Coaching in the workplace can be a powerful tool for managers to drive incredible results. To help executives create a productive team of engaged employees, here are 12 rules for mastering employee coaching. Creating a culture where 360 feedback is the norm is essential. This encourages an ongoing dialogue that gives employees at all levels of the organization an opportunity to be heard.
Humanist coaching focuses on helping leaders reach their full potential by emphasizing self-actualization. Adult development coaching looks at the different stages of adult development and helps leaders move towards a more mature understanding of authority and responsibility. Cognitive coaching addresses maladaptive thoughts that can impede a leader's success. Positive psychology coaching is a strengths-based approach that helps leaders build on existing strengths to generate positive emotions and create greater happiness.
Systemic coaching takes into account a wide range of factors that influence performance and helps leaders recognize patterns that may be preventing them from performing. Adaptive coaching is goal-oriented and incorporates the best aspects of other approaches such as systemic, positive, and cognitive coaching. To help executives combat unconscious biases, coaches can use bias discovery tools and implicit association tests to uncover ingrained stereotypes and prejudices that may be hindering a leader's performance. No matter the type of training, there are specific fundamental techniques based mainly on communication and motivation that all coaches should have in their toolkit. Pre-session registration is a simple but effective technique that will help coaching clients prepare mentally for the next session and decide what they want to focus on.
During the session, coaches can also consider taking a quick concentration break before tackling a difficult topic, pausing between topics, or interrupting unhelpful thought patterns when the coach speaks from a place of fear. Asking team members questions and giving them an opportunity to explain or share any worries with you makes people more open to your comments. By mastering these 12 rules for employee coaching, managers can create an environment where people can continually train each other to achieve optimal performance. Understanding motivation is an essential part of any coaching effort, as it helps leaders stay motivated towards their business goals. With the right tools, coaches can also design registration surveys which allow clients to indicate what they would like to discuss in their next session.
