CHAPTER 1

The Goals of Good Coaching

Morale in the desktop publishing group is low. Some of the employees seem towork furiously every day, but Molly seems to have time to kill. No deadlineshave been missed, but the hard-working group seems resentful of the slacker, andshe distracts others when she wanders around the office chatting or sits at hercomputer playing solitaire. You have been getting complaints about Molly, andit's your responsibility to address this issue. What's your first move?

We'll return to this situation after you learn about the goals of good coachingand how management with coaching will help you get the information you need towork toward a solution.

Why Should a Manager Be a Coach?

Coaching is a relatively new field of development (see Chapter 2 fordefinitions and distinctions of what coaching is). It's quickly growing inpopularity, both as a stand-alone profession and as a tool set for businessleaders. Coaching in the workplace can create a positive environment in whichemployees are empowered, engaged, and valued. In teams, coaching can fosterbetter communication, synergistic thinking, and productivity. For individuals,good coaching can lead to career development, increased resourcefulness,personal empowerment, sustainable change and improvement, and bigger thinking.

Managers and supervisors are often expected to be role models, mentors, leaders,and now coaches. Adding coaching to your skill set not only improves your valuein the workplace, it creates new opportunities for your employees and theorganization as a whole.

Are You Tapping Your Most Valuable Resource?

Employees offer an enormous source of only partially tapped potential. Eachperson in a workplace has a specific job, but people are rarely limited to anarrow category. There is much that each employee can offer, in terms of his orher own job performance, creative ideas, skills, and strengths to put to use forthe organization, and personal growth and learning. Are you tapping thisvaluable resource? Connecting with your employees through coaching can open upfar more possibilities than you might imagine!

Research by Gallup (Harter, Schmidt, Killham, and Agrawal, Q¹²Meta-Analysis, August 2009) studying the link between employeeengagement and performance indicated that highly engaged business/workteams basically doubled their odds of success! Employee engagement is astrategic foundation, not just lip service from human resources. Gallup hasshown that engaged workers are more productive, profitable, loyal, and customerfocused. In addition, their research discovered that consistently, an employee'simmediate manager had the most profound impact on his or her retention andsatisfaction.

Accessibility

Your Accessibility quotient is your openness to input from your staff. (It alsogives some insight into how engaged employees are.) How would your workersrespond to the following statements? Answer "yes" or "no" as you think theywould really respond, not as you'd like them to.

My boss:

1. asks for my opinion frequently.

2. listens to my suggestions.

3. takes my ideas seriously.

4. values my opinion.

5. checks with me before making a decision that affects my work.

6. would defend me in a meeting of supervisors.

7. explains goals clearly when giving me a new project.

8. welcomes my questions about an ongoing project.

9. gives me latitude in deciding how to carry out a project.

10. saves criticism for one-on-one sessions.

Your Responses and Your Management Style

Did you rack up seven or more positive responses in the Accessibility quiz? Ifso, you already exhibit many of the attributes of a good coach. One of the maingoals of management by coaching is to create an atmosphere in which employeesare willing and able to share their ideas with a superior. When employees feelheard and valued, they are more invested in their work and the organization.

Getting fewer than seven positive responses doesn't mean you're a failure. A lowscore means you have some work to do. (A lower score may also indicate thatyou're more honest and self-critical than most managers.)

Let's look at each statement and what it indicates about your workingrelationship with your employees.

1. My boss asks for my opinion frequently. The people who work with youalready know you don't have all the answers. When you ask for an employee'sinput, three good things happen, before you even get a response: (1) you showrespect for the employee, (2) you show that you don't think you have a corner onwisdom, and (3) you open yourself to an opportunity to get valuable information."How do you think we should handle it?" can be one of the best things you everask an employee.

2. My boss listens to my suggestions. Asking is only half the process.Listening is the other half (see Chapter 6 for more on listeningskills). Give employees your full attention. Indicate by word and gesture thatyou're taking in what they say. Ask questions. Respond honestly.

3. My boss takes my ideas seriously. You say, "Uh huh. That's ...interesting." The employee hears, "Thanks for nothing. Now we'll do it my way."You won't necessarily agree with employees' perspectives, and you may not act ontheir suggestions. But if they offer the input sincerely, you should take itseriously. If you think an idea has merit, say so. If you think it's flawed,explain why. Discuss ideas, not personalities. Don't allow the discussion tobecome a battle between "your idea" and "their idea" or a contest with a winnerand a loser.

4. My boss values my opinion. You show that you value an opinion bylistening to it, taking it seriously, and rewarding it. Most businesses rewardresults—jobs successfully completed, goals reached, bottom linesenriched—if they reward employee performance at all. Appreciation shouldbegin much earlier in the process, when you're looking for hard work,cooperation, and creative input.

It takes courage and initiative for an employee to speak up. Reward that couragethrough your words and deeds. Questions and suggested alternatives are positivecontributions, not threats.

5. My boss checks with me before making a decision that affects my work.You're the boss, and you make the decisions. When...