Managers Need to Know When to Coach
Sharon Feltham, Excellerate
Coaching is not a performance cure all but it can be a powerful intervention when used in the right situation. Knowing when and when not to coach is an important skill for a frontline coach. Here we introduce two simple models to help you determine when it's the right time to coach and which coaching style to adopt.
Select the Strategy to suit the Situation
This first model can help you assess a situation to determine if coaching is the appropriate intervention.
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Personal Issues |
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Directive |
Counselling |
Enabling |
|
Coaching |
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Performance Issues |
If your team member's issue is of a personal nature then proceed with caution. You can consider adopting an advisory role, i.e. offer advice. However, if the personal issue is more complex or confidential then counselling is likely to be the most effective approach.
Professional coaches are very clear about establishing boundaries between their coaching role and counselling. I advise the frontline coach to do the same. If you believe that you are moving into the counselling arena, then I recommend you tell your team member this is not your area of expertise. (In my experience, no matter how sound the relationship, often people will regret sharing deeply personal information with their manager).
Many organisations have Employee Assistance programmes, which provide access to qualified counsellors. Contact your Human Resource department.
If you are dealing with a performance issue then you are into coaching territory. At this point you will need to determine whether a directive or enabling approach is more suitable. This next model is a useful guide to reference when making that decision.
Assess Capability then Select the Style
You can determine which coaching style to adopt by assessing your team member's capability i.e. their level of competence, skill, expertise, experience etc.
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The Coaching Continuum |
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Low |
Your Team Members Capability
Skill Knowledge Expertise Experience
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High |
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Instruct |
Inform |
Advise |
Challenge |
Expand |
Encourage |
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Tell More (Directive) |
Ask More (Enabling) |
Consider adopting a more directive coaching style for team members with low skill/knowledge i.e. instructing, on job coaching, advising. At this level of capability we often don't know what we don't know. We can feel overwhelmed and flounder so we need more direction and guidance.
For team members who are more highly skilled and experienced an enabling style is more appropriate. This style of coaching involves encouraging and challenging the team member to explore, problem solve, plan and think more creatively for themselves. By doing this you help team members tap into their own knowledge, expertise and wisdom.
You do this by asking powerful questions. That's why at this level frontline coaches need to "Ask more than Tell".
Taking it off the page and putting it into Practise...
Wouldn't it be great if it were this easy?
Performance Problem + Low Skill = Instruct and Advise.
People are seldom so tidy or performance problems so simple that they can be solved by one formula. In reality, when you are coaching, you will find yourself integrating other techniques as you move across this coaching continuum.
That’s the hallmark of an effective coach.
Answers in your Inbox:
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