Week 9 Coaching Assignment - Reflective entry: Engaging our conversational leadership skills

by Muriel Guillod 

As a coach

Phuong was the only person in our team to use the Advocacy/Inquiry model. He decided to take this one, as it allows mutual learning. In his story, he explained us how he put this framework into practice in the context of a business game. He told us how at the beginning he was more into low advocacy and low inquiry, and felt more as an observer, because he felt that he didn’t have the same knowledge as the leader, and was afraid of holding back his team, who so far was being among the best in the competition. When discussing the strategy to implement, he felt also more conservative than the “leader” of the team, who was being quite aggressive and wanted to take risks. However, as the last team member entered the meeting, things started to change. This person was much more attentive, explaining things more clearly and giving space for the others to share their opinion. In fact, this team mate was able to put in place a high advocacy / high inquiry setting, where Phuong felt also more at ease to speak and express his ideas. Therefore, we can see that the environment has a huge influence on people’s ability to open up. We come again and again to the fact that creating a safe environment is an essential thing for the team to move together in the right direction and build strong and powerful relationships which will help the team to thrive.

As a coachee

Noora and I chose to apply the Kantor Model. In our discussion together, we realized that each of the 4 roles are equally important and that none should be neglected. Even the follower, a term which could be seen as someone without personality, is extremely important. In fact, he gives support to the leader, not by stupidly agreeing to the mover’s ideas, but really by having thought himself deeply why these ideas were also in his opinion the best, and thus being able to add information to better support the mover. Noora also helped me become conscious of the importance to be able to switch roles and not get stuck in one specific role. I should train my skills in each role, not only from team to team, but also and especially within a team. She suggested me to discuss the Kantor model with my team, make them aware of the different roles, and that we together try to switch roles. Thus, it would also allow each person to take the lead at some point and become the mover, or train being the bystander, listening to others and helping the team move forward.