The Progress Coaching Blog

The number one skill leaders should possess is the ability to converse and thoughtfully react to situations. We call this the Situational Coach.

First of all, millennials are incredible people, and let me also share this major suggestion with you-not all millennial's are alike! Treat each and every employee, including millennials, on their individual merits, characteristics, and opportunities for growth. We tend to categorize and label people too much, cutting ourselves off from truly learning what each individual is about and what they need for career and professional development.

We hear it all the time " I have no time to coach", but this begs the following humorous perspectives on managers not having time to coach:

We have a very interesting relationship with work. How often to we hear people say "I have to go to work Monday" as if its a death sentence? What this really means is people are not connected or motivated by what they do.

If we cannot conduct workplace assessments or surveys without them having to be anonymous so we can get honest and straightforward answers doesn't that speak to our cultural based challenges? A culture should in fact have the ability for people to have direct conversations in interactions without fear or retribution. Measuring peoples engagement and understanding how each and every employee is answered positions each and every manager to have direct and targeted conversations. This is the only way a culture can truly be built on honesty saw cultural growth can be achieved with integrity!

Obviously I am focused on the manager's coaching conversation. The major thing that we need to realize as training and learning professionals is that it takes one conversation with the manager to either support or not support our training and learning initiatives.

Have you ever had a friend or coworker that seemed to have it all, the great job, loving family, nice car, you name it? Has that same person still, despite all of their assets, lacked confidence? You can try telling that person that they have every reason to be confident in their life, many times having things that others only dream of having. It comes down to one simple fact: Confidence can’t be bestowed on someone; they have to foster it themselves. Just like Maria, from the Sound of Music, motivation comes from within. We all understand that confidence in your job leads to many successes, from pay to simply job satisfaction.

Missed my last "Too Stupid" post? Click here to catch up. 

It's a saying I hear all the time from managers, "I don't have time to coach!" However, there are two myths within management communities. First, managers coach already! A lack of coaching is a strong component of management, so if you don't like it, please find another job. Second, managers do have time to coach! No matter the department or manager, people run machines, computers, sales, customer service, etc. It is important to invest time in such a vital aspect of the work environment. People being the #1 asset should NOT be a cliche, rather something we live by and support through our leadership action.

Let’s just start with the negative views of both coaches and consultants. There’s a phrase an often heard about consultants along the lines of, “Give the consultant a watch and he’ll tell you the time.” Or, going back to coaching, how they are like consultants with less experience. When it comes right down to it, your business needs them both, and here’s why.