When to coach vs when to course-correct

Coach when the IC has the capability but is making sub-optimal choices — your role is to ask questions that help them see what you see. Course-correct when the IC is heading toward a near-term outcome you can't accept — your role is to name the problem directly, name the change you need, and reserve coaching for after.

The mistake new managers make: defaulting to coaching for everything because it feels less confrontational. Coaching a fire is malpractice — the building burns while you Socratic-method the IC.

The mistake experienced managers sometimes make: defaulting to course-correcting because it's faster. The IC stops bringing the early-warning signals because they know each one becomes a directive. You lose the surface area to coach.

A simple test: if the cost of being wrong is small + recoverable, coach. If it's large or irreversible (customer impact, security incident, hire-mistake), course-correct now, coach later in the 1:1.