SOLUTION 43
BRING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS
‘Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.General George S. Patton
managers who are good coaches inspire loyalty and respect
The other roles you adopt as a manager tend to focus on each individual’s needs and capabilities. The role of coach, however, requires you to bring together people of diverse skill levels and backgrounds to work as a unified team, to better meet the company’s goals.
EFFECTIVE COACHING
To be an effective coach you must:
Provide timely and specific feedback Give positive comments as soon as possible and say exactly what was good about the work they did.
Establish standards Set goals that are high enough to make employees stretch, but not so high that they’re impossible to reach.
Tell the truth Do it with kindness and caring, but always be straight-talking.
Offer suggestions Share ideas for improvement but resist telling employees exactly how to do things.
QUICK FIX: COACHING IN ACTION
The most effective way to become a good coach is to watch a good coach in action. If your workplace is lacking in such role models, take a walk down to your local sports field at the weekend. You’ll see good coaches, bad coaches and mediocre coaches, and you’ll see how their teams respond to their methods.