Most managers think their job is to have the answers.

But the managers who create the strongest teams often do the opposite: they ask better questions.

The challenge is that under pressure, most of us default to fixing, advising, and jumping in with solutions. And while that may feel efficient in the moment, it can unintentionally shut down ownership, confidence, and independent thinking on our teams.

Fortunately, this week’s guests explain why coaching doesn’t have to mean hour-long development conversations or formal mentoring sessions. Instead, they share how small “coachable moments” in everyday work conversations can transform the way people think, learn, and perform.

Laura Ashley-Timms and Dominic Ashley-Timms are leadership experts, executive coaches, and authors of The Answer Is A Question. Their work focuses on helping managers use operational coaching techniques to develop more confident, capable, and engaged teams through the power of purposeful inquiry.

In this conversation, we explore how to identify coachable moments, the kinds of questions that build confidence and critical thinking, and why managers who stop rushing to provide answers often unlock far greater performance from their teams.

Conversation Topics

(00:00) Introduction
(02:14) Why managers default to giving answers instead of coaching
(05:27) What makes a moment “coachable”
(08:43) How operational coaching builds confidence and ownership
(12:08) The difference between helpful questions and advice disguised as questions
(14:31) The Ques-Gen framework for asking better questions
(18:21) How purposeful inquiry creates new insights and learning
(19:27) Questions that unintentionally shut people down
(22:20) How to share your ideas without dominating the conversation
(24:38) The leadership shift from problem-solver to talent developer
(30:10) [Extended Episode Only] How to decide if a situation is truly coachable
(33:36) [Extended Episode Only] Why small coaching moments create long-term team growth
(35:17) [Extended Episode Only] The growing pressure managers face today
(37:24) [Extended Episode Only] Why “accidental managers” are burning out
(38:56) [Extended Episode Only] Reframing management as enabling others to succeed

📚 Additional Resources:

✨ Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nDydcM3ozLY1UtVNN7O0AqMJr1rs5JkuWe8KDq6EdQE/edit?usp=sharing

✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/

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✨ Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1

Keep up with Laura Ashley-Timms and Dominic Ashley-Timms

- Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/laura-ashley-timms

- Connect with Dominic on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dominic-ashley-timms

- Listen to the STAR® Manager Podcast: https://STARmanager.global/podcast

- Check out their book The Answer Is A Question: https://www.amazon.com/Answer-Question-Superpower-Everything-Transform/dp/0117093912

Guest Bonus: 10 Free Audiobooks of The Answer is A Question

This book provides a step-by-step walk-through of their ground-breaking STAR® model. Packed with invaluable insights, examples, and mini-missions, you’ll learn precisely how to make some immediate changes that will yield fast and exciting results and revolutionise how you manage forever.

The first 10 members to sign up will receive the audiobook.

To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

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