The Coaching Habit review for a11y leaders

Our March 2024 pick was a little different for an accessibility book club. The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier is a management book, and it earned its spot on our shelf. Accessibility work lives or dies by how well we lead, teach, and support the people around us.

My top takeaway: brilliant simplicity

The book's biggest strength is how practical it is. It hands busy managers seven key questions that make coaching possible in minutes, not days. No retreats, no frameworks to memorize, just better questions asked at the right moment.

See the full details on our The Coaching Habit book page, and learn more about the author's work at MBS Works (opens in a new tab).

Where it stops short

The book does not go deep into the softer qualities of coaching, like empathy or active listening. It lays the groundwork for practical management skills and leaves the rest to you. For a short, focused read, that tradeoff makes sense.

Why it matters for accessibility teams

Accessibility leads spend a lot of time coaching: helping a designer think through focus order, nudging a developer to test with a screen reader, or walking a product owner through why a WCAG 2.2 success criterion matters. Asking a good question often teaches more than handing over the answer.

Ways to bring coaching into your a11y practice

• Open accessibility reviews with a question before you share findings
• Let the team propose the fix first, then fill in the gaps
• Use quick check-ins in standups to surface accessibility blockers early

If you are building accessibility into a team's rhythm, pair this book with our Agile Accessibility Handbook review.

Who should read it

Anyone in a management or lead role who wants to fold effective coaching into a busy day. It is a gem for accessibility leads, team managers, and anyone mentoring the next generation of inclusive designers and developers.

Join the conversation

What was your key takeaway from The Coaching Habit? Which of the seven questions do you use most? Share your thoughts in the Accessibility Book Club LinkedIn group (opens in a new tab).