Unscripted problems, Design thinking and coaching -IV

The next steps in the design thinking (DT) process is the define and ideation stages. Instead of thinking about how to extract work from your team, what if we considered, ‘How can I become an inspiring leader, so that people are eager to work with me?’

The next formal step in Design Thinking (DT) is the “define” stage, where the problem to be solved must be articulated with precision. In the context of executive coaching, what we refer to as “leverage” and “goal” are pivotal components corresponding to this stage. Leverage represents the core issue — the one that, if addressed, would make a significant difference, and provide the greatest return on investment.

I encountered a classic coaching scenario involving a leader named Ravi, who struggled to effectively engage his team and achieve results. The reasons could be multiple, like not able to trust the people and delegate, perfectionism leading to dissatisfaction with the work quality of the people, fear of losing the control, fear of becoming redundant if all the work is done by the team, fear of not being the go-to person, belief that the team is not good, not respecting the team members, etc and the list is endless. The data showed clearly the problem is with the leader rather than the team.

During one of our initial coaching sessions, Ravi expressed his frustration, saying, “Sri, how do I extract work from my people? That seems to be my problem.”

His question evoked a vivid image in my mind. I responded, “Ravi, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but as a coach, I must ask: You sound like a supervisor from ancient Egypt, overseeing the construction of a great pyramid.” Intrigued, Ravi leaned in as I continued, “Imagine a supervisor wielding a whip to drive the slaves who are not interested in the work.” Ravi looked horrified.

I explained, “Unfortunately, the way you’re framing the question—‘extracting work’—leads me to envision this scenario.” The realization struck him, and he fell silent.

We had previously seen how rephrasing questions can yield vastly different solutions. For example, “How can we reduce waiting time at the airport?” versus “How can we make the airport waiting experience enjoyable?” each lead to distinct paths of inquiry.

I then posed a transformative question to Ravi: “Instead of thinking about how to extract work from your team, what if we considered, ‘How can I become an inspiring leader, so that people are eager to work with me?’” This shift in perspective became the coaching goal, guiding Ravi to view his challenge through a completely new lens.

The next step in the design thinking (DT) process is ideation, and I encouraged Ravi to brainstorm ways to become an inspiring leader. Ideation is inherently a creative endeavour, and as a coach, I serve as a catalyst to help bring out that. While Ravi possessed a strong sense of creativity—one of his top strengths—he often channelled it primarily into managing the extensive workload he had assumed.

Instead, I prompted him to harness that creativity to generate innovative ideas aimed at achieving his goal of inspiring leadership. Through our discussions, Ravi developed a comprehensive action plan. He started by observing a leader he admired, dissecting the qualities that made this individual inspiring. He explored books and videos focused on effective delegation, enhancing his understanding of how to empower his team. By trying out the ideas as experiments and seeing the results, Ravi could now see the capability of his people, give the big picture rather than tasks, appreciate them give critical feedback as needed.

That leads to the final steps of prototyping and testing in DT and their relevance in coaching.

(To be concluded in Part-V)