While not all managers practice this, part of their professional role is to coach their employees.
While a manager does assign tasks and keeps track of due dates, she should also act as a motivator and teacher to the staff, encouraging them to do the best they possibly can.
Here are three tips on how to successfully coach your team:
Learn About Coaching – The first step to take for supervisors that want to start coaching their employees to succeed is to learn what coaching means. It is different than managing, bossing or training, and is a skill all its own.
Coaching involves teaching employees new skills, but also empowering them mentally to work independently and effectively.
While almost all new hires need to be coached on daily tasks, company culture and the organisation’s values and goals, many existing employees can benefit from coaching sessions, as well.
Coaching takes the control aspect out of the managerial role, and, instead, creates a relationship of camaraderie, one where the supervisor accepts the staff’s possible shortcomings and works with them to improve their work habits.
Value Employees’ Uniqueness – Most supervisors tend to expect their staff to have the same level of knowledge, skills and initiative to work at mostly the same levels.
When certain individuals slack off, or simply don’t work as productively as others, the superiors tend to reprimand them or even terminate their employment.
However, coaches value each person’s individuality and uniqueness, understanding that each and every employee is provides a value to the overall team.
Just as a coach on the field attempts to bring out each player’s unique skills, so should a manager find and value each staff’s unique contribution to the team.
Some people may possess better communication skills, while others can work more quickly, and yet others are more creative; coaches should understand that each individual learns differently, and should try to adapt a way to connect with the person.
Step Back – In a typical office, employees turn to the boss with issues and problems, and then she usually finds a solution to put out the fire.
However, coaches focus on teaching problem-solving techniques to the staff, and then instill the confidence and skills necessary to have the employees feeling powerful and determined enough to try and solve the issue themselves.
Coaching is a time commitment, and can definitely put more responsibility on the plate of a manager.
However, after a certain time, the investment into coaching employees will pay off, and the supervisor will be able to take on less responsibility, as the staff will be more skilled and confident to tackle additional workload.
