It takes more than monitoring work production and holding employees accountable to goals to be a successful manager. An effective manager coaches employees to foster growth and potential.
However, coaching requires a relationship built on transparency and trust. A manager can’t assume to know what team members want or need. Often, employees don’t even realize they need a coach or that one could be beneficial.
Coaching is a powerful way to focus on areas of improvement and put into action steps towards meeting goals discovered during employee assessments. In the Truvelop app, managers can work collaboratively with employees to continuously evaluate performance and understand opportunities for growth or improvement based on the employee’s score with performance management software. According to the Institute of Coaching, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, “80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, and over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment on coaching and more.”
Our team shares five tips for coaching employees:
1. Observe the employee in action – What tasks or projects does the employee excel at? What seems to generate passion and excitement? When does he/she seem bored? Does the employee avoid specific tasks?
2. Ask questions – Learn more about your employee’s personal and professional interests. Ask what projects they enjoy most? Talk about future planning – where do they see themselves in 3-5 years?
3. Listen – Does the employee show an interest in new job duties? Has he/she asked for help in a certain area? What ideas does the employee share in meetings or collaborative work?
4. Develop a workplan – Work with the employee to create a list of goals or opportunities for growth/improvement. Develop a plan of action with reasonable steps and deadlines.
5. Consistent engagement – Schedule regular meetings (ie. bi-weekly, monthly, etc) for check-ins and to facilitate space for discussion that allows the employee to share his/her progress, barriers or concerns. Develop a short agenda to drive conversation. Create a list of actionable steps the employee should take before the next meeting.
These simple steps can help managers become effective coaches. With Truvelop, it is easier than ever to document these different steps by using Spark.
Contact us today to learn more or click here to schedule a demo to find out how your business can benefit from our industry-leading, modern approach to performance management and development.
