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Coaching can be a really broad concept. So broad that it can seem useless without some kind of focus or target and eventual goal. Even in its simplest form, coaching is an extremely important tool to help guide team members in the right direction. As a leader, it is easy to see the value of coaching, how it can benefit the organization, how it can help to drive engagement, and even reduce churn.
Unfortunately, coaching is a management skill that is definitely easier said than done!
Coaching is not just about telling a team member what they have done wrong, or even solving a problem that they were struggling to solve on their own — this narrow definition only perpetuates the problem.
Rather, coaching should be seen as working with a team member to develop their skills and abilities to ensure that they are not only in the right place and role but that they have the knowledge, training, and ability to do the job.
When you coach someone, you need to know what you are trying to achieve. A good tool to help you with this is to create a quick 2X2 matrix. The vertical axis represents “doing the right things” and the horizontal axis represents “getting the right results.”
This is an example of the One Minute Manager when you are looking for them to “do something right.” It is easy to diagnose, but shouldn’t be overlooked as an area of focus. Maintaining attention on this area will ensure that your teams focus their efforts on the areas that are successful and build on theses successes to reach even greater heights.
Results of Coaching
The common misconception is that coaching is only for the “problem children” on the team. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Coaching helps high potential team members get even better.
By focusing your coaching on the competent people within your team, you:
By building a stronger team through coaching, you are better able to motivate your team and fend off dissatisfaction and disengagement.
Similarly, this is equally easy to diagnose. Coaching here should focus on the specific issues and equally specific actions required to address those issues and correct the behavior.
Corrective Actions
You can employ some fundamental coaching principles to help underperforming team members:
The Wrong Fit
It’s possible that during the course of your coaching sessions, you come to the conclusion that the team member is not suited to their current role. This could be a function of temperament, knowledge, attitude, or simply ability.
Coaches have two options in these situations — letting the team member go, or (if possible) using this as an opportunity to redefine the role to best serve both the team member and the organization. The individual can also be moved to a different role within the organization or change their reporting relationship so that parts of the role that do not fit are moved to a more suitable individual.
Situations that fall within this quadrant can be difficult because the individual can get complacent or develop an unrealistic expectation of outcomes. In these cases, it’s important to ask: Is the person willing to make a change? When individuals fall into this category it is very difficult to coach them because, despite their attitude or performance, they are still successful.
To address these cases, focus on the impact that the behavior is having on other parts of the business. What is the perception are other team members and the organization as a whole getting? Use 360-degree feedback to get a full picture. Show how other members of the team perform differently and how that behaviour leads to success without the friction caused by the current, undesired, behaviour.
Coaching here is not just about improving a specific issue, the focus really is on developing a perceptions and acceptance that an issue even exists.
Coaching here is about supporting, comforting, encouraging, and working together to make sure that the behaviors really are the right ones — and working on helping them refocus and stay motivated.
Emphasis should be placed on promoting the positives. While it’s still important to review and learn from failures, the focus should not be on finding fault, but rather emphasizing future successes.
By assigning the person you’re coaching in the appropriate spot on the grid, you’ll be better able to discuss the details with them in your regularly scheduled one-on-ones.
At all fast-growing companies, goals and priorities can change quickly and the only way for team members to know what the new targets are is to communicate often and openly with the team and redirect their efforts appropriately.
If coaching is only conducted on an annual or semi-annual basis, you are missing a great opportunity to not only improve your team and its performance but also reap the benefits for yourself, as a leader.
“Coaching is not a technique. It’s not something to be switched on. It’s the cornerstone of teamwork. It can help to tackle conflict constructively, it can help us all to learn, develop, grow and improve.¹”
Professor Randall S Peterson, London Business School
Frequent and regular coaching ensures that your team is continuously informed about the criteria and requirements for success. But, these sessions need to be more than just a quick and informal chat.
Scheduled coaching can happen at any time of the year, but it’s best to set them in a regular pattern. At Sensei Labs, we hold bi-weekly one-on-ones that are pre-scheduled to make sure we always find the time to meet. When conflicts come up, and one-on-ones need to be moved, they are rescheduled for the next available time. Viewing these meetings as vital prevents them from being skipped or forgotten and ensures continuity in coaching.
If a specific issue occurs, it is better to deal with it immediately instead of waiting for a regularly scheduled session. Team members will have a greater opportunity to improve if they are able to call upon details from the specific situation and this type of coaching is conducted as a more informal review. Positive feedback also can be reinforced in these sessions.
As you continue to coach, guide, and nurture your team, you will be better able to motivate them, improve retention and build on individual performance. After all, people don’t quit companies — they quit managers.
