Are You Managing or Coaching?

For those readers coming to this post from my email, go below the grayed out type to pick up where you left off reading.

I absolutely believe that people, unless coached, never reach their maximum capabilities.
           - Bob Nardelli, CEO Home Depot

I recently read the book The Weekly Coaching Conversation by Brain Souza. After reading it and learning more about the concept behind it, I began to promote the use of the Weekly Coaching Conversation amongst my client base. The logic here is so compelling and the success, so far, so rewarding I recorded this 10 minute audio to present the case for coaching vs. managing. Listen and then see below the outline for implementing this concept in your business - creating an excellent habit!

I don’t say this often but this can truly transform your company and eliminate a lot of the people pain you deal with daily. Your employees will embrace this I promise.

What a World Class Coach Does

1. Believes that the athlete can improve regardless of talent or experience.
2. Knows the athlete, not the coach, has to perform on the field.
3. Focuses on the athlete getting better, succeeding (knows that only in this way the coach will  succeed).
4. Knows that only with practice can anyone get better and master the art.
5. Helps the athlete set individual goals and sub goals to keep them focused.
6. Constantly provides feedback, provides the practice plan, points out mistakes or bad technique and praises success.
7. Works with the talent available and puts them in a position to succeed.
8. Works with the athlete on a consistent basis, several times per week minimum and world class every day.
9. Knows the weaknesses on the team and recruits players to strengthen those weaknesses.

What Most Managers Do

1.    Looks to hire experienced people who can hit the ground running. “They should be able to succeed without much help.”

2.    Helps them do their jobs, and at times does it for them. The manager feels their success is dependent on the manager succeeding.

3.    Focuses on themselves, the company succeeding anyway we can, usually with them dragging everyone else along.

4.    Doesn’t have time to train and practice with the team. “They should know what to do.”

5.    They know the company goals. “That is all the team needs to know.”

6.    Does a yearly review, tends to call people out in public to correct mistakes, hard to provide positive feedback.

7.    Blames team and individual members for failures, can’t find good people, live with what we got.

8.    Feels guilty when thinking about letting someone go, asking themselves did I communicate poorly, did I help them enough, is it my fault?

9.    Sporadic critiques and feedback usually negative.

10. Stays with the team he/she has because they don’t want to have to replace someone.  

Weekly Coaching Conversation – Game Plan

1. “The best players make the worse coaches.”  Ask for feedback from the team member on how you can help them get better. Does your team trust you and believe that you have their best interest in mind?
2. Which type of manager are you?

-                      Do it all	-                      The Coach
-                      Micromanage	-                      Nice guy

↑

Productivity         Rapport →

3. “Great coaches usually get the most out of their people because they put the most into them.”
4. Leaders/Coaches take the time to understand the individual’s dreams and goals and then align their interests with the interest of the company.
5. Coaching in not something that you as a manager must do, it is something that you as a leader must become.
6. As a coach the more you give the more you’ll get, the more you care the more they’ll contribute.

Weekly Coaching Conversation - Frame work

1.    Redefine your role, one of helping your team get better, they are the players on the field not you. To pull very ounce of potential out of every player on the team – help them exceed their expectations.

2.    Create the environment for sharing and communicating effectively. It all starts with you and your mindset. Change your mindset and you will change your behavior. Change your behavior and you will change their behavior and increase their productivity.

3.    Change the conversation from managing to coaching. To coach you need to be open to coaching yourself. To get your team to embrace development feedback you must first ask for and receive development feedback from them. Two way conversation that builds trust.

4.    The only way to systematically improve individual performance is to consistently give constructive coaching and development feedback. There is a direct relationship between the quality and quantity of coaching a person receives and the level of performance improvement . Thus weekly conversations (15 minutes) with each direct report are vital.

5.    Informal 15 minute conversation, same time, same day with each direct report each week. Make it a habit for all managers uh, I mean coaches, in your organization!

But you have to be the change you are seeking. You have to start by doing this habitually with your direct reports, key coaches.

AGENDA:

Accountability – What were you accountable for getting done last week? How did it go?

Focus – What are you focused on this week?

Reinforcement – Discuss areas where they can improve. Discuss things they are doing well.

Ask them how you can help - What can you do better? What needs to be clarified?