Coaching Employee Performance Effectively!

It’s important to remember that all performance can be coached. We coach when the employee is not meeting the expectations or job standards. We also coach when the employee is doing a stellar job. For the employee who is falling below expectations, getting on-purpose about coaching gives us a clear picture if we’ve done a good job at communicating expectations, defines exactly where the employee is off base, and helps them build a plan to correct. 

For employees with stellar job performance employee, it reassures them that we recognize their contributions. It strengthens their confidence in taking on challenging assignments and it encourages them to explore new ways to enhance their performance.

If you are intent on excelling at coaching, join me for Supervisor Boot Camp and learn how to lead, manage and coach your team!  The supervisor needs coaching! Network and learn solutions, techniques and approaches that empower you to excel in your job as a manager.

Here are two key points that will help you coach your employees effectively:

1.     Communicate Clear Expectations

a.     Put it in writing

b.     Use straightforward language

c.      Be proactive

d.     Show, don’t just tell

e.     Meet with each employee individually to collaborate and discuss expectations

2.      When Performance Issues Surface Look for Obvious Reasons

a.     Review and confirm expectations

b.     Is this a case where your employee has insufficient resources?  If an employee doesn’t have adequate time, budget, or access to required tools/information/material, no amount of coaching can correct the problem.

c.      Does the employee have adequate training for the job?

d.     Does the employee have the capability to do the job?

e.     What is the employee’s level of interest in the job

Still learning,

Honey

www.interaction-training.com

Working on Work Relationships

Nothing including salary can offset the stress associated with working with someone you need to get along with and for whatever reason you don’t.  Not getting along with is a broad description.  You won’t like everyone, everyone won’t like you.   That’s not new news.  What might be new news is becoming aware of what your choices really are about dealing with it.

In my last blog I suggested you ponder key questions you could ask yourself in order to begin to manage yourself in the relationship.  Here are some helpful suggestions and ideas for you to add to your picture of what you can do to reduce the stress or possibly improve how the relationship is working.  One thing that will help immediately is for you to decide how much you are going to think about the relationship and then set up your mental boundaries around your thinking. 

Our feelings come from what WE think and do.   The good news about that is that you can manage your feelings, difficult as that may be in heated, stressful or broken relationships.  It’s not up to the other person how you feel it’s up to you.   Depending upon the story around the relationship it’s possible the dysfunction has gone on a very long time and you’ve been at a loss as to what to do about it. The bad news is this…if what you are doing to make it better or to feel better isn’t working you will have to come with a new approach.

In order to “work” on the relationship you will have to start with what you want to have happen and what you are willing to do about what you want.  This is a stretch when your feelings are hurt or you’ve been dragging around resentment for too long.  As you consider what you want strive to be realistic and ultimately not make the want about anyone but you.  That will be a challenge.

Some of this relationship business takes courage and most of it takes training.  All of it requires work.  If you want to get really good at working out what isn’t working in a relationship begin to frame what you need to do as practice.  You will need practice working out differences, offenses, slights and broken promises with others.  Don’t forget that you too will provide opportunities for when you “malfunction” in working well with others. 

So for today pick up your pen, write out your thinking about this relationship that isn’t working.  Include your feelings.  Then ask yourself what you want to have happen.  Keep working and writing on what you want until you feel you have an acceptable list of wants that are appropriate for you, for your values; wants that are attainable, realistic and dependent on your actions. 

Keep in mind you will want to think through where you are now and where you want to be with regard to your happiness.  How much of your happiness are you willing to surrender to focusing on what you can’t do anything about?  How much of your happiness are you willing to give up because you afraid are to face your opponent and express your willingness to work on working out what isn’t working? 

Your happiness is not dependent on others, though it will be influenced and impacted by others.  Your happiness goal is in your hands, you will need to adjust your thinking and doing in order to maintain the level of happiness you are committed to. 

The key is taking ownership of your happiness.  Your happiness is tied to your ability to self-evaluate and self-correct.  We need successful relationships; they are the primary source of our happiness.

More on thinking, doing and wanting to come! 

Still learning,

Honey

What to Do with the "Chip on my Shoulder" Employee

So here's the situation:

This employee consistently has a chip on her shoulder and her moodiness is a pain. The weather is more predictable. You go to work, the world looks pretty good to you, and the door opens and "trouble" has arrived.  As she whizzes by you without so much as a look you're thinking I need to address this.

Frequently her co-workers complain about her moodiness and her brisk and blunt comments to them. She demonstrates her angriness by slamming doors and huffing and puffing.

This isn't a new issue; this has been going on awhile. It’s not every day but it’s way too often. 

You've prayed it would change, you've approached the mine field around her work space with armor on and been told "I don't bother anyone and I don't want anyone to bother me. I am here to do my job and that's what I do."

You've brought the stressful, disruptive, unkind and sometimes rude behavior up in reviews with her but nothing changes.   She might never change but you must!  So let's get busy on this!

Here’s a question for you and suggestions:

As her manager what do you WANT to have happen? Get real, get honest. Here's what others with an employee such as I have described have told me. "I want the behavior to stop." Well, actually, they've also said things like "I would like to smack her." "I would like to fire her." "I wish she'd leave."

What you want to have happen needs to be in alignment with the company's policies and expectations.  It needs to align with your responsibilities as a manager and your personal value system.

You decide what you want. If you decide you want to address the behavior and create a mutual understanding of what needs to happen going forward I can help you.  Here is your assignment if you chose to take it:

1. Make a list of specific examples of recent behavior that you want to stop. Do not exaggerate. Be factual. Be descriptive. Do not be dramatic. Act like a reporter describing what you saw, heard and what others have reported.  Do not be prepared to go back over months or years or even throw the book at her but you must be able to describe in detail the behavior you saw, heard or was reported to you.

2. Schedule a coaching session; you can do this via email, phone or in-person. Here’s a suggestion on what to say.  “Please make plans to meet with me for 10-15 minutes Wednesday morning at 8:15.”   If she asks what's it about tell her you have some things to go over with her.  That’s all you tell her.

If you routinely (hope you do) coach then you are dedicating your next coaching session with Mary to addressing this issue.   Addressing is the beginning.  It is not the end.

Best practices for all coaching sessions: be calm, sit on the same side of the desk or sit around a table, have water for you and her, have a clock where you both can see it, have paper and pen for each of you. Do not answer your phone or email and put a do not disturb sign on the door.

3. "Mary, I wanted to meet with you to determine something. I would like to know how well thought of you want to be as an employee of the company and as a member of my team. On a scale of 1-5 what would be the number that fits best – using a gauge of one meaning it doesn't matter and five meaning you want to be held in high regard, what number – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 would be the number you want?"

Expect possible derailments of questions from Mary including what's this about, what do you mean, etc. Just stick to the script. You need her to answer the question.

You don’t defend, over explain or get into any behavior issues at this point.  Stay focused on this first question.

I will blog on this again tomorrow. Between now and then I want you to make a list of what you think you would say according to the number she gives you. Then you can compare you answers to mine.

Until tomorrow…

Still learning,

Honey