SuperSTAR Performance: Coaching

The fourth strategy of the SuperSTAR Leadership Model is COACHING. As I’ve been discussing, the SuperSTAR Leadership Model emerged from research after we determined that SuperSTAR leaders use 9 strategies consistently & effectively to set themselves above average leaders.

Coaching is a term we often think of when we think of athletics. It’s also a concept we deem necessary in that setting. No matter how good an athletic team is, we always think it’s absolutely essential for the team to have a coach. But, when it comes to the business sector, we operate differently. Why is that?

Well, most managers don’t think they have the time, or they don’t quite grasp the concept of coaching, or they’ve never been effectively coached themselves, so they don’t really know where to start. But, coaching actually saves time. And by coaching your employees now, you are providing them with an example that they can carry far into their future. Do everyone a favor – and coach your employees.

Passionate and diligent coaching increases your team’s productivity, generates higher sales, and improves the quality of your service. Coaching can be informal or formal, but it should always be a positive process of mutual dialogue. Coaching can be used to do various thing, such as build rapport, ask questions, give advice, provide support and assistance, follow through on previous conversations, and to simply set aside time for an employee.

A few examples of informal coaching, include:

• Talk to employees about non-business things. Care about them.
• Verbally praise an employee in front of a few others.
• Meet with an employee in his/her office, not your own office.
• Ask employees for input on a problem.
• Apologize for a personal mistake or error.

One-on-one formal coaching sessions are also very valuable for many reasons, some of which include:

• It promotes effective communication.
• It establishes an employee-manager relationship.
• It creates an atmosphere of continuous improvement.
• It helps businesses and employees reach & exceed their goals.
• It can aid daily performance management.

So, next time you’re hesitating about whether or not coaching is for your working environment, ask yourself how much more confident you’d feel cheering for a team in the NBA that just secured a coach with an all-start reputation?