Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Human Resources Employee Management. Table of Contents Expand. Table of Contents. First Step in Coaching. Performance Issues Exist. Example of Coaching. By Susan M. Learn about our editorial policies. Updated on January 05, The First Step in Coaching an Employee The first step in any effort to improve employee performance is counseling or coaching.
The Bottom Line You can help your reporting employees improve their current performance , or in the case of an already effective employee, help them become more effective. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheBalanceCareers. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. Do they prefer recognition to be given publicly or privately?
Coaching requires both encouragement and empowerment. As a manager and a leader, your job is to build one-on-one relationships with employees that result in improved performance.
Your employees are likely to have a lot of input, questions, and feedback. Some employees will have no problem speaking their mind, while others will need a LOT of encouragement before they share an opinion with you openly. Once they do open up, be sure to respect those opinions by discussing them, rather than dismissing them. For example, maybe you recently moved from an office plan that had lots of individual offices to a much more open plan, and one of the reps on your sales team has shown a drastic decrease in successful calls.
With that perspective in mind, you can work with them more effectively on how to get their numbers back up. Coaching conversations are meant to yield changes and results, so be sure to clearly define and outline what needs to happen next.
This will ensure you and your employee are on the same page with expectations, and provide them with a clear understanding of the practical steps they can take to make changes and improve.
Also, these next steps should be mutually agreed upon — talk about what is reasonable to expect given their workload and the complexity of the changes being made. If an employee comes to you with a question about a process or protocol, use this opportunity to teach them something new.
The first checkpoint to review progress should take place very soon after a coaching session, when motivation is high and commitment to the plan is fresh. After that, follow up meetings can help employees maintain improved levels of performance and internalize behavioral changes. At each progress review, coach and employee can exchange feedback and determine whether to stay the course or adjust the plan.
Take every opportunity to reinforce improved behaviors. When you notice an employee doing it right or wrong , let them know on the spot. Feedback is most effective when it is timely and frequent. Technology can help here too. For example, technology solutions that monitor and analyze real-time employee-customer interactions can display performance metrics on demand, show employees how well they are meeting KPIs, and enable instant feedback loops between employee and manager i.
While positive and timely feedback are important to achieving performance objectives, formal recognition and rewards are also needed to effect behavioral changes. Coaching and incentive programs go hand-in-hand, tying employee performance to company goals, and rewarding individual performance in a way that is valued by that person. Rewards could be anything from money to flex time , depending on the employee receiving it.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on this website. However, if you would like, you can change your cookie settings at any time. To find out more about how we use this information, see our Privacy Policy. Robin : That's what I do now. I tell 'em to hold. Robin : What difference does it make? Nobody likes to be put on "hold" so why bother asking? Barry : People like to be given options.
They like to feel they are making the decision. Robin : OK, fine. I'll do it. Is there anything else? Barry : Yes, Robin, there is. When you get back to both customers — the one in front of you and the one on the telephone — be sure to smile and thank them for being so patient. Robin : I can't go around with a phony smile on my face all day and be one of those gushy-gooey people.
Barry : Robin, I'm not asking you to be phony. I am asking and expecting you to demonstrate real concern for the customer by smiling, using the customer's name, excusing yourself when you need to answer the phone, and thanking the customer for waiting. I know I'm asking you to modify your behavior, and that isn't easy. But what do you think you will gain by changing the way you handle the customers? Robin : I guess I'll get to keep my job.
Barry : I'm not talking about you losing your job, but I am talking about doing everything you can to communicate that the customer comes first. When the customer believes that, it will also make it easier for you in dealing with him or her.
So what do you think you can do to improve the situation? I guess I can concentrate on being a little friendlier, making sure I use the customer's name more, and answering the phone more promptly. Barry : Good, that's all I ask. Let's get together again in two weeks at the same time to discuss how things are going. How does that sound to you? Robin : OK, I guess. I'll give it a try. Using Feedback The importance of feedback in the coaching process cannot be stressed enough.
Keep in mind the following guidelines for effective feedback: Be descriptive rather than evaluative. Describe observable behavior not judgments on your part. Be careful not to put the employee on the defensive. Be specific rather than general. Describe the behavior in the context of the actual situation. Discuss only behavior the employee can change. Some people have shortcomings over which they have no control.
Be timely and do it frequently. Hold the discussion at the earliest opportunity after the behavior has occurred. Take into account both the employee's and the employer's needs. Remember to strive for a win-win situation. Communicate clearly. Check for clarity by asking the employee to state his or her understanding of the discussion.
Do it when the receiver is ready to receive it. Keep in mind that timing is everything. Recognizing and Rewarding Positive Behavior Feedback and reinforcement need to be followed with recognition and rewards. Individual recognition teamed with incentive programs can be very effective but should be tied to organizational goals and individual performance and valued by the employee.
If, your organization is committed to responding quickly to customers, then you should reward the employee's efficiency in returning phone calls or resolving complaints. That reward could be public praise, special privileges, choices of flex time, schedules, vacations, or tangibles such as gifts, money, plaques or theater tickets. The reward should depend on the person receiving it. The employee with young children may appreciate given more scheduling flexibility whereas someone on a limited income would value the opportunity to work overtime.
List some non-monetary ways you can reward your employees for outstanding performance. Measuring Success One of the ways you can measure your coaching success is to solicit feedback from your employees on how you are doing.
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