Coaching Tools

I often recommend the same go-to books, and have long craved a scenario- or “use case”-based list of coaching tools. I asked John Cutler to put up a bat signal on Twitter and we got these responses. (The last set are more specific to product management.) Please keep the suggestions coming!

When trying to help a person…

• acclimate to a new role, new manager or new job — “The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter” by Michael D. Watkins
• who feels like they’ve plateaued/peaked — “Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work” by Whitney Johnson
• be persuasive, not abrasive — “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High” by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan & Switzler
• guide, versus direct, people to better decisions—“Quiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work” by David Rock
• looking to ‘step up’ and put themselves ‘out there’ — “Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts” by Brené Brown
• struggling with distraction — “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport
• manage time and set the right priorities — “The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done” by Peter F. Drucker
• struggling with productivity — “The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
• struggling with too much personal work in progress⁠ — “Personal Kanban: Navigating Work, Managing Life” by Jim Benson & Tonianne DeMaria Barry
• stuck in victim mentality or feeling helpless — “The Responsibility Process: Unlocking Your Natural Ability to Live and Lead with Power” by Christopher Avery
• going through a negotiation or conflict — “Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In” by Roger Fisher & William L. Ury
• struggling to understand why people do what they do — “Principles of Microeconomics” by Gregory Mankiw
• understand what motivates consumers — “How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like” by Paul Bloom
• understand Product Management — “Soul of a New Machine” by Tracy Kidder
• struggling with product/market fit — “Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works” by Ash Maurya
• want a fresh perspective on your work/business— “Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers” by Alexander Osterwalder
• encourage a team to work on a meaningful ‘slice’ of work⁠ — “User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product” by Jeff Patton
• look beyond Scrum to broader universe of Agile — “Escape Velocity: Better Metrics for Agile Teams” by Doc Norton

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