The Joy of Coaching
That’s right. I said it. There is joy in coaching your employees!
I find it in coaching my clients. There is something magically rewarding to see someone break through a barrier and realize more of their potential. I truly hope you know what I mean. If you don’t, this post is aimed at helping you.
Three Coaching Questions to Ask Yourself
In my experience, I’ve found that I need to ask myself three questions before I start coaching someone:
Do I believe in them?
You can’t fake coaching. It has to come from a real belief that you think this person has the potential to be a star in your organization. It is at the very core of why you hired them in the first place. If you don’t believe in them, your coaching will likely come across as insincere or rote.
Do I see bankable potential?
It’s one thing to believe someone is a good person, a solid worker, and a positive influence in the office. But will they make it rain? All the personality in the world doesn’t matter if they don’t close the deal. So when you look at your direct report, do you see revenue-making potential? It’s fine if they are struggling with a few things right now…that can be coached. But if you don’t see them ever really getting to A-level status on your team, it may be time to assess if/where they will fit in the long term.
How would I feel if they improved?
If the person you are about to coach realized modest-to-amazing progress after your coaching, how would you feel? If your answer is anything but “good,” then you have another issue with this person. You’ll need to figure that out before you can coach them. Because if not for improving their skills and increasing their bankable potential, then why coach them?
Show Employees How to Improve
It’s one thing to tell an employee that he/she needs to improve. Guess what? They probably knew that already. It’s far more important to let them know you are going to help them learn to improve. That’s the level of caring for which they will move mountains! The three questions above have let YOU know that you believe in them, see bankable potential, and will get satisfaction if they improve. Imparting that to your employees will have them take you coaching to heart. They will know that you are in their corner and the coaching is for their benefit as a professional.
And the joy you will get from seeing them improve!
An example…recently, I completed an assignment with a lawyer who wanted to know how to procure more business. At the completion of our work, I asked her how she felt about our process. What she said, made my day, “You made it possible and easy for me.” Did that make me feel good and that our time had been well spent? You bet it did!
Each time I complete a coaching session, I’m on cloud nine! It’s fulfilling and heartening, and it makes a difference. So if you have been putting off coaching your team for any reason, know that you are delaying some joyful satisfaction that you can get from the process. Believing that everyone on your team is able and powerful is essential. You must maintain this belief to foster their ownership of their development. Essentially you are helping people discover how to be better. And you get sustained performance from it!
