Build Your Own Field of Dreams: Lessons for Managers on Coaching
You
know that coaching your employees is important and you know
that coaching can be challenging. Have you ever skimped on
coaching your top performers, figuring these high-fliers can
fend for themselves? Or focused your coaching strictly on
tasks — not asking employees about their unique likes,
dislikes and goals? And have you often sincerely meant to
coach — but not found enough time to do it?
You're not alone. Many managers these days are pulled in many directions. Even the best intentions of developing your team can take a backseat to all your other responsibilities. Even when you make an earnest attempt, your coaching efforts may not yield the results you're looking for, and your organization may lose the opportunity to harness its talent.
At BlessingWhite, we've studied what makes for
coaching success — and what doesn't. We've also talked
to managers in various organizations who've made coaching
work.
We've discovered that when coaching isn't effective,
it's often because well-meaning managers operate on misguided
assumptions. Here are the five top coaching mistakes that
get in the way of coaching effectiveness and employee success:
#1 — Coaching The Job Description, Not The Person
Many managers apply a "one size fits all" approach to coaching.
Rather than find out what each employee needs, they make assumptions
based on job descriptions and types. They assume that all
salespeople are "risk-takers" while the accounting staff is
"detail-oriented". Ignoring human complexity, this coaching
approach reduces each person to a job description.
Many managers mistakenly believe that coaching
conversations should only focus narrowly on work tasks. They
discuss project timelines, for example, but never ask how
an employee feels about the work, what obstacles he or she
is facing, and how the coach can best add value.
Not
surprisingly, when coaching's not tailored to the individual
it typically doesn't hit the mark, and employees are left
to figure things out on their own. When employees' specific
talents and issues aren't addressed, they may lose focus,
lessen their commitment, or tune out instead of working at
a higher level and becoming more engaged at work.
Taking
the time to learn about each team member's unique needs, strengths,
and priorities will result in providing the coaching that
will be focused and productive. "I provide people the chance
to give me feedback in various ways, so I am practicing what
I am preaching," explains Carol Novello, Vice President
and General Manager, Intuit Construction Business Solutions.
She holds frequent formal and informal feedback sessions —
and genuinely solicits employee input. This enables her to
tweak her coaching approach to better provide what each employee
needs.
#2 — Being the Hero
Some managers put a lot of energy into coaching — but still don't get results.
They mistakenly think that coaching means jumping
in to save the day, telling their employee what to do, or
worse, doing it for them. However, too much telling and not
enough listening can short-circuit coaching effectiveness.
While it's natural for an experienced
leader to want to share insights and be a role model, coaching
effectively doesn't require being an expert with all the answers.
The "hero" coach approach assumes that the best
learning comes from modeling the behaviors and skills, which
can erode employee confidence and keep their potential from
being unleashed. Often it's by observing and then offering
feedback that employees can quickly improve.
#3 — Missing Coaching Opportunities
Many managers correctly realize that not everyone on the team needs the same amount of coaching. However, they don't always focus their coaching efforts where the payback will be greatest.
For example, many managers assume that they should
spend most of their time with their problem employees. They
view coaching as "remedial" work to be applied only
when performance goes off track.
As a result, they miss key opportunities to
see their best talent grow. Often, managers neglect to enhance
the performance and career satisfaction of those very employees
they want to retain most! Assuming that high-performing and
self-directed employees don't need coaching minimizes opportunities
to channel their talent to new projects and initiatives and
increases the possibility that they may become disconnected
from their manager and the organization.
Of course, successful coaches don't ignore "average"
employees either. They realize that with the right coaching
approach, employees at various performance levels can improve
and contribute.
Similarly, many managers mistakenly assume that
coaching is just for employees who are new to the organization.
They believe that after an employee's been on board for a
while, coaching is no longer needed.
This pitfall ignores the reality of today's
ever-changing organizations. Even veteran employees have new
roles, new strategies, new teams, and new technologies to
deal with. Savvy managers realize that coaching can benefit
employees at many stages of their careers.
For example, when Intuit's Novello gave a few
employees "stretch" assignments, she "needed to spend more
time up front to make sure they were getting properly grounded...
before they got too far afield." And when a seasoned expert
with more technical knowledge than Novello in a particular
area joined her team, she knew that she couldn't coach him
in his technical abilities. Instead, she focused her coaching
on how he could improve his communication skills when he presented
his ideas.
#4 — Waiting For That
Perfect Time To Coach
Perhaps because coaching doesn't seem as tangible as preparing
a budget or developing a report, many managers put it on the
back burner.
Unfortunately, managers who
plan to coach once they take care of other management priorities
are often still waiting, months later, for that unrealistic,
elusive "perfect" coaching moment.
Additionally, many managers fail to initiate
coaching, waiting until an employee requests it. This haphazard
approach may signal a belief that coaching isn't all that
important.
Successful
managers know opportunities for coaching present themselves
all the time, and it's worth making the most of regular interactions
such as email and voicemail communications and weekly check-ins
to provide quick and timely coaching.
#5 — Treating
Coaching As An Event
Some managers mistakenly assume that coaching only takes place
in official "coaching" meetings. Or they feel they can make
up for lost coaching in the once-a-year performance review.
"I can't afford not to do it," says Novello
of coaching her direct reports on a regular basis. "Ultimately,
it gives me more time in the long run... It doesn't take
that much change to move a regular interaction into an opportunity
to coach. And if people get used to it being frequent and
informal, it really has so much power."
There's little positive impact if the only meaningful
feedback an employee hears is during the annual performance
review — or, worse yet, if that feedback comes as a surprise
because it's delivered in a coaching vacuum.
The best managers see coaching as an ongoing
process, and incorporate coaching into their daily activities.
They actively take advantage of potential coaching opportunities,
whether hallway encounters or brief post-meeting conversations.
"Sometimes, coaching is just remembering
to do simple things," notes the head of the Learning Consultancy
at a major Accounting firm... "like sending a quick email
to reinforce the positive, telling someone they did a good
job and why, and the impact it had."
Remember that coaching is a customized process
that maximizes both your employees' performance and their
job satisfaction. By leveraging your team's talents toward
the organization's goals and priorities, coaching will significantly
boost your — and your employees' — productivity
and engagement, as well as the organization's success.
"It goes back to my mindset — is it
an investment or an expense," says Novello. "The best
thing I can possibly do to help my business succeed is to
hire the best people... and then help them succeed."
For
more information on how BlessingWhite can help your managers
leverage your team's talents toward the organization's goals
and priorities, call 1-800-222-1349.
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