4 Simple Steps to Coach Your Employees

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Terry Lipovski, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

We hear a lot of high level buzz about why it is important for leaders to coach their teams, and although many leaders say they coach, few do it well. The truth is, most leaders know very little about how effective coaching works. Here are some practical tips, tricks and hacks that can help you help your team to become better tomorrow than they were yesterday.

Assume Positive Intention
Coaching is a unique leadership technique that works best when the leader is in the right frame of mind. Few employees wants to be seen as weak, so admitting that they need help and direction requires some solid trust and rapport with their leader. Try to approach coaching interactions by being open-minded, non-judgemental and by always assuming positive intent. When your people trust that it is safe to admit vulnerabilities, coaching will reap rewards for all.

Be Switzerland:
That is, go someplace neutral. Choose a location for coaching where neither of you will be interrupted, such as a break-out room or even go for a walk around the block.

When to Coach?
Here is a one-to-one routine that seems to be well received by many leaders. Schedule a 1 hour Coaching Session once per month and stick to a developmental conversation. Try to make these live if possible, or at least over video as non-verbal communication build engagement and rapport. During the three weeks in between these sessions, schedule 30 minute “Touch-Base” meetings or calls to check in on operational objectives, progress of various projects and day to day matters. This pattern repeats monthly and it usually results in fewer unnecessary team meetings and more personal support, after all, you can’t motivate a team, you can only engage each individual team member, one at a time.

What to Coach?
Many leaders say that when their people come forward with an issue that they need help with, it is easier and quicker for the leader to simply take if off their hands and do it. This can be true, but from a more strategic perspective, this approach doesn’t build problem solving skills and an entrepreneurial attitude within the team.

The Problem with Problem Solving Leaders
Studies show that the leader who solves the team’s problems soon becomes a productivity bottleneck for the team. If they are in back-to-back meetings or on vacation, Direct Reports feel lost and momentum grinds to a halt. It turns out that pushing decision making closer to the people who know the issues, products and customer best is a far more efficient strategy overall. The next time someone brings an issue to your attention, try coaching instead of resolving and your team and organization will thank you for it.

GROW Coaching Model
Good Leaders reply on Systems and Processes. When engaging your people in a developmental conversation it is useful to follow a series of steps that will help guide the discussion in productive ways. The GROW Coaching Model does exactly that. G.R.O.W. stands for:

GOAL: They (not you) choose which mountain to climb. Letting them choose their goal builds intrinsic motivation. Ask what they would like to become “even better at”. This approach avoid the implication that they are doing things wrong. Gently guide the conversation if need be stay curious, not judgemental. Lastly, ask where they are now and use this to bridge to the second step. Ask questions like “Are there any skills that you would like to polish?” or “Tell me about your ambitions”. This usually engages their motivation.

REALITY: Next, bring them back to describe their current reality. Questions here may include “How would you rate yourself on that skill now?” or “How ready for that goal do you feel now?”. This step exposes the gap between their goal and current status, which makes the next step more effective.

OPTIONS: Now it’s time to facilitate their critical thinking. Start with questions like “Have you taken any steps toward this goal yet?”, “What could you do to make this outcome more likely?”, “What would another option be?”, and “What else?”. Resist the urge to problem solve for the, facilitate their thinking and their learning and growth will be greater.

WILL OR WAY FORWARD: Lastly, ask them to sort out the options into a logical plan and encourage them to be specific about what will be done, by whom and when. Are they creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals? Encourage them, not you, to take action. At your next Coaching Session, revisit their commitments to promote accountability, then recalibrate.

Facilitate and Communicate
Coaching is all about facilitating the growth, encouraging critical thinking and supporting people while holding them accountable. It is founded on a trusting, peer-to-peer relationship. As a leader you must release your natural tendency to control and fix issues. They are the ones who should determine what issues to work on and they will be doing most of the work, not you.

As they develop new habits, achieve small wins and make progress, encourage them to keep you posted and in the loop so that you know where they are at well before your Monthly Coaching Session. Keeping track of the progress is vital and writing it down allows reflection, learning and shortens developmental cycles. After all, what gets measured gets done.

“Rising Tides Float All Boats” – Ancient Mariner’s Proverb

Terry Lipovski is an Executive Coach and Performance Consultant based in Canada’s National Capital, Ottawa where he supports Executives, Leaders and Elected Officials maximize efficiencies and effectiveness.