How Managers can make time for Coaching
There are coaching managers and non-coaching managers. Leaders in the latter category are not necessarily incompetent managers, but they disregard a valuable talent-development instrument. We have been exploring what distinguishes coaching managers. In hundreds of interviews with managers who train their direct reports, their mindset has stood out: They believe in the importance of coaching and approach their managerial role in a way that makes coaching a natural component of their managerial toolset. These coaches are not professionals. They are line and staff leaders who manage a group of people, and they are active, diligent persons. Why do they give coaching such a prominent role in their schedule?
Coaching is an integral component of modern employee management. Due to the rapid rate of industry change and the nearly monthly demand for new abilities, it is crucial that you help your employees learn and develop on a consistent basis.
According to estimations provided by Bersin by Deloitte, the lifespan of today’s talents ranges from two and a half to five years. Not only is this necessary from a commercial point of view, but also modern workers do not want to merely report to their jobs and carry out the responsibilities assigned to them.
Approximately two-thirds of millennials have an expectation that their bosses will help them advance their careers by offering opportunities for professional development. One of the hallmarks of a good leader is their ability to mentor their team members and propel their professional development.
How often do you conduct coaching sessions?
If the only thing your team is capable of doing is what they were able to do on the day you hired them, you will fall behind the competition. Not only maybe on your work, but also in the market, and in what will help you retain your workers over the long run.
It is imperative that managers put time and effort into mentoring their team members, both for your benefit and theirs.
Some businesses are undergoing transitions. According to findings from Gallup, “Companies are moving away from the old approaches of performance management and toward a new strategy that places a greater emphasis on performance development.
Why? The outdated practices of annual performance management are not producing the desired results. The findings of the Re-Engineering Performance Management study conducted by Gallup are as follows: “At the heart of the issue with performance management is a picture that is both clear and upsetting: it depicts employees going to work on a daily basis despite the fact that they are confronted with unclear job expectations, little coaching from their manager, unfair accountability practices, and a lack of opportunities for development”.
If a basketball coach was to give their team comments and advice only once at the end of the season, it is unlikely that their team would win very many games. They wouldn’t be a coach for very long either, which is probably for the best. Despite this, a large number of leaders still manage their teams in this manner.
Steps for managers to start coaching
- Step #1: One of the first steps for managers who wish to begin coaching is to discover a good coach within their organization and approach him or her for advice. How do they operate? Why do they coach? Listen and discover.
- Step #2: Before you begin to coach, you must build a culture of trust and a strong relationship with the individuals you will be coaching. If the individuals you are attempting to coach do not feel linked to you in some manner, even the most effective tactics will have little effect. The relationship you build is more crucial than the most effective coaching techniques available.
- Step #3: Learn the fundamental principles of managerial coaching so that you can create your own coaching expertise. One of the most important lessons for managers is that coaching is not always about providing the solution. It is more about having a dialogue and asking smart, open-ended questions that allow the individuals you are coaching to reflect on what they are doing and how they can enhance performance in the future.
How managers can make time for coaching
Shorter, More Frequent Sessions
Have shorter, more frequent coaching sessions to save time. Instead of a monthly 90-minute session, conduct two 30-minute sessions. This immediately frees up 30 minutes in your calendar.
During these shorter sessions, you should only concentrate on one or two essential abilities. Any additional information confuses your employees and lengthens the session needlessly.
Offer your employees coaching in bite-sized portions. Permit them to implement these strategies between coaching sessions. This increases the efficiency of the coaching session. It also simplifies scheduling, as it is easier to schedule two 30-minute sessions than one 90-minute block of time.
Identify Opportunities for Group Training
Utilize training to assist your employees. Determine what requires one-on-one coaching and what can be “coached” in a group huddle or team conference. What are the most prevalent tendencies? How prevalent is a specific knowledge and skill gap? If everyone makes the same error, you can save time by addressing it collectively. Utilize online learning materials as well. Determine if employees can enroll in an online course to acquire this skill. Then, emphasize it throughout your coaching sessions.
Avoid Cancelling—Coordinate the Best Times
Coaching sessions should not be cancelled unless absolutely necessary. Cancellation communicates that coaching is unnecessary. In addition, it implies that agent skill improvement is unimportant.
Cancelling coaching and then playing catch-up is more time-consuming than completing the task initially. Instead, collaborate with your workforce management staff to organize coaching sessions. Coaching durations must be commensurate with queue length. Additionally, they should be scheduled for times when you are less likely to be compelled to cancel due to other obligations.
Create Coaching Logs throughout the Session
Instead of writing your coaching journal after the session, do so throughout it. This will be time-saving. It will also increase the accuracy of your note-taking, as you will be able to capture thoughts as they occur, as opposed to writing them down later. Inquire with your human resources department about the types of notes that are permitted.
Consider Options for Protecting Your Time
Protect your time. There are a limited number of hours in a day. Some team leaders are reactive and spend the entirety of their day extinguishing flames. I even heard them declare that was their exclusive responsibility! However, actual firefighters spend the majority of their time training, maintaining equipment, and preparing for future fires. They recognize the significance of investing in training and readiness.
Consider strategies to safeguard your time. If escalations are taking up too much of your time, attempt to eliminate the underlying reason. If you spend the entire day addressing product-related queries from your agents, demonstrate how they may access your company’s knowledge library to get the answers themselves.
Delegate Duties to Free Up Time
Create time by delegating responsibilities. Ask employees to discuss tips during huddles as opposed to generating them themselves. Coach and equip employees to defuse potential escalations so that they do not become your responsibility. Not only does this free up time for coaching, it also aids in the skill development of your employees.
It is not an easy job to be a manager or the leader of a team. There are a lot of things competing for your time. However, due to the fact that it influences both employee and customer happiness, coaching is a top concern. Make use of these suggestions to cut down on time spent coaching. Last but not least, the mindset needs to be centered on the individuals that you are coaching. Always keep in mind the most important principle, which is that coaching is about the people you are training, not about you.
Finally, if you would like to learn how WorkCompass and our Virtual Coaching Assistant can transform your managers into effective coaches. Please get in touch today and request a demo with one of our team.
