How to be an effective coach in the workplace
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.