Employee Coaching – What Every Manager Needs to Know
Employee coaching is a bit of a buzz word in organisations at the moment and managers find themselves increasingly being expected to be able to “coach” their staff, with little real understanding of just what workplace coaching is or how to go about it. Some trainers or consultants suddenly call themselves “coaches” having had little specific training and even less practice, and organisations talk of developing a “coaching and mentoring culture” with a feeling of uncertainty about exactly what this means or how to go about it.
All the while, more and more courses, theories and models on mentoring tips, coaching motivation and articles on coaching and mentoring spring up leaving managers feeling overwhelmed at the amount of knowledge and time it seems is necessary before they are able to coach their staff. In many cases, this is time they feel they just don’t have.
But the truth is, any manager can coach, provide mentoring tips and guidelines, given a few ground rules.
Conversely, ignore those ground rules and you’ll do more harm than good.
Employee Coaching : The Ground Rules
So what are those ground rules? Take a look at the following list, and see if you feel you have what it takes to be a great coach.
Great coaches are…
1. Approachable and available
You don’t have to be at people’s beck and call, but research shows when staff feel there is genuine interest in them as people, as well as for their well-being and development, they will work harder and be less resistant to change.
2. Excellent listeners
How well do you listen to your staff? I mean really listen? Most of us, manager or not, would benefit from honing our listening skills. People aren’t daft – we know when someone is really listening and when they’re just being polite, or waiting till you’ve finished so that they can jump in!If you don’t start to really listen – your staff will stop talking to you. Instead, they’ll probably talk behind your back.
3. Empathic
Empathy is not the same as sympathy.
Empathy is understanding how someone else feels or thinks, even if you don’t necessarily share that feeling or view.Empathy breeds tolerance. It allows people to feel “safe” expressing views, even if they challenge the status quo, knowing they will not be ridiculed, or at “risk” of being branded a trouble-maker. Stamping down opposing views just drives them underground anyway. Wouldn’t you rather have them in the open?
Often, people want to be heard even more than they want their own way.
4. Encouraging and supportive
Praise; noticing when people do something well; feeding back specifically what you appreciate, and helping your staff achieve some of their own personal goals, will all put credits in the relationship bank account.It’s that bank of good will which will help maintain high performance, despite any challenges. An empty bank account means no good will. No good will means you’re fighting to stay afloat.
5. Honest and willing to reveal their “humanity”
None of us are perfect. All of us make mistakes.Great coaches admit their mistakes, and allow others to know it’s OK to make mistakes, as long as we learn from them.If you’re not honest – how can you expect your staff to be?
6. Challenging
Great coaches are not afraid to challenge when they feel it’s appropriate. They don’t just challenge their staff, they challenge up and sideways too. They’re not “yes” men or women – they have transparent values – and they communicate skillfully and respectfully whilst ensuring their voice is heard.
7. People with clear and high expectations (without being demanding)
Great coaches don’t overburden staff unnecessarily with rules and procedures, but they do ensure they know what is expected of them.
Coaching Employees is less a way of “doing” – more a way of “being”.
Whilst there are techniques to help you coach more effectively, if you strengthen your ability to demonstrate the above 7 rules, you’re already developing both coaching workplace motivation skills, and a coaching culture.
And the beauty of that is – it won’t take a 2 day course or hours of reading! Just a little bit of honest self-appraisal, and some “tweaks” in the way you do things.
