they may need direction first. And if accountability is missing, coaching can become frustrating. Use this simple decision framework:

Coaching Decision Framework:

• Skillful and stuck? → Coach.

• Unskilled and confused? → Train.

• Capable but careless? → Correct.

Knowing when not to coach is just as important as knowing when to lean in.

Key Takeaways

• A coaching approach empowers employees and improves performance.

• HR leaders can use open-ended questions to spark change.

• Coaching is most effective when applied with intention and clarity.

• Use a coaching decision framework to guide your approach.