Executive Coaching, Accountability & “Delta flight makes emergency landing in Atlanta”
Seeing the recent article “Delta flight makes emergency landing in Atlanta” reminded me of a pilot being accountable using their pre-flight checklist to best insure against emergency landings or worse yet, crashes.
As an Executive Coach I frequently travel for business. Whenever I board a plane, I’m always tempted to peek into the cockpit to see what the pilots are doing. On some basic level, I feel comforted when I spot the captain holding a piece of paper; pen in hand, studying their preflight checklist. As I board my flight, I’m assuming, of course, that the pilot already knows how to fly the plane. But seeing that checklist lets me know that the pilot’s objectives are the same as mine: making sure we have a safe flight.
The best way for you as the CEO, managing partner or leader in your organization to maintain “flight readiness” is through regularly scheduled executive coaching for accountability sessions. Note that I didn’t say, “casual, periodic, as-needed executive coaching sessions.” I mean, what would happen if pilots ran through the preflight checklist only when they felt like it or had some extra time?
Pilots always complete a preflight checklist. No matter how many hours they’ve flown, no matter how many times they’ve been in that same plane and found everything to be in order, they go through their preflight routine. They check out the weather, the maintenance log, their instruments, the flight pattern, and dozens of other things.
Now I’m not trying to say that every coaching for accountability session involves issues critical to safety. But complacency isn’t an option for coach-leaders any more than it is for a pilot.
To really hold people accountable, leaders need to be in touch with them routinely and frequently. Regular coaching for accountability sessions give you the structure to do that. Here are a few “pre-coach checklist’ items to include in your coaching sessions:
1. Check-in; on a scale of what 1 to 10, how are they doing?
2. Circle back to your last meeting with them and close the loop on what happened or did not happen in the interim. Not closing the loop on what’s already out there is one of the biggest contributors to lack of accountability. Whatever was discussed and/or committed to last time becomes just talk; no follow up = no accountability.
3. As a coach, distinctive of dictator, ask your people how you can best support them without actually riding the bicycle for them. It may sound something like, “What’s stopping, blocking or in your way of accomplishing X AND how can I best support you RIGHT NOW?”
4. Request that they recap (summarize) your meeting and have them make specific commitments of action between now and the next time you meet.
5. Schedule a time and date for the next session and repeat the process above.
To avoid emergency landings and crashes and ensure that your firm stays ahead of the competition, make sure you are meeting regularly, being a coach and using your “pre-coach” checklist.
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