Insights on Coaching Your Employees

I hope you have an understanding of the value of coaching your employees. The truth is that a competitive pay and benefits package gets the right employees in your door, hired, and sitting in the chair.  Good training prepares them to react properly to recurring problems.  Neither, however, is effective in motivating employees or developing their individual talents. That's where your coaching skills come in. Coaching is not hard to learn, but it is critical in helping your employees "get to the next level." At many companies, the role of management is seen strictly as administrative and supervisory.  A largely procedural, one-size-fits-all approach is applied in monitoring employees and ensuring quality control.  Because supervision involves only the negative — what employees are NOT doing — it is motivational only to the degree that employees are afraid of losing their jobs. Coaching differs from the evaluative and reactive nature of supervision I just mentioned by focusing on employee guidance and development. Coaching is both proactive and positive, and involves motivators and tailoring incentives toward them...and a few more. You can purchase an awesome one page tip sheet on coaching employees here, along with a few other supervisor training topics.

Proactive Management: What Management Wants from You

Are you a proactive manager? If not, I can tell you that management wants you to be exactly that. They may not know how to describe what you should be doing, but trust me this it - proactive management. Proactive means “anticipatory.” Management wants your energies and resources used to think ahead, anticipate problems and issues, and do less “reacting” to problems your work unit experiences. Here’s the key: When managing proactively, you strategize and target problems that have not happened yet in an effort to prevent them. You cannot just “think” proactively. Instead, you target the risk with interventions to reduce or eliminate them. The EAP is not an expert on your specific functions, but is experienced at coaching, analyzing, and examining the mandate you’ve been given. That assistance can help you keep on track and help ensure that you follow through on management’s directive. For more insight, consider the only book dedicated to this topic, Proactive Personality and Behavior for Individual and Organizational Productivity (New Horizons in Management series) by Andrew J. DuBrin. - for a supervisor training package -- the last one you'll ever buy -- go here.

Don't Participate In Social Undermining of Your Employee

Not every supervisor will enjoy the personality style of each employee. Don't expect anything less, and keep in mind this one tempting pitfall when this happens to you: Be cautious and avoid something called “social undermining.” This refers to any behavior or attitude toward your employee with the goal of sabotaging and curtailing that person from advancing, achieving, or being recognized for what he or she accomplishes. Social undermining is not necessarily bullying — it may be completely covert. Hindering success is the distinguishing feature of the behavior. Objectively assess your attitude. You may discover certain elements of your employee’s work style or personality that create anxiety for you. This may be attributed to feelings such as envy, jealousy, fear, and perhaps disappointment in your own achievements. These sorts of issues are usually quickly overcome with short-term counseling, coaching, or just venting with a friend...but do it.Get a free trial to Frontline Supervisor Newsletter to see this can advancing your skills in managing others FAST.