As I have mentioned before in previous blogs, coaching is something that should be done daily. It is easy to put coaching on the backburner because of other responsibilities. However, it is important to coach when the opportunity presents itself. This will continuously help your employees reach their full potential. Coaching shouldn’t be done only when you have time for it as it can be done in short spurts throughout the day. Here are some tips to help make your coaching efforts with your employees more effective while working toward the goals set for them, as well as, the company.
- Business coaching is a process NOT a destination. Don’t get hung up if you don’t see the progress you’re looking for right away, keep trying.
- Only target one or two performance areas at a time. More than that is just too much for someone to handle and be successful with.
- Coaching is about being proactive, while management is about being reactive. Keep your eye out for potential areas of need with your staff before they become too big an issue to tackle.
- A good coach encourages their team to develop and grow while a manager lets them maintain the status quo. Always strive to help your team get better, even if they seem to be successful. There is always room for improvement. Leverage positive reinforcement as a major tool to open employees’ minds to the area they need to improve.
- Resist the urge to use the “let me show you” or “this is what I would do” tactic. Let the employee own the task or the change needed. You should help facilitate dialogue that lets them come to the solution on their own.
- Schedule your coaching sessions and maintain the schedule. The key is to ask questions, perform activities such as practicing or role-playing. Lastly, assign short learning projects for completion after the coaching session for the employee to take ownership of.
