Hey Boss, Did You Ever Consider Becoming A Coach?

by Frank Herberg

Boss, manager, supervisor. We've all had great ones, and some less than great. Some, especially the newly elevated, usually see their role as being one of making you perfect, and they find fault as though there's a reward for it. Some are so unsure of themselves, or afraid of their boss that they demonstrate everything from no coaching at all, to rigid non-thinking rule-bound recitations. Some manage by withholding information, and since they know

things you don't, that puts them one-up on you. Some can't delegate, because that's giving up control. Some abdicate, and call it empowering employees.

Thankfully, times are changing.

Wouldn't life be better if all your bosses had seen their role as being one of coaching you to improved work performance, and they were graded on how well trained and knowledgeable you became, and how your effectiveness improved?

It is happening in more and more agencies everywhere we visit. But it's not yet the tidal wave of change it should be. There's still a lot of room and places for improvement.

We tell companies:

• Co-produce goals and objectives
• Catch people doing things right
• Reinforce positive behavior
• Ignore undesirable behavior-most will go away
• Learn which consequences reinforce which behaviors
• When all else fails, try English (or the lingua franca)

Most of these suggestions are self-explanatory and their benefit will usually be observed immediately. If you have the attitude of a coach whose honest desire is to help bring out the best in your employees, they will generally do everything in their power to rise to the level of your belief in them.

However, there is a point at which more help is needed and my experience has been that the question most asked of employers who have reached that point is, 'What do I do when they absolutely don't do what I want them to?' Assuming that the individual in question is one you want to keep, that's when we ask if the coach has tried English. Then we discuss an old technique called having a private heart-to-heart coaching discussion with the individual about the behavior, or about the lack of specific performance in order to try and help the individual and give them a chance to show what they can do.

Set the scene. Quietly tell the individual that you need to get together. Tell them why. Agree on a time and place.

THE HEART TO HEART DISCUSSION

1. Identify the performance issues and/or deficiencies you have observed. Do so factually. (Be brutally frank, but don't be brutal; we hate the sin, but we love the sinner.) And be brief!
1. Ask future-oriented questions such as: 'What will you do differently next month?' or 'How will you handle that if it happens again?' (Avoid WHY or WHO questions, because these focus attention on the past and usually trigger excuses or blame laying.)
1. Listen! (Encourage the individual when you hear positive ideas. Extinguish the negative by ignoring it. Look away-break eye contact. Keep asking until you get one or two good ideas.)
1. Ask how you can help. (That's your job, right?)
1. Agree on a new goal or course of action. (There will be some things which fall in the category of non-optional behavior and the boss has every right to insist upon immediate change and conformity. However, there will be many instances in which a gradual shaping of the desired behavior is not only the best course of action but the only way to help the person change.)
1. Follow through! (Agree on a date to briefly sit down and discuss results.)

Suggestion: Think of the best boss or bosses you've ever had. What did they do or how did they behave that made you categorize them 'best'? They were more of mentors or coach than bosses, weren't they?

Good reading:

• Coaching For Improved Work Performance by Ferdinand Fournies
• Coaching Knock Your Socks Service by Zemke & Anderson

Outstanding Studies:

• MGR Managing Growth Resources @ Wilson Learning Corporation