The Importance of Coaching Your Employees
“Performance Coaching” is the industry term for the communication, feedback, direction and support that you provide to your direct reports.
We consider it Performance Coaching instead of “just talking” because each conversation you have with an employee about their work is an opportunity to guide and direct their performance, helping them to grow into even more successful and effective members of your company.
The better you are at performance coaching with your employees…
- the better your direct reports become at problem solving and overcoming obstacles in ways that best benefit your company
- the more positive and trusting your professional relationships with your employees will be since they will never wonder where they stand and will feel comfortable and confident in their roles
- the higher your employee retention rates will become because you’re providing much-needed recognition and are continually guiding employees in how to be more successful in their jobs
- and — of course — the better your direct reports’ performance will be
So what exactly is performance coaching?
Performance is different from directing. A coach doesn’t give the “right” answer to the problem, but instead serves as a sounding board for the direct report’s ideas, as a supportive critic (when necessary) of those ideas, as a source of facts and ideas derived from a broader experience base, and sometimes as a devil’s advocate to test the strength of plans before they are formally implemented.
Here are some tips for effective performance coaching of your employees:
- Maintain & enhance self-esteemPeople are motivated to work at a level consistent with their perceptions of their own competence. Strengthen your employees’ beliefs in their own competence by being specific about what they do well and giving them challenging assignments while helping guide their success. This will help motivate them to perform at higher levels.
- Provide recognition for work well-doneShowing appreciation for work well done makes it more likely that a person will do it again (and do it even better). Don’t be stingy with your thank yous.
- Provide feedback to improve performanceLet your team members know what they are doing well and what they could do differently to better meet expectations, to be more effective, or to improve future performance results. This helps clarify expectations, develops skills, an ensures continuous improvement.
- Describe impactFocusing on specific impacts of actions (rather than attitude or personality, which provokes defensiveness) helps create an environment for productive feedback and constructive criticism. Describing impact is also important when providing positive feedback as it gives your employees more information for performing well in the future.
- Be specificThe more information you can give your direct report about what is working and why (or what is not working and why), the more information they have to develop or modify their skills and actions.
- ListenActively listen to your direct reports to fully understand the issues they face and to properly coach them through their challenges. Ask open-ended questions, then listen empathetically. This will also improve your professional relationships with them and inspire trust in you as a leader.
This November, Leadership Choice is offering a FREE COURSE in Performance Coaching as part of the launch of our new, High-Impact Virtual Learning platform. This course includes:
1. Free iConnect Communication Assessment
2. Free Performance Coaching Interactive Workbook
3. Free 60-Minute Live Virtual Training on Tuesday, November 17 at 1:00 p.m. PST
Join this free course today to receive your free course materials and register for the November 17 live virtual training: Click Here to Register or visit:
https://leadershipchoice.adobeconnect.com/performance-coaching-course/event/event_info.html
