The Secret Sauce: How Performance Coaching Can Give You A Competitive Edge
What is performance coaching? According to Nancy-pedia, it is the art of elevating others to be successful with a specific skill or task.
Why is performance coaching important? Training provides the foundation; coaching is still required to fine-tune the necessary skills. A culture of coaching provides your business with a competitive advantage by improving the implementation of plans.
Furthermore, when done right, performance coaching improves staff engagement and allows teams to feel supported, which results in them being more successful in their roles.
You may be wondering, isn’t this what managing is? To that I say, definitely not. Let’s compare managing versus coaching:
Managing is the leadership role one takes to direct others. It is a take-charge, reactive approach, characterized by telling and a focus on numbers/results.
Coaching, on the other hand, is about enhancing performance. It is proactive and supportive, characterized by asking and listening, with a focus on behaviours.
If coaching is so great, then what gets in the way?
Avoidance - If I pretend that I didn’t see the unwanted behavior, then it will go away.
Aversion to Confrontation - When done right, there is nothing confrontational about coaching.
Fear - What if they leave? If they aren’t the right person for the job, what if they don’t leave?
Assuming They Should Know - How will they know if you don’t show them, or if you only show them once?
Let’s take a look at the various types of coaching to get you started. First and foremost, regardless of the format you plan to use, always communicate your intention in creating a coaching culture. The objective is to help team members be more successful. You already believe they can do the task; it just needs some fine-tuning.
Group Coaching
As the name implies, group coaching offers an opportunity to work on skill development as a group. For this method, limit the number of behaviours being addressed. Work on a maximum of two per session. Be sure to explain the “why” outline, model the standard, and have some sort of practice activity.
On-The-Spot Coaching
This coaching occurs after the person has been trained and you have observed a behaviour you want to reinforce or redirect. (Do not reinforce and redirect in the same interaction.)
30-second to one minute long
Check your body language
Be specific with your observation
Check for understanding
Watch out for the following:
Small Talk - Opening with small talk distracts from the point you are trying to make.
The Good Old Oreo Cookie - Some management gurus recommend starting with something good/complementary, adding in a little bad/negative, and finishing with something good. But this approach leaves the person with no idea if you are happy with their performance or not. It sounds like this: “You did a great job greeting the patient. I noticed you didn’t ask questions to uncover their needs. I was pleased that you thanked them in the end.” It’s confusing and doesn’t get across what you’re really trying to address.
Two Pillows - This is where you try to soften the blow, which again sends a mixed message. It sounds like: “I really like you and appreciate your effort. You do need to use tools for adjustments. I know you are a good person, though.” Huh?
Seagull Approach - In this approach, you go in, crap all over the person and leave. It sounds like: “The intake wasn’t completed; pretest did not know the client was waiting. You didn’t ask them to do a Google review.” Too much criticism, not enough coaching.
Formal Coaching
This is a scheduled session between the supervisor and the employee. In this session, the employee should do most of the talking. The meeting is 15-30 minutes long, with a focus on one or two areas of improvement.
Discuss what is going well and what the employee is struggling with. Agree on action steps and how you will measure success. Each new meeting starts where the last left off. This shows you are invested in their success.
A culture of coaching provides your business with a competitive advantage by improving the implementation of plans.
Peer-To-Peer Coaching
in this style, peers are partnered together, such as pairing an experienced or longer-term employee with a new hire. Peer-to-peer coaching is an ideal opportunity to leverage individual strengths and knowledge. It is a great style for employees who might get anxious being coached by their supervisor.
If coaching is new to you, it can be a little daunting at first. But I can assure you that when you see your team and/or individuals being successful as a result of coaching, the payoff feels great!
Coaching is an important skill that can help your employees feel like members of a team who are valued and able to learn and master new skills. If I can help or answer any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Nancy Dewald is a business development professional, workshop facilitator and optical industry veteran who founded and is CEO of Lead Up Training & Consulting, a company specializing in identifying business gaps, implementing solutions and developing leaders.
Article as seen in Optical Prism