Great Coaching and Customer Service Have One Very Important Thing in Common
You may wonder how coaching and customer service may go together outside the tradition thought of a manager coaching an employee on providing service to a customer. But, the two have more in common than one might suspect. This especially holds true when viewed through the lens of servant leadership.In that model, the leader is serving their team. It turns the hierarchy model upside down so leaders serve those they lead. I have shared thoughts on how to get started on being a servant leader in a previous article. Building on the principles of continuous learning and listening intently leads to the concept common to providing superior service and effective coaching - authentic curiosity.
What is authentic curiosity
In my recent travels in Europe, I discovered something interesting. My wife and I ended up having several conversations with many people from different backgrounds and cultures. What really stood out to me was how interested they were in how we lived and what we did in the United States. They asked their question, and then they stayed completely focused on what both of us were saying. They asked follow up questions to learn more, not to just make small conversation, but because they were truly interested. I found that I was doing the same thing when I asked them a question. Initially, I thought maybe I was listening more intently because I was compensating for some language differences, but ultimately I realized I was absorbed in what they were saying.In a relatively short period of time, we were able to exchange a lot of information about each other and it created a completely different level of engagement than I am used to establishing with complete strangers. As I thought more about it, it became clear how critical being curious, truly curious is to being able to effectively provide coaching as well as service to others.
Why is it important?
Leadership, coaching, and providing outstanding customer service all center around creating a relationship, establishing trust, and deepening engagement. If that does not occur, the ability to influence in any of those pieces is diminished. Maintaining a level of curiosity that goes beyond the surface level will both accelerate and deepen the connection between you and anyone you are engaged with. I found it interesting that it became so apparent to me while having these conversations abroad, but it also points to how easily we can take these opportunities for granted.
How can you practice authentic curiosity?
I believe that some level of curiosity has to come naturally, but I also believe almost everyone has that in them already. These 3 things can help you take your curiosity to the next level:
- Ask open-ended questions - let the natural curiosity flow from you. That will almost always lead to open-ended questions that will allow the other person to share their story. Because you are curious, it will keep you engaged and focused on what they are saying.
- Follow up for understanding - not only do good follow up questions help you gain more information about what you are interested in learning, it also shows the other person you are genuinely interested in what they are saying. This will build a level of trust that allows the relationship to deepen in a short period of time.
- Share your similar experiences - find the common threads and share experiences you have had that are similar to theirs. This is a great way to show how alike you are leading to even more dialogue. I was amazed at how much in common I had with some people who live half-way around the world from me in completely different cultures. It was fun to exchange the stories and find the common human bonds.
I suppose the other outcome of maintaining a high level of curiosity is finding these life lessons in the most unexpected places. I would not have expected my vacation to lead to learning I could use for my professional life. But by taking some time to reflect on my experiences I came away with a fresh perspective on how staying curious can make a difference in how I coach and provide service to those I support.How can you translate your authentic curiosity into better levels of service? Share your thoughts in the comments section.Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash