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