Coaching Employees | Leila’s House of Corrections

Do you ever feel that you are giving direction on what to do and how, constantly? Are you telling your employees how to do something they already have the skills to do? If so, you are probably spending too much time managing the work of your team. Instead, you need to spend more time coaching.  Come on managers, it s time to learn how to coach. 

A fundamental difference between managing and coaching lies in how decisions are made. If you are telling employees what to do and what actions to take, you are making decisions for them: that s managing.

If you re asking employees questions to help them come to conclusions on their own, that s coaching. There is incredible value in both modes of operation, yet once managers ease into their roles, they tend to forget to step back and stop giving directions. They forget to coach.

To begin coaching, use these steps.

Step 1: Ask, don t tell.

Ask for a person s input. Don t tell an employee what you think. Ask what he thinks. Use open-ended questions to solicit ideas. Right now, in the beginning, you are helping him consider all the  whats   to do.  What are your ideas? What do you think you can do? What are some ways to address this situation? 

Step 2: Narrow down the list of options.

When you ask for ideas, you cast a big net. Now, you want to narrow the focus and help the employee select the best option or options for the situation. Use a question like,  OK, considering the ideas you brought up, which ones should you pursue and why? 

Step 3: Ask the employee how he will accomplish the task.

After you have coached an employee to pick an option, now is the time to consider how to do something. What approaches should he take?  Ask questions like,  What will you say?,   How will you conduct that meeting?,  and  How will you influence someone? 

Coaches help employees take steps and make decisions on their own. And the benefit for you, the manager, is that you have more time to focus on your talents and expertise. You spend less time telling people what to do because you re coaching them to make decisions themselves.