In today’s workplace, getting results is the end-goal of any organization; this begins with high performance from workers within. While setting goals and accountability are two ways to get higher performance, companies that coach their employees gain this performance at a faster rate; in fact, 86% of companies reported the benefits of using coaching and getting their return on investment (ROI) (ICF.com).
While a lot of companies often bring in external coaches, there are benefits to having internal coaches, which include: accessibility and cost. The best person for this role are the leaders in the organization, which often begins with the Manager. As they are the ones who are leading their team on a daily basis, they have the best opportunity to coach their employees to a higher-level of performance as well as when issues arise and are there on a day-to-day basis.
Using coaching skills has been tossed around by a lot of people in the industry, which may not be indicative of how coaching works and the process around it. Coaching comes from not having an agenda and is focused more on the person being coached, bringing out their critical thinking skills regarding identifying their goals/agenda and then developing the steps to get them, ala problem resolution. All of these are accomplished through questions, which are focused to get the client thinking deeper and finding the answers within. It is also about accountability.
One area to concentrate on is how you end your employee coaching sessions so that the analysis and next steps become apparent and accountability is given. Three questions to get your employee there are:
- What did you gain from this session (or take-away)? This helps the employee to identify key points from the session which can be a focus for future sessions which are client-focused. It also helps the leader to see how their employee thinks and what their priorities are, which can lead to strengthening them and gaining higher self-efficacy and performance
- What are your next steps? You don’t want to end a session without having actionable steps as this is where growth and accountability come in. Have them write at least one, but preferably three goals to bring back for the next session. This gets them goal-directed and motivated, gives them empowerment, and increases confidence and self-esteem – satisfaction and engagement then result
- What do you need from me? This shows support and involvement to the employee: support for their ideas and the goals they set, and involvement in the process and to their growth. This may include: understanding, being a cheerleader or problem-solver, and resources they may need. Positive relationships, trust and satisfaction levels will come
A suggestion would be to have written notes of your sessions to reflect back on, especially for accountability; another suggestion would be to send the employee a ‘coach session prep sheet,’ which essentially has them identify what they got done, what didn’t they get done, any challenges or problems they are facing or are standing in their way, and then what they want to focus on in their next coaching session. This can help with any preparation and gets that employee taking responsibility for their actions.
Coaching by the leader will move employees to work at their highest level and in a faster manner; how those sessions end can ensure future success and better results.
If you would like help in developing your coaching skills or to use coaching services for better performance, contact us today for your free Discovery Session: http://www.cyscoaching.com
Your Career Success Blog 