Getting to the Why Behind the Problem | Root Cause Coaching

The issue someone brings to a coaching conversation is not always the real issue. In this episode of Now What?, Glenn Sharp continues his Advanced Coaching Techniques series by explaining how leaders, HR professionals, and managers can get to the real “why” behind workplace problems. A manager may say the issue is time management. But after asking better questions, interviewing the manager and direct reports, and reviewing the communication being sent to the team, the real issue may not be time management at all. It may be communication. Glenn shares a story about being asked to lead a time management workshop, only to discover that the root cause was unclear corporate language. The sender did not even fully understand what she meant in her own email. So how could the team understand it? That is the difference between coaching the symptom and finding the root cause. This episode also covers meeting leadership, agenda discipline, accountability, and how to stop people from distracting you with side issues. If a meeting keeps going off track, the issue may not be the agenda. It may be that the leader does not know how to conduct the meeting, clarify responsibilities, or hold people accountable for next steps. The goal is not to solve the first problem someone names. The goal is to find the real one. What You’ll Learn Why the “why” is the root cause Why time management may not be the actual problem How unclear communication creates workplace confusion Why leaders need to interview both managers and direct reports How to tell whether someone has a time management issue or a communication issue How to keep meetings from going off track -Why people should leave meetings knowing their responsibilities and next steps How to hold people accountable after a meeting Why some people struggle because they cannot manage multiple tasks How repeated identity statements can point to a deeper issue Why coaches should not let people distract them from the real problem Chapters 0:00 — Highlight 2:09 — Getting to the Why / Root Cause 3:00 — Why vs. How and What 3:30 — The Time Management Workshop Story 4:00 — When Communication Is the Real Problem 4:46 — Using an Agenda in Meetings 5:30 — When People Do Not Know How to Lead Meetings 6:15 — The “First Person Off Topic Buys Lunch” Rule 7:00 — Clarifying Responsibilities and Next Steps 8:00 — When Task Management Creates Time Management Problems 8:55 — What Defines Them? 9:30 — The Degree Story 11:00 — Do Not Let Side Issues Distract From the Root Cause 13:00 — Summary / Now What? 14:06 — Episode 36: Advanced Interviewing Techniques Next Steps → Get the book: readnowwhat.com → Subscribe for weekly leadership content #LeadershipDevelopment #CoachingSkills #RootCauseAnalysis #ExecutiveCoaching #ManagementTraining #HRProfessionals #WorkplaceLeadership #CommunicationSkills #MeetingManagement #Accountability #EmployeeDevelopment #LeadershipCoaching #NowWhatPodcast #GlennSharp