Growth rarely happens on a straight line, and neither should coaching. We sat down with Andrew Rios, Head of Customer Experience at Cityside Fiber, to explore how leaders can tailor their coaching as people mature—from fresh hires forming their professional identity to seasoned operators who navigate constraints with judgment and calm. Andrew draws on an unexpected source—coaching youth sports—to reveal practical tactics that translate directly to support leadership.
We start with the early-career stage, where strong opinions and limited exposure often collide. Andrew’s approach is simple and effective: observe first, set clear expectations, explain the why, and check for understanding without condescension. He shares how to model the behavior you want, turn feedback into co-created next steps, and transform “I’m right” energy into team-first outcomes. Along the way, we talk about relatable storytelling, sticky lessons, and the value of asking people to reflect back what they heard so alignment sticks beyond the meeting.
As the conversation moves to senior ICs and emerging leaders, we shift to the realities of budgets, staffing, and process limits. Here, coaching is less about task accuracy and more about decision quality, trade-offs, and influence without authority. Andrew explains how transparency builds trust, how to run adult reflection loops (“If you could do it again, what changes?”), and why change usually takes longer than a 90-day plan. We also dig into inheriting teams, decoding norms from past workplaces, and preventing message drift by re-anchoring the why at regular intervals—even with your top performers.
Throughout, vulnerability is the backbone. Andrew talks openly about owning mistakes on the field and at work, thanking the team for the save, and using those moments to strengthen culture. If you’re a support leader, manager, or senior IC looking to evolve your coaching playbook, this conversation offers concrete tools and a mindset shift: meet people where they are, coach for where they want to go, and resist coaching them where they don’t.
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