Coaching Your Employees to Workplace Fulfillment
“All coaches do not have to be psychologists. However, coaching is change and change is a psychological process. The coach has to understand the psychological aspects of coaching and be confident and competent to deal with these. To do so requires personalized, expert training and supervision.” -Professor Suzanne Skiffington
Why do people call Wednesday “hump day?” I’ll tell you why. It’s because people are referring to putting up with five days of work to get to their two days of fun. Wednesday is the apex of the five-day trek towards a two-day oasis of straight up good times.
During our two days of fun, we easily lose track of time. Focusing on hobbies or recreational pursuits erases the confines of time and before we know it, it’s Monday again. Bummer.
But… it doesn’t have to be (a bummer, not Monday).
Why is it that so many people easily lose track of time and demonstrate high levels of skill in their hobbies or recreational pursuits but often keep an eye on the clock and create adequate, but not exceptional, results at work? Answer: They don’t enjoy their work the same way they enjoy their hobbies.
That’s where coaching comes in. When people enjoy their work, there isn’t so much a need for sustained motivational effort on their manager’s part. But when they don’t enjoy their work, it’s time for a manager to get some coaching skills.
It’s time to find your danger zone.
Coaching someone to excellence at work is not just about teaching him or her new skills. It’s about helping them find their Danger Zone (otherwise know as the Enjoying-Work Zone). An individual enters this zone when their work environment (individual responsibilities, team roles, and organizational culture) engages and fulfills their whole self.
Those we coach are rarely conscious of these needs.
Enter the psychologists’ mind.
Working in an organizational culture or a job that either ignores or violates these values basically just stinks. It is virtually impossible to perform your best when your most basic values are not being nourished, or even worse, are being debased.
Managers, do everything you can to align someone’s workplace environment to their temperament needs, values, and talents. This will give them a lasting sense of pleasure and pride in their work.
Finally, if you would like to learn more about WorkCompass and how our performance management software can help coaching your employees. Please get in touch today and request a demo.
