Product Therapy Coaching Up
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Sep 4, 2025 Lea Hickman, a partner at SVPG with a rich background coaching leaders at Adobe and IBM, joins to discuss the often-taboo topic of coaching up. She explains why giving feedback to your manager matters and shares tactics for approaching disengaged leaders. The conversation dives into using personal user manuals to understand management styles, navigating difficult workplace dynamics, and the importance of communication in fostering trust and collaboration. Lea also addresses ego and insecurity in leadership, stressing that shaping the manager-employee relationship is a shared responsibility.
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New Leader Lacked Function Knowledge
- Lea describes a new leader who publicly spoke but lacked function knowledge and would need coaching from tenured staff.
- She questioned whether that leader would be open to coaching from direct reports.
Model The Coaching You Want
- Demonstrate the feedback rhythm you want by modeling it and asking for specific improvement plans.
- Celebrate when your manager gives useful feedback to reinforce the behavior.
Ask For Help To Defuse 'Always Right' Managers
- When a manager thinks they're always right, ask for their help to break down their reasoning rather than challenge them.
- Use curious questions to surface assumptions and invite reflection without attacking ego.