Leadership Coaching is Systems Design not Problem-Solving
Eames house of cards by @hhdoan on flickr
I pride myself on being a problem-solver. I worked in design studios for 10+ years where we advised Global 500 companies on the Future of X where X could be connected TVs, social networks, connected homes, mobile devices, cities, etc. Clients came to us, the expert consultants, to create innovative design solutions to their problems. As a design leader in startups and large tech companies, my team was expected to design the North Star vision of where our products were going. We identified people’s unmet needs and provided a solution to their problems, whether they knew it was a problem or not. And sometimes in doing so, we unwittingly created other problems that we never expected. In problem-solving for a near-term solution, we didn’t anticipate that bad actors could use our solutions for unintended purposes. Did I mention that I used to work at Facebook?
“We do not coach for a problem to be solved, we coach for a life to be lived.” — Jim Patterson
As a leadership coach, I work with my clients to be their most powerful selves, fulfilled leaders in their work and their lives. I honor them by not solving their problems—they are naturally creative, resourceful and whole enough to create their own visions & solutions. As a designer, I look at the entire system over time—not just the feature or short-term growth hack to move this month’s metrics. In systems design, there are multiple audiences and marketplaces each with different motivations. The system must be co-created with multiple perspectives and considerations, including:
People’s workflows over hours, days, and weeks rather than mono-focusing on isolated UI components on a single static screen design
How people’s behaviors change over time periods of months and years using journey maps
Mental models of individuals & groups of people. Which ones are implicit vs explicit? How do these models drive actions?
Motivations & incentives for all the parties within the multi-sided marketplace. What’s the perspective of a buyer vs seller vs middle-person?
How bad actors could abuse the system, and put guard rails in place
Setting up processes to quickly evolve the platform or system when it’s moved far beyond the original vision
Inputs from multiple perspectives whether it’s multiple designers, PMs, engineers; or the behaviors of people in the system which causes the system to evolve
Problem-solving & Coaching/Systems Design: The Differences*
The mindset of systems design is akin to the mindset of coaching. Both are long-term and different than the immediate gratification of problem-solving. These differences fall into five areas:
Expertise. A problem-solver has expertise in the context of the topic or problem at hand. Trust my past experience & knowledge to get to the solution. In coaching & systems design, it’s about Trust the Process. Expertise is in the (design) process which enables the person or system to flourish, which involves learning & growing over time.
Time Frame. Solving problems is very gratifying and helps focus on the short-term immediate shiny object. You are on-point and can offer immediate value that can be easily implemented today. Coaching & systems design is long-term. It takes time and inner work to reflect, ponder, try many small experiments, and wait to see what happens. These long-term solutions, which comprise of mindsets, rules or behaviors, are more holistic. They are universally applicable to other aspects of the person’s life or to the system.
Number of Solutions. Solving problems focuses on getting to a single, actionable solution (or maybe 2 if you’re going to A/B test it). Coaching & systems design is focused on a broad, wide exploration. The solutions are open, broad, spacious and explore what could be possible in the future.
Conversation Styles. When solving problems, the language is directive with emphatic statements of fact. This fact is driven by knowledge & past data. The problem-solver talks a lot, has past stories, and detailed explanations. The coach / systems designer has language that is more open-ended. The statements are shorter and end in questions. They are often a concise bottom-line observation. The coach/designer is driven by curiosity.
Conversation Modes. Problem-solving involves a lot of talking. Coaching is more listening and co-creating.
Leadership Lessons
Both problem-solving and coaching are helpful modes while doing design or working with people. They are both forms of support to help move people forward from a place of stuck-ness. Their intention is to be of service to help people and teams evolve.
Awareness. Know when you’re problem-solving vs coaching. Each of them has its place in a professional setting. If time is short and something is urgent, problem-solving is the way to go.
The relationship emotion. Do you know people who are chronic problem-solvers and may be perceived as know-it-alls / control freaks / experts of everything? How do you feel about these people? Annoyed? Grateful? Passive or silenced, because they always have the answers?
Agency & autonomy. Regardless of the solution, consider if it matters who came up with it. If you’ve ever had a teenager, does it make a difference if the parent tells the teen what to do, vs the teen coming up with it himself or with his group of friends? What’s the impact of allowing people to self-generate an insight? That solution will have their unique flavor & language. And it’s more likely to be actioned upon.
Co-creation. Consider this hybrid path of co-creation. Rather than being directive, move into brainstorm mode to identify all the possible perspectives on the issue. Serve as partners and co-collaborators to move the thinking forward. Be aware who’s choice it is to pick the action or experiment to try next.
When you’re working with people and projects, know when you’re in the mode of always problem-solving, and when you allow the autonomy for solutions to come from the mindset of systems design? How do you choose to lead— as a problem-solver or a co-creator?
*Learnings from the Co-Active Institute certification program audio training “Stop problem solving! Start coaching!” by Dorcas Kelley