1.03 – Coaching Your Employees For Career Growth & Success
Coaching plays a critical role in helping employees develop their skills, knowledge, and confidence. Simply telling them what to do isn’t effective. With the right guidance, anyone can become a great coach. This lesson explores what effective coaches do and how they do it, enabling you to coach your employees toward successful outcomes.
Serving as Both Manager and Coach
Even if you understand your role as a manager, do you know what it means to be a coach? A coach acts as a colleague, counsellor, and cheerleader. Reflect on whether you embody these roles and consider why or why not.
Coaching in business isn’t much different from coaching in other fields. For example, a drama coach is usually an accomplished actor who auditions, assigns roles, schedules rehearsals, trains, and supports the cast. These tasks mirror what managers do in a business setting.
Certain characteristics make some coaches better than others. Fortunately, coaching skills can be developed and improved. Key traits and tasks of effective coaches include:
- Setting Goals: Coaches work with employees to set goals and deadlines. They then let employees determine how to achieve these goals.
- Supporting and Encouraging: Coaches help employees through difficult times, offering support and encouragement.
- Emphasising Team Success: Coaches focus on the team’s overall performance rather than individual achievements.
- Assessing Talents and Shortfalls: Successful coaches identify team members’ strengths and weaknesses and tailor their approach accordingly.
- Inspiring Team Members: Coaches inspire their teams to achieve high levels of performance.
- Creating a Success-Oriented Environment: Coaches ensure the workplace allows for risk-taking and growth without fear of retribution.
- Providing Feedback: Regular, timely feedback is crucial. Both coaches and employees need ongoing communication, not just annual reviews.
Firing should never be the first step. Unless an employee commits a serious offence, verbal and written feedback should be given multiple times before considering termination.
Identifying a Coach’s Tools
Coaching requires a tailored approach. Recognise each team member’s specific needs and provide the appropriate level of support. Effective coaching techniques include:
- Making Time for Team Members: Be available to your employees. Regularly visit them at their workstations and keep an open-door policy.
- Providing Context and Vision: Explain why tasks are important and how they fit into the bigger picture.
- Transferring Knowledge and Perspective: Share your experience and insights relevant to each team member’s needs.
- Being a Sounding Board: Discuss new ideas and problem-solving approaches with your employees.
- Obtaining Needed Resources: Provide the necessary resources, whether it’s money, time, staff, or equipment.
- Offering a Helping Hand: Help employees manage workloads during transitions by reassigning tasks or authorising overtime.
Teaching Through Show-and-Tell Coaching
Show-and-tell coaching is highly effective for transferring specific skills. It involves three steps:
- You Do, You Say: Explain the procedure while performing the task.
- They Do, You Say: Have the employee perform the task as you explain each step.
- They Do, They Say: Observe as the employee performs the task and explains it to you.
Encourage employees to create a “cheat sheet” of steps until they become habitual.
Making Turning Points Big Successes
Management involves daily problem-solving and talent development. Effective coaches look for daily opportunities to succeed, which build up to significant achievements over time. Recognising and capitalising on these turning points is crucial for long-term success.
Incorporating Coaching into Day-to-Day Interactions
Coaches should spend daily time with employees to assess progress and help them make the most of opportunities. They should reward positive performance and help employees learn from mistakes. Effective coaching includes:
- Meeting with Employees: Schedule relaxed discussions to address concerns.
- Listening: Let employees share their thoughts before offering solutions.
- Reinforcing the Positive: Acknowledge what employees are doing right.
- Highlighting Areas for Improvement: Provide constructive feedback and support.
- Following Through: Support employees’ development and notice improvements.
Patience is essential. Employees develop at different rates, and effective coaching considers these differences.
