First Line Managers as First Rate Coaches! Date:   Monday , February 08, 2010 I have written on the theme of managers’ role as coaches to become valuable to their organizations. The argument essentially centered on a couple of key points. Firstly, I argued that to be a coach is part of every manager’s responsibility and not an add-up or add-on. Secondly, coaching happens whenever the manager comes across a coachable moments in performance of his daily duties. Direct reports can be helped with the benefit of coaching as the manager observes an opportunity to feedback on how a certain task could be done better and more effectively. Thirdly, coaching is a mindset as much as it is a skill & competence. Companies build their brand image as brand developers when managers across organizational levels recognize their responsibility for coaching and deliver their coaching to their people on an on-going basis. The best complement a manager can earn is when their juniors say that working with a particular manager was tremendously value-adding. There are many models and frameworks around how managers can do coaching effectively. In face, coaching for success has become one of the most thriving businesses of the decade. While the focus of many of these more pronounced efforts is on executive coaching (helping successful managers become even more successful by working on their de-raliers or interpersonal flaws), we are focused on helping first line managers deliver coaching to their direct reports so that their juniors become more focused, more effective and productive. A simple framework to guide managers in Coaching: I would like to offer a fairly simple framework which the first line manager can use for coaching their juniors. Following these steps does not call for any expensive investment, but just investment of time in trying out and mastering the steps over time. Step 1 involves a deeper understanding of the background of the juniors. It is about knowing the educational, scholastic and experience background the employees at a fairly deeper level. Most of the first line managers have probably had an opportunity to select their team members or reviewed their backgrounds through a brief introduction. This is not enough. Recognizing that coaching is a very personalized process and individual team members need different approaches to relate to is important. First principle of coaching is: “if you want to teach Johnny mathematics, it is not enough you know mathematics; you need to know Johnny as well” Step 2 involves assessing the learning styles of the individual team member: Each of us differ in our learning styles. Some of us learn by reading, some others by doing and still others by listening and reflecting. This is nothing new to us if we have been observant at our own homes. Some children are on their own reading up story books. It is enough if you buy them the books of their interest. But some kids need their grandma or grandpa to read out and explain the story books. They learn the enjoy the story being narrated to them and internalize the moral of the story. History is replete with examples of how many great people differed in their learning styles. Beethoven, the great composer of all times, was known for his profuse writing of his compositions. Once he wrote them up, he never needed to go back and refer to them, but it was his approach to mastery. President Eisenhower was a reader and not a listener. However, his predecessors, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman were both listeners. This is so true of ordinary people like you and me as well. Not knowing what works as a learning style will take the effect out of the coaching process. Step 3 involves understanding what is going well and what is not, from an employee’s perspective. As coaches, the first line managers need to clearly understand what part of the performance needs to be addressed. With some, it may be commitment to meeting deadlines. With some others, it may be the quality of work executed. And still with some others, it may be interpersonal relations with the team members in terms of sharing information or resources. Coaching is best when it address the specific aspect needing improvement rather than vague and general. Feedback is best acted on by juniors when it is specific and given with a helping attitude by the managers. Step 4 involves providing constructive suggestions: An average human being cannot remember even 8 unrelated words on a piece of paper. Giving too many suggestions for improvement is as bad as actually giving none! Managers must recognize the principle of vital few that will have maximum improvement impact and just focus on those few flaws to be fixed. Coaching for improvement demands that a genuine interest be shown in the juniors and the same be done in an adult-adult fashion rather than “playing God.” Step 4 involves reverting with feedback when Improvement is noticed: Many coaching efforts fail because of an incorrect assumption that coaching is complete when feedback is given. Now this is only part of the coaching story. The loop is complete only when the manager goes back and acknowledges the improvement that coaching has led to. When this loop is not closed with a positive reinforcement of the change desired and obtained, the junior has every reason to be frustrated. Step 5 involves dealing with behavioral flaws that help discriminate between “because of” and “in spite of behaviours”: When a manager coaches for behavioural changes, it is important to help the junior understand what it means to change for the future success. It is not uncommon to come across cases where the employee being coached does not feel any reason to change given his or her track record of success. In such an event, the manager will have to help understand the significant difference between interpersonal flaws that need addressing although the employee may be doing fine in spite of such flaws. When coaching does not focus on this, there is the distinct danger that the employee may actually start to believe that his or her success is actually because of such behavior rather than in spite of. This is perhaps the most challenging part of a manager’s job as a coach! Step 6 involves ensuring changed behavior is reinforced: If coaching has to have a lasting effect, the manager should recognize that the new behavior needs to be reinforced. It is not unusual to come across situations where in the absence of strong affirmation or reinforcement, the old behavior tends to return after some time. Coaching is very rewarding provided managers know what to expect from the coaching process. Certain fundamentals need to be, therefore, kept in mind. Firstly, coaching is for bringing about change so that performance corrections or improvements happen. It is not about reforming the employee totally. Secondly, it is process that revolves around communicating a positive expectation that the junior will benefit from the change and that he or she is capable of changing. When the managers understand the power of coaching and adopt a simple framework as detailed above, the results could be very rewarding. After all improved performance is clear win-win as the direct beneficiary is the managers themselves. The author is Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer, Symphony Services. He can be reached at mahalingam.c@symphonysv.com