The Coaching Habit

Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

By: Michael Bungay Stanier

Narrated by: Daniel Maté

2016 Voice Arts Award Finalist

Coaching is an essential skill for leaders. But for most busy, overworked managers, coaching employees is done badly, or not at all. They're just too busy, and it's too hard to change.

But what if managers could coach their people in 10 minutes or less?

In Michael Bungay Stanier's The Coaching Habit, coaching becomes a regular, informal part of your day so managers and their teams can work less hard and have more impact.

Drawing on years of experience training more than 10,000 busy managers from around the globe in practical, everyday coaching skills, Bungay Stanier reveals how to unlock your peoples' potential. He unpacks seven essential coaching questions to demonstrate how - by saying less and asking more - you can develop coaching methods that produce great results.

• Get straight to the point in any conversation with The Kickstart Question
• Stay on track during any interaction with The Awe Question
• Save hours of time for yourself with The Lazy Question, and hours of time for others with The Strategic Question
• Get to the heart of any interpersonal or external challenge with The Focus Question and The Foundation Question

©2016 Box of Crayons (P)2016 Post Hypnotic Press Inc.

Critic reviews

"Coaching is an art, and it's far easier said than done. It takes courage to ask a question, rather than offer up advice, provide an answer, or unleash a solution. Giving another person the opportunity to find their own way, make their own mistakes, and create their own wisdom is both brave and vulnerable. It can also mean unlearning our ''fix it'' habits. In this practical and inspiring book, Michael shares seven transformative questions that can make a difference in how we lead and support. And, he guides us through the tricky part - how to take this new information and turn it into habits and a daily practice." (Brené Brown, author of Rising Strong and Daring Greatly)

"Daniel Maté sounds like an enthusiastic teacher as he narrates this upbeat lesson.... His entertaining phrasing and authentic presence give the author's ideas extra power." ( AudioFile)

Quick & applicable

This quick & illuminating read/listen provides simple, no fuss coaching techniques. Drawn to it for a refresher course, it aptly provided the results I was seeking. The only thing I disliked is (as an audiobook) it sometimes was hard to discern the key questions. But the tips, ex. ask what, not why questions, were poignantly applicable.

Immediately helpful

If you could sum up The Coaching Habit in three words, what would they be?

reasoned, practical, applicable

What did you like best about this story?

No unnecessary padding.
Good explanations with good examples.
Very relevant

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator was generally easy to listen to. I did drift off a couple of times, which I usually consider as a sign of a monotone.. The following is some specific feedback.

Announce the headings, sub headings, chapters in more differentiating manner so that it was clear that one topic ended and he had moved onto a new topic.

In places where the author is describing an activity to practice, the narrator needed to find a way to orally express the layout of the activity in a clearer manner.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. I feel inspired and empowered.

Any additional comments?

A book that provided theory and practice in coaching but, moreover recognizes that without the ability to change habits (or make new habits) the theory and the practices will not transpire. The author then directs the reader to the tools to change habits.
In fact, the book is more about habit creation than I expected.

Practical, useful and full of actionable tips.

Practical, useful and full of actionable tips. You'll benefit most with a text version at hand to take notes and check references later.

great book for any manager or consultant

it is an easy listen and has great content. I have started adopting my engagements with better questions and MC great results

Best book ever

This booked help me so much!

Because of this book I have purchased about 5 new books from audible!!

Sort and sweet with just enough information!!

My favorite- I hope you guys comes to South Africa!! We would love to attend you workshops!!

read not listen

read it instead of listening to it as an audiobook. it's got to many exercises which can be hard to remember

Great questions

This book makes so much sense to me and I look forward to start using the questions in my coaching

Good stuff, but not so deep

I like the reference to many great books, but along with a reference to videos on their site, the book itself is not too deep.
If the videos are good, why not put the relevant audio portions in the book?

Other than that, the questions framework is useful.

Grounded in theory

This book was great and grounded in leadership theory. A quick and easy listen! Highly recommend for anyone in the leadership world.

The way the questions has been presented with an examples.

The book is an excellent introduction of how to become a better leader but also a better communicator. It highlights all the areas where we make common mistakes without realizing them! Highly recommended