The Constant Coach
For some managers and supervisors, their role as a coach is not particularly comfortable. They have high expectations that their employees will be “fixed” with one quick discussion and get frustrated when their employees do not immediately correct the behavior.
As most of you know, it’s not that simple. Coaching is a difficult, sometimes time consuming, but often rewarding part of leadership. It takes multiple steps, lots of encouragement, and patience in order to move the level of someone’s performance.
Few of us are able to learn something new by hearing someone explain it to us once. We often need to hear it multiple times, try it ourselves, get some feedback on how we’re doing, and make additional adjustments. All of that takes time and effort.
For example, when learning to serve a tennis ball, the instructor/coach will explain the process, maybe show a video, demonstrate it, let the student try it, and offer suggestions on what adjustments need to be made (e.g., toss the ball higher, follow through on the swing, stay behind the baseline). In addition to this coaching, the students are able to receive immediate feedback on their performance based on whether or not they hit the ball and where the shot lands.
Without a similar ongoing feedback process from supervisors, employees cannot be expected to make substantial improvements in their performance. In order to be successful, both parties need to invest time and effort. So, just like in a tennis serve, follow-through is critical.
Once a coaching need is identified, it is important to establish a process for monitoring the employees’ progress, offering suggestions, and rewarding improvements. Don’t wait until the final goal is reached to encourage your employees. Offer congratulations along the way so they know they are on the right track and to help them maintain their momentum. Acknowledging their progress is also a way of rewarding yourself, since you’ve helped them reach that point.
If you’d like to learn more about effective coaching and performance management please contact Kammy Haynes.
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