By Jan K. Orr
You can help your team with tactics commonly used by professional coaches.
“Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.”
Pete Carroll, Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks
Change is hard, and when you hold a leadership position, you not only have to deal with change on your own behalf, but you must also steer and support your staff through it. Even if your goals are foggy and your action plan isn’t fully developed, you still have to motivate your employees to keep going and take the next step.
How can you manage that?
Don’t just manage…coach. Professional coaches work with executives and other motivated individuals to consciously pursue growth and change, typically to catapult their careers forward, achieve balance in their lives and create better versions of themselves. Some of the methods and tools that coaches use to help their clients can also be employed by managers to support their staff.
Consider these four tactics that professional coaches utilize to help their clients through periods of change:
1. Identifying What They Want in Life
A professional coach can help identify what someone really wants out of life, taking into account all aspects including personal and professional aspirations. You may need to focus on the professional side with your employees, but helping them to see the big picture can give them the purpose and direction necessary to stay the course.
2. Recognizing What’s Holding Them Back
Once the big picture is clearly visible, a coach can help identify what might be getting in the way or preventing the client from working toward achieving their goals. You can offer the same kind of guidance, in some cases helping your team members take responsibility for failures or shortcomings and creating opportunities for change.
3. Setting Goals and Action Steps
A vital function of a coach is to guide the client through the critical process of goal-setting. Ensure that your employees have clearly-defined and measurable goals along with a step-by-step action plan that includes “to-do” lists that will help your employees stay the course by taking small steps in the right direction.
4. Becoming an Accountability Partner
Besides holding the client accountable for their actions or inaction through daily, weekly or monthly meetings, a coach can help get through challenging moments. Be available to adjust your employees’ goals or provide a different approach or strategy when necessary, so that your team stays on the path to success.
You can take a cue from the increasing popularity of professional coaches and help your employees create positive change in their professional lives by utilizing these coaching strategies.
Want more info about coaching?
If you are passionate about helping your team and want some more in-depth exposure to coaching tactics, consider Coaching as a Leadership Strategy, a one-day course in the Leadership Academy Certificate Series. If you are interested in engaging one of the Center for Professional Education’s coaches to work with you or your team, email us at cpesolutions@austin.utexas.edu for more information.
Jan K. Orr is a marketing coordinator for Extended Education Ventures. She studied computer science at The University of Texas at Austin and holds an MBA from Oklahoma State University.
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