People often comment to me that they are “uncomfortable” coaching employees when it comes to unacceptable performance issues. While this is not uncommon, it often occurs because people haven’t developed their coaching skills and abilities. When coaching, especially around performance issues, it is so important to address an issue when it arises rather than waiting. By waiting to address the issue, you run the risk of making the coaching conversation more difficult. Chances are the behavior will be repeated and will be assumed acceptable.

In order to become comfortable with coaching, I usually offer two simple suggestions to get things moving:

When it comes to coaching, most of our efforts are spent with those that report directly to us. This begs the question; what needs to be done when you need to coach your boss on a particular issue? Can you achieve the results you desire and can it really be done effectively? Interestingly enough, sometimes the person who needs coaching the most is your boss, and there are ways you can coach your boss without feeling too much pressure.

Phil Higgins on the Eight-Step Coaching model used by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer

Any successful, professional sports person has a coach, whose role is to encourage, challenge and motivate the athlete to achieve their true potential. In the working environment, the same principles apply. The benefits of coaching include an increase in the individual’s overall performance, greater motivation through an acknowledgement that the individual is being developed, leading to greater retention and succession planning.

Profile of culture and aims of coaching programmes:

In families, organizations, and indeed even our society, one of the reasons for failure is the inability by leadership to establish and enforce accountability. Accountability in leadership is a topic that is not frequently discussed and the result is often relating to compliance to procedures, following work rules, treating customers with respect, achieving results, and getting along with co-workers. Accountability is at the heart of empowering people to perform well, demonstrating initiative, and acting responsibly. When a climate of accountability exists, things work smoothly; and when it is absent procedures fail and policies are ignored.

In order to successfully position your organization in the marketplace, leadership teams must create a compelling and distinctive value proposition. Customers must believe you are there to champion their needs, not just to make a profit. However, defining a really attractive value proposition is actually the easy part. The hard part is getting the organization totally aligned and in sync with a customer focused value proposition. Everyone in the organization must understand and see that the customer is part of their personal responsibility. This customer-oriented culture relies on front line leaders that help people understand how they fit into the strategic management of the business and why they matter.

Personal Example

In a previous organization, I worked for a manager who embraced new styles of leadership. Each time he attended a training workshop, he arrived at work the next day claiming it was a life changing event. Each time he would instruct his management team to immediately change their leadership style to incorporate his new learnings. While most of his initiatives were good and became part of our culture, unconsciously he created confusion, frustration, and finally he destroyed any trust his employees had in him as a leader.

Burning the Candle At Both Ends

It was 11:45pm. The light was off and my head just landed on my pillow. It had been one of those long and busy days! I was starting to drift into sleep when I hear my boy Talmage (3 years of age) out of his bed and moving around. I got up and walked into the hallway where he was lying and I asked impatiently why he wasn’t in bed. After giving excuses and nonsense answers I said in a stern voice “get back in bed.” This battle has occurred many times before. His response was “I can’t,” “why not,” I immediately replied? “Because I went pee-pee in my bed.” I let out a big sigh of frustration. It’s late, I’m tired and I now get to change the bed linens, give my boy a bath, and get him ready for bed again.

When you hear the word Coaching, what comes to mind? You may see and treat it as a separate task, as a “side dish” on the menu of business responsibilities. You will lose a lot of leverage and influence if you view coaching in the narrow context of correcting deficiencies in performance.

Our view is that coaching is an integral part of management, an indispensable tool and fundamental way of relating to team members. Managers resist the coaching role when they view it as an extra job in the busy day. However, when they see that the skills of coaching can improve their interactions throughout the day, then the enhancement of these skills generates a great deal of interest and excitement. Many leaders find that coaching can improve business results, lead to greater leadership satisfaction, and better time management and greater levels of performance from others.

“Hey you. Yeah, you over there. What are you doing?” “If I don’t see that report on my desk by 3:00, you are fired!” It is amazing how powerful just a few words can be. Words can be used to put down, degrade, and discourage or to build up, edify, and encourage. Managers who try to lead with a command and control approach will likely get only what they ask for and not much more, but team members will not be motivated to be highly successful. A great leader is one who motivates others in a positive way and inspires them to accomplish tasks and assignments with effectiveness. The motivation of a team or workforce doesn’t necessarily lie on the teammates or the co-workers themselves, rather in the leader and coach who guides them.

At a fair or amusement park you might find a game of skill called “Whack - a - Mole.” The point of the game is to wait for one of several moles to raise its head through a hole in a platform and then “whack”
it with a padded mallet before the mole quickly ducks below the platform. Just as fast as you whack one mole, another one appears. The point of the game is to test your concentration, reaction time, and
hand-eye coordination. On a game I recently watched my grandchildren play, there were nine moles that poked their heads above the platform. Points are won each time a mole is whacked before it disappears.