ADPList BeMore'24 Unlock Your Team's Potential with Coaching

In this insightful session, explore the transformative power of utilizing professional coaching techniques as part of successful design leadership. We will delve into the essentials of professional coaching, how they are both distinct from and complement traditional mentoring or managing, and how these techniques can significantly elevate your team's performance and innovation. This talk will equip design leaders with practical strategies to foster a culture of continuous growth and empowerment in their organizations. Whether you're leading a small team or a large design department, learn how to apply these coaching principles to not only enhance individual capabilities but also drive organizational success.

Jim Lane is Senior Director of Product Design for CNN Digital Revenue, Growth and Commerce products. In this role he leads design for advertising and other revenue products, customer lifecycle management, messaging and newsletters, and CNN Underscored. For over 25 years he has led teams in both startups and large organizations such as Netscape/America Online, AddThis (acquired by Oracle Data Cloud), Contactually (acquired by Compass), and Virtru, a data protection and privacy startup. Jim is also a mentor, coach, and community organizer. In 2012 he founded NoVA UX, a Meetup group for user experience professionals in the Northern Virginia/DC metro area which offered monthly speakers, workshops, and other UX-oriented events.

1. Unlock your team’s potential
with coaching
Jim Lane
Sr. Director of Product Design, CNN
ADPList: /mentors/jim-lane
LinkedIn: /in/jimlane

2. who is this guy?
Hi, I’m Jim.
I’m a design leader, community organizer,
mentor, coach, and dog dad.
I mentor for ADPList, lead design teams at
CNN, and am pursuing my professional
coaching certification from Duquesne
University’s Business School.
Comic book
super-villian shot

3. What we’ll be
discussing
Introduction
An overview of what coaching is,
and isn't
Why coaching is a powerful tool for
design leaders
Some of the fundamental skills and
strategies for coaching individuals
and teams
How to apply those skills to specific
leadership challenges
Resources for adding coaching to
your leadership toolkit

4. What you will take
away from this talk
Introduction
Understanding of the impact
coaching techniques can have on
your teams and professional
relationships
Inspiration for you to help your
teams grow and achieve their best
potential
Sound good? Let’s get started! 

5. definitions
definitions

6. What coaching isn’t
definitions
Managing: organizing and directing
work
Teaching: sharing knowledge
to become more accomplished
Mentoring: transferring knowledge
to achieve goals
Therapy: diagnosing and treating
mental health disorders

7. Ok, so what is
coaching?
definitions
The International Coaching
Federation (ICF) definition: 
“ICF defines coaching as partnering
with clients in a thought-provoking
and creative process that inspires
them to maximize their personal
and professional potential. 
The process of coaching often
unlocks previously untapped
sources of imagination, productivity
and leadership.”


8. definitions
When to use each of these skills
Leveling up
Career progression
Learning the ropes
Gaining organizational knowledge
Knowledge gap
Short on time
One-off task
Straight-forward
Building on what is already known
Digging into behaviors & motivations
Breaking through roadblocks
Challenging, championing, celebrating
MentoringTeaching Coaching

9. You have knowledge or experience to shareThey already have everything they need!
definitions
When to use each of these skills
Leveling up
Career progression
Learning the ropes
Gaining organizational knowledge
Knowledge gap
Short on time
One-off task
Straight-forward
Building on what is already known
Digging into behaviors & motivations
Breaking through roadblocks
Challenging, championing, celebrating
MentoringTeaching Coaching

10. Why coaching &
design leadership?
definitions
Better listeners
Better problem-solvers
Happier teams
Increased productivity
Faster innovation

11. fundamentals
fundamentals

12. FUNDAMENTALS
Let’s start with an example.
Aisha is Nia’s manager.
Nia is a designer on Aisha’s team who
has been struggling with her product
management counterpart, Kelly.
The two discuss in their weekly 1:1.
Demo time!

13. FUNDAMENTALS
Hi, Nia. How are you? What’s on your mind?
Hi, Aisha. I'm doing ok, I guess. I've been
struggling a bit with Kelly, my product
manager.

14. FUNDAMENTALS
You two work closely together. Tell me more
about what's going on?
It feels like my design ideas are quickly
dismissed. For instance, last week I suggested
ideas for some changes to our user interface
that would enhance our app's accessibility, but
she rejected them without much discussion.

15. FUNDAMENTALS
It sounds like you’re feeling overlooked, and
that can be really disheartening. How do you
typically handle that kind of response?
I try to push back initially, but I usually end up
backing down to avoid conflict. It seems easier
to just go along with the decision, even though
it doesn’t sit right with me.

16. FUNDAMENTALS
Avoiding conflict might seem simpler, but it
sounds like it also leaves you feeling
undervalued. What do you think might be
causing Kelly to push back on your ideas?
Hmm. {silence…} She might be worried that the
extra work will delay our schedule - but I don’t
think she understands the impact on our
customers, or compliance guidelines we’re
supposed to be following. 

17. FUNDAMENTALS
How might you go about balancing those
priorities?
Hmm. There are definitely ways we could work
together to improve accessibility and also
minimize risk to the schedule. I’ll reach out and
talk to Kelly about it.

18. FUNDAMENTALS
That sounds like a great idea. In our 1:1s we
could also practice skills like listening for
potential concerns and identifying them
proactively together. How does that sound?
That sounds really helpful!
Being able to discuss those with Kelly up-front
might help us find common ground more easily
and reduce some of that tension.

19. FUNDAMENTALS
Excellent! I’ll schedule some time for us to
practice next week, and I'll be here to support
you every step of the way.

20. Core principles
and techniques
Fundamentals
Principles:
Non-judgment, empowerment
Techniques:
Active listening
Empowering questions
Goal setting

21. Active listening
Fundamentals
Avoid distraction & judgement
Focus on words but also body
language and emotions
Note and regulate emotional
responses
Listen for changes
Allow for silence
Clarify, reflect, distill


22. Empowering
questions
Fundamentals
Ask open vs. closed questions
Ask one question at a time
Skip the intro, just ask!
Get comfortable with silence…



23. Tip: Ask ‘how’ & ‘what’ instead
of ‘why’ and yes/no questions
fundamentals
Empowering questions Limiting questions
What’s on your mind?
Tell me more/what else?
What’s the real challenge here?
What do you want?
How can I help?
How might we…?
What does ‘done’ look like?
Whose problem is this to solve?
If ‘yes’ to this, what will you say ‘no’ to?
Close-ended: “Did you…?”
Info-only: “Who else…?”
Judgmental: “Why did you…?”
Advice: “Don’t you think you should…?”
Pulling back: “Do you think you’re ready?”

24. Goal setting
Fundamentals
Goals = accountability, to ourselves
and each other
SMART: specific, measurable,
actionable, relevant, time-bound
End coaching conversations with
commitments to next steps

25. FUNDAMENTALS
Let’s deconstruct our previous example.

26. FUNDAMENTALS
Hi, Nia. How are you? What’s on your mind?
Empowering/”open” question
Hi, Aisha. I'm doing ok, I guess. I've been
struggling a bit with Kelly, my product
manager.

27. FUNDAMENTALS
You two work closely together. Tell me more
about what's going on?
It feels like my design ideas are quickly
dismissed. For instance, last week I suggested
ideas for some changes to our user interface
that would enhance our app's accessibility, but
she rejected them without much discussion.
Empowering/”open” question

28. FUNDAMENTALS
It sounds like you’re feeling overlooked
How do you
typically handle that kind of response?
, and
that can be really disheartening.
I try to push back initially, but I usually end up
backing down to avoid conflict. It seems easier
to just go along with the decision, even though
it doesn’t sit right with me.
Active listnening; reflect
Empowering/”open” question

29. FUNDAMENTALS
Avoiding conflict might seem simpler, but it
sounds like it also leaves you feeling
undervalued. What do you think might be
causing Kelly to push back on your ideas?
Hmm. She might be worried that
the extra work will delay our schedule - but I
don’t think she understands the impact on our
customers, or compliance guidelines we’re
supposed to be following. 
{silence…}
Active listnening; reflect
Active listnening; silence
Empowering/”open” question

30. FUNDAMENTALS
How might you go about balancing those
priorities?
Hmm. There are definitely ways we could work
together to improve accessibility and also
minimize risk to the schedule. I’ll reach out and
talk to Kelly about it.
Empowering/”open” question

31. FUNDAMENTALS
That sounds like a great idea.
and identifying them
proactively together.
In our 1:1s we
could also practice skills like listening for
potential concerns
How does that sound?
That sounds really helpful!
Being able to discuss those with Kelly up-front
might help us find common ground more easily
and reduce some of that tension.
Goal-setting
Permissioning

32. FUNDAMENTALS
Excellent!
, and I'll be here to support
you every step of the way.
I’ll schedule some time for us to
practice next week
Goal-setting > contract

33. design leadership
Coaching & design leadership
(But first, any questions?)

34. Fostering a growth
mindset
design leadership
What is a growth mindset?
The psychology behind a growth
mindset
Creating a culture of continuous
learning
Integrating coaching conversations
into 1:1s and meetings

35. Empowering
individuals & teams
design leadership
Empowering designers to take
ownership of their growth
Helping teams set meaningful
goals and create actionable plans
Uncovering hidden potential and
driving innovation
Scaling coaching across larger
teams or departments, including
establishing peer coaching or
mentoring programs

36. Coaching for
innovation
design leadership
Stimulating creative thinking and
problem-solving
Breaking through creative blocks;
what might getting in the way?
Engaging cross-functional partners

37. Start small, think big
design leadership
Keep it simple
Introduce coaching gradually
Create training and feedback loops
Anticipate challenges

38. design leadership

39. Goal setting:
a challenge for you
design leadership
What is one coaching question,
technique or strategy that you will
put to work this week for yourself
or your team? 
At the end of the week:?
<How did it go??
<What did you learn?

40. Just wrap it up already
Questions?

41. Thank you! Any questions?
Jim Lane
Sr. Director of Product Design, CNN
ADPList: /mentors/jim-lane
LinkedIn: /in/jimlane