| Knowing when to step in and when to hang
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| | experience is often the best teacher. A
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| back
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| | good manager, therefore, will hang back
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| A lot has been written about why managers
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| | and resist the impulse to jump in every
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| should coach employees. A lot also has
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| | time an employee encounters difficulty. A
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| been written on how to coach employees.
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| | good manager will always monitor what
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| You can find many articles on the
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| | their employees are doing, (See
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| Pygmalion Effect and the Galatea Effect,
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| | Management 101 for more on "monitoring")
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| which explain how employee coaching
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| | but will not intervene to coach their
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| works. Very few articles help you know
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| | employees except in the following
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| when to coach employees. That's what this
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| | circumstances.
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| article does.
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| | Their current behavior poses a threat to
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| Before Coaching Employees
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| | themselves or someone else
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| Most of the time, a manager should not
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| | When an employee is doing something that
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| coach their employees. To understand that
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| | could cause harm to themselves or someone
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| statement, it helps to know what employee
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| | else, you have to step in.
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| coaching is and what employee coaching is
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| | This is one instance where you can't let
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| not. Giving employees the knowledge and
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| | someone "learn from their mistakes". You
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| skills they need to perform their job
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| | need to provide coaching. Rather than
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| tasks is not employee coaching; that is
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| | tell them the solution, suggest a couple
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| employee training. On the other hand,
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| | of alternatives and let the employee
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| employee coaching is an on-going process
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| | figure out which is best. Make sure they
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| of helping employee identify and overcome
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| | understand why the behavior they were
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| the hurdles that prevent them from
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| | planning is inappropriate.
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| excelling at their jobs.
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| | There are ethical or legal ramifications
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| Note that employee coaching involves
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| | of their actions
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| helping employees identify solutions to
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| | You can't allow employees to do things
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| their performance barriers.
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| | that are illegal and you shouldn't allow
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| You are not coaching your employees when
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| | them to do anything unethical. Whether
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| you tell them what to do.
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| | their planned behavior is illegal
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| When Not To Coach Employees
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| | unethical because of intent or ignorance,
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| Before you can effectively coach
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| | you can't allow it. As with dangerous
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| employees you must know that they are
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| | behaviors, provide alternatives, let them
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| properly trained and that they know what
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| | decide, and explain why the planned
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| is expected of them. These are the times
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| | behavior was a poor choice.
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| to NOT coach employees:
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| | They are hurting their team membership
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| Their training is not complete
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| | You need your employees to work together
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| When an employee has not been completely
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| | as a team. If one member of the team is
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| trained it is a waste of your time and
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| | doing something that will cause the
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| theirs to try to coach them in those
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| | others to exclude him or her from the
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| aspects of their job. If they have been
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| | team, you have to step in. If an employee
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| properly trained in part of their job,
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| | always takes credit for the teams' work,
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| you can coach them in that part, but not
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| | you need to coach them. If an employee in
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| in the areas where they have not yet been
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| | a close area, like cubicles, always yells
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| trained. Do the training first. Then do
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| | into the phone and disturbs those around
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| the employee coaching.
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| | him, you have to step in and help him
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| They do not know what is expected of them
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| | find a different behavior.
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| It is pointless to coach employees who
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| | They are repeating failed behaviors
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| don't know what is expected of them and
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| | When employees have repeatedly tried to
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| know how that is measured. Remember that
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| | solve a problem, and their solution isn't
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| employee coaching is designed to help
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| | going to work, you need to step in. Often
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| them overcome performance barriers. If
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| | we try something and it fails. We try it
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| they don't know what performance is
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| | again to make sure we did it the way we
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| expected of them they won't know how to
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| | meant to and it still fails. If they keep
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| get there. Set clear objectives for your
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| | trying, they aren't learning and you need
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| employees. Then do the employee coaching.
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| | to coach them.
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| When you are in a hurry
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| | The impact on the company financials is
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| Employee coaching takes time. When you
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| | severe
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| are in a hurry, you will not do a good
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| | Almost any mistake is going to cost the
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| job. You will not take the time to help
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| | company money, either directly or in lost
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| them identify solutions, but will be more
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| | profits. You can't step in every time an
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| likely to just tell them what to do. Make
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| | employee might make a mistake just to
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| time to do it right. Then do the employee
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| | save money. Consider it an investment in
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| coaching.
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| | the employee's learning and development.
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| When you are angry or upset
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| | However, if their planned action would
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| When you are upset, you won't exhibit the
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| | have a significant negative effect on the
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| enthusiasm and friendliness you need to
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| | company financially, you have to step in.
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| be effective as an employee coach. You
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| | You have a responsibility to the company
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| may not be fair or equitable. You may
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| | to protect its fiscal assets that is as
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| give even subtle signals to the employee
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| | great as the responsibility to develop
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| that could undermine the coaching you
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| | its human assets. Provide the employee
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| have been doing up to this point. Get
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| | with alternative behaviors, let them
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| your emotions in check. Then do the
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| | figure out the appropriate choice, and
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| employee coaching.
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| | explain why you had to step in.
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| When stepping in is better than hanging
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| | Managing this issue
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| back
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| | Knowing when to let an employee make a
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| In the first part of this article we
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| | mistake they can learn from and when you
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| discussed what employee coaching is and
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| | need to step in and coach them is a
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| what it is not. We listed times when a
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| | balancing act. You have to balance their
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| good manager would continue to monitor
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| | opportunity to learn and grow against the
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| employee behavior, but would not step in
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| | harm they could do to themselves, their
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| and coach their employees. Other times, a
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| | team, and the company. The more confident
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| good manager must step in and coach.
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| | you are in your own abilities, the more
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| When To Coach Employees
| |
| | you will be able to let your employees
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| We need to let people to make their own
| |
| | make their own choices. Remember, you
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| mistakes so they can learn from them. We
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| | role in coaching employees is to help
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| can train them and advise them, which
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| | them find the right behavior, not just
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| will help some of the time, but actual
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| | tell them what to do.
|
