Why Managers Need to Coach
When I was an IT manager long ago, the notion of “manager as coach” didn’t exist. We had all we could do just to manage. But now, coaching is increasingly seen as one of the manager’s most important responsibilities. Research suggests that organizations effective at teaching managers to coach deliver higher levels of employee productivity, employee engagement, and financial performance.
The objective of coaching is to develop employees by challenging them to think more broadly about issues, so that they expand their perspective, improve their reasoning skills, and make better decisions. Coaches ask a lot of questions, and when asked properly, the questions help people see new possibilities and explore new options for dealing with issues. Good coaches offer encouragement in a way that draws more out of people than they might otherwise reveal or even know they had in them.
Unfortunately, research suggests that while 70 percent of organizations claim they coach their employees, many managers lack coaching skills, and only 11 percent of senior leaders actively coach regularly. Another study found that 43 percent of leaders were rated as ineffective as coaches.
Some people question whether a person can be both a manager of employees and a coach to those same employees, but it’s possible if the relationship is one of mutual trust and respect. Still, managing and coaching differ in important ways. Whereas coaching focuses on employee development, managing is more task oriented. The coach focuses on getting the most from people, whereas the manager’s focuses is drawing from all available resources to accomplish specified goals.
Furthermore, coaching focuses on collaborating rather than controlling, talking less and listening more, asking more questions and giving fewer orders, and giving specific feedback rather than making judgments. Of course, some might say (and I would agree) that this is the way management ought to be done in the first place.
To be an effective manager-coach, you need to be a good listener, rather than instant advice-givers. You need to provide honest, yet non-threatening, feedback about things that need strengthening, while at the same time giving specific details about what you’re praising and why.
Good manager-coaches are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to reinforce values and skills. The result, when done well, is employees with increased self-confidence and greater mastery of material.
What’s been your experience in giving or receiving coaching?
