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How to be an effective coach in the workplace

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The success of a manager can be measured by the success of the people working for them. Taking a 'coaching' approach to management has proven to increase employee motivation, satisfaction and productivity. Coaches achieve positive results when they focus on developing employees rather than micro managing them. Here are a few hints on how you can adapt a 'coaching' approach to your management style:

Hint no.1: Trust your employees

Stop viewing your employees as people that need to be controlled and instead give them freedom to make decisions and take action. If you can't trust the people working for you it's because either they are the wrong people for the job or as a manager you haven't trained them properly.

Hint no.2: Focus on developing their strengths

Rather than simply managing results, identify each employee's strengths and personal development needs. If people are feeling like they are being supported in their development, they will feel more connected and loyal to the company.

Hint no.3: Stop providing solutions

It may be faster to tell someone what to do or to do it yourself rather than to let someone else find the solution. However, by providing solutions, you take away the learning opportunities for your employees. You may find that getting a fresh perspective from your employees results in a better solution for the client. Involvement breeds ownership and engagement, both great values for your employees to have.

Hint no.4: Be constructive - every time!

Avoid being critical - no exceptions. Take responsibility for how your feedback may be received. If you catch yourself about to make negative remarks, stop and think about how to get your message across without any emotional impact to the employee. Everything, even negative sentiments, can be phrased in constructive terms.

Hint no.5: Listen!

Great coaches are great listeners. Truly listening to your employees is the greatest skill to develop as a manager. Good listeners are genuinely interested, convey empathy and want to learn more about the situation. Make sure that your employees are eager to talk to you, and when they do, listen and react appropriately.

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