How to Coach Your Employees
By VICKY BROWN
I’m a manager, a leader, And what? Now a coach?!
Leading a team. It’s fun, complicated, and can be scary. Particularly if this is your first time. Sure, you probably know how to assign tasks, and even track performance – but what can you do about that wonderful, intangible thing called ‘coaching’. And by the way, what is coaching anyway?
It involves guiding and supporting your team members so that they enhance their skills, improve their performance and hit the goals of the business. But, how do you coach a team, what techniques should you use.
Well, I’m sure you already know some of it – you need to help them identify their particular strengths and weaknesses. Work with them to set professional (and sometimes even personal) goals; and then help them develop the strategies they can use to achieve those goals. In a phrase, it’s all about helping them develop and grow.
But aside from that – there are other techniques you should consider. Here are my top 5.
Ownership and Autonomy are a big ticket item. When you have solid, contributing, team members, and you empower them by giving them ownership of their tasks and projects – well, sit back and watch them fly. Let them make decisions for their work – and take the responsibility for it. You see, ownership is a two-way street. Yes, they’ll have much more flexibility around how they tackle the job – but on the flip side, they get the joy of being the responsible party as well. And that’s a perfect lesson for a coach to teach.
You’ll have to give regular and constructive feedback. Just because you give them ownership and autonomy, it doesn’t mean you abdicate your leadership responsibilities. You have to know what’s going on, check in and give feedback. You should focus on specific behaviors and outcomes. Give them suggestions for improvement – and make sure they’re not just theoretical, but are actionable too. Milestones, goals, objectives – ground your feedback in things that can show measured improvement. That makes it easy for them – and you – to see where things are going right. And where they may not be.
“…When you can be fully aware of how you’re feeling, and are able to control your reactions while understanding how others are feeling; that’s emotional intelligence.“
Emotional Intelligence. Wow, we’ve all heard that a lot in the past few years. But there’s a reason it’s on everyone’s mind – if you have a heightened ability to understand and manage your emotions, AND the ability to see and influence the emotions of others – well, that’s emotional intelligence. And let me tell you, it’s invaluable – in business, and life. And it’s a great thing to cultivate in your team members.
When you can be fully aware of how you’re feeling, and are able to control your reactions while understanding how others are feeling; that’s emotional intelligence. And if, on top of all that, you can use that knowledge to make your interactions more effective – well, it’s like having a special skill that helps you handle any social situation that may come your way.
You have to set clear expectations and boundaries to properly coach your team. In fact, clarity is key. Be clear in communicating your performance expectations. Be clear in the behavior that’s acceptable – and isn’t. Be clear in your communications. You can really help your team members understand their roles and what’s expected – when you’re clear.
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When your team knows exactly what’s expected of them, they can focus on meeting those standards without all the confusion. Consistent and transparent communication will help prevent misunderstandings and it ensures that everyone is on the same page.
Mindset. I know I use this all the time when talking about stepping into your leadership role. But mindset is a critical piece for your team members too. And not just mindset – but a growth mindset. Remember, at the very beginning I said coaching was all about helping your team members develop and grow. Well, this is where the grow comes front and center.
You should really focus on things like learning from mistakes, and viewing challenges as opportunities. Encourage the team to see each setback as a learning experience, and to embrace challenges as a chance to develop new skills. This is the mindset of resilience and continuous improvement.
Coaching your team effectively is about more than just assigning tasks and tracking performance. It’s about empowering them, giving them constructive feedback, cultivating their emotional intelligence, setting clear expectations, and fostering a growth mindset. So, don’t waste time being timid about stepping into the coaching role – your team needs you – so go ahead and coach – coach!