Thursday, September 15, 2011
How To Be a Better Coach
Coaching your team is an integral component of getting their best performance. Coaching is both exciting and challenging. It takes time to incorporate coaching into your daily activities. But, it is time well spent when you witness the results of watching someone reach their potential.
1. Know what gets in the way of your coaching.
• Take away the ‘no time’ excuse by scheduling coaching in your calendar.
• Eliminate thinking of employees only in terms of bottom-line productivity results.
• You are not fixing employee problems; you are nurturing employee growth.
2. Check in with everyone daily.
• Compliment as well as correct team members while coaching.
• When correcting, use constructive criticism statements. NOTE: A good balance is 5 positive statements to every 1 constructive statement.
• Tell team members at least two things you appreciate about them.
• Speaking with your team can boost their morale.
3. It’s all about listening.
• Do not interrupt.
• Do not think of your response while someone is talking.
• Keep eye contact but don’t stare them down.
• Face the person who is speaking.
• Do not take phone calls while someone is talking with you. Silence your cell phone.
4. It’s more about asking the right questions.
• For everything a team member says, ask two or more questions before you share your own thoughts.
• Ask open-ended questions to get your team talking. These are questions that begin with ‘What,’ ‘How,’ ‘When,’ ‘Who,’ and ‘Where.’
• Other statements to get more input: ‘I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Please give me an example.’ Or, ‘Say more about that.’
5. Develop a trust relationship with each team member.
• Get to know their interests, opinions, and concerns.
• Clarify your expectations for the team and each individual.
• Pay attention to what excites each person. What are they passionate about?
• Show each person you care. Go beyond mere words.
One of the most important things to keep in mind: Coaching is not about you! You are here to bring out the excellence of your team members.
Until next time...Lead like you mean it!
Marjorie
