In fact, being a thought partner might be the best managerial move out there. What happens at that intersection, usually? They want to work for you because they want to work with you. Literally, top of mind — as in, in your thoughts.

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The combination of being trustworthy and invested, along with really knowing your stuff, makes you both a subject matter expert and also a partner that folks in your organization will want in their corner. One way to accomplish this is to be a thought partner. Causes you to modify or change your paradigms, assumptions or actions. Has information or a way of thinking that provokes you to innovate or otherwise leads to value creation in your business, career or life. If I want to be a trusted leader, I need to be a thought partner. If a manager comes to my office with a personnel issue, certainly I want to be sure that they use HR best practices and things like documentation and compliance are covered. And it would be easy for me to simply share my knowledge of management, employee relations, etc. But when I take the time to ask questions, listen to her answers, and ask more questions, the conversation changes. I help her figure out how to isolate the problem behavior, brainstorm ideas of addressing her employee, identify ways to hold the employee accountable, and develop real action items for herself and her staff member. Instead of leaving with a list of steps she needs to follow, she leaves feeling more confident in her ability to manage because she has figured it out for herself through our conversation.
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And asking implication questions can put you on that path. It is by definition influential: of all the people available for this role, someone has chosen you to be their personal sounding board, the person with whom they can have a genuine and constructive dialogue. This is something to be appreciated. That is a powerful compliment: he or she would consult with you before making an important decision, wants to hear your candid opinion, and believes you to be credible and discreet.
A thought partner is a person who is skilled at accompanying a person or group as they seek clarity in their life or work. Their job is to understand the subject the "thinker" is considering, understand the values the thinker is operating out of, understand the outcome the thinker desires, and mobilize a variety of communication tools in support of the thinker's process. Above all, thought partners are committed to the person who is asking a question or seeking clarity, and offer support, safety, powerful questions, accountability, and patient presence for their thinking journey. A good thought partner acts as a catalyst for clarity and confidence for the person in need of answers. A thought partner working with an individual may help the person consider the pro's and con's of an action. For example, a coaching client of mine was the executive director of a nonprofit in the western U. He was faced with a difficult set of problems related to the future programming of the organization. There was a willingness on the part of stakeholders to follow his lead, but his own mind was divided as to the best course to take. The legacy of the organization's programming was deeply important to he and the group's constituents. At the same time, the old format seemed to be unsustainable and tired.