Leaders Focus on Long-Term Initiatives and the Development of People
In
order to develop the skills and talents of your people, you must become a good
coach. A good coach will unleash the often hidden talents in a person, while
also retaining the capability to provide counsel on wrong decisions and advice
on fixing problematic performance issues.
Anyone
can become a good coach; yet it takes a very special person to be a good coach.
Both
of these seemingly contradictory statements are true.
You certainly already possess some of the attributes of a dynamic
coach, and those characteristics that do not come naturally can be
learned.
First
and foremost, as is true with all teachers, coaches must themselves be active
learners. The successful coach takes on the mindset that he or she will never
stop learning, no matter how "far they have come." This means
developing one’s specific work related skills, and increasing knowledge of
general skills and talents through reading, taking formal classes and seminars,
and by thoughtful discussion with peers.
When
you enter a coaching relationship, you are taking on an individual with a
package of talents, weaknesses, pluses, minuses, and probably contradictions.
Your job is to nurture and
develop that package to the point at which it produces maximum benefit for the
organization and the individual himself.
The
aim of all coaching is personal growth so that the subordinate staff member can
contribute maximum effort to the organization. Problems and confrontations can
be major character builders. Part of the coach’s role is to help the staff
member understand how a problem or a failed effort can be turned into a
positive learning situation and experience.
In
world-class organizations, we have seen that the coaching function is capable
of accomplishing some major organizational objectives. Successful coaching can:
- Fully orient a new
employee to the company and its culture.
- Instill confidence
through teaching general and specific knowledge about the company.
- Confront troublesome
situations.
- Counsel an employee
through rough and uncertain waters on a personal or professional basis.
Coaching
accomplishes all of this through the power of the one-on-one relationship. The
key is for your own subordinates to catch the excitement of learning when they
see that excitement in you.
Here
are a couple of questions to ask yourself:
How much of your time is spent on getting
things done or focusing on ensuring results?
How much of your time is
spent in meetings, on conference calls and answering email?
Add
the percentages together. If your answer is greater than 85%, you may have a
problem on your hands, because the time remaining is all that you have left to
develop your people.
This answer may also provide you with insights into how
you can better prioritize your work activities, perhaps by delegating some of
the "doing" work so that you can focus on long-term initiatives and
the development of your people.
