Executive Coaching

A MINIGUIDE TO MOTIVATION: -- Realize that employees’ first loyalty is to their own needs, not to the organization’s. -- Utilize the motivational powers of peer pressure by encouraging teamwork and group cooperation. -- Be generous with praise and rewards for excellent work. -- Take the time to do the extra little things that show your employees you value them as people also. -- Try to stimulate your employees with a welcome change when things are in a slump. -- Try motivational strategies such as job rotation or productivity contests. -- Be specific about goals, expectations, and standards.

AS A PERSON BEING COACHED: -- The employee must demonstrate genuine interest and concern about the job. -- The employee must help set the climate of trust and mutual respect. -- The employee must recognize that the appraisal is a joint exploration, and the performance management system a joint process. -- Both the supervisor and the employee must be willing to examine problems, attitudes, and feelings. A threatening relationship may bring temporary conformity, but it will not induce the changes in attitudes or behavior necessary for sustained development and improvement.

COACHING -- A TEAM EFFORT: It is easy to spot the difference between a work team that is “motivated” and one that just goes through the motions. The motivated team produces at or above the level expected by top management, has only occasional absences or tardiness, and low employee turnover. The second group has trouble meeting its goals, greater absenteeism, and higher turnover. In addition, members of the latter work team may be more apt to argue with one another or to band together against their supervisor. Can a supervisor who is also a good coach really make a difference? The answer is a definite “yes” with a few qualifiers.

SO WHAT DOES GOAL SETTING OFFER? It insures the goal’s own achievement. Effective goal setting provides a platform for the continuous coaching process that necessarily follows it. By using a clear-cut and measurable goal as a starting point, the techniques of coaching are greatly facilitated. If a supervisor follows the well set goal in progress, he can quickly catch any errors that may endanger or stall the goal's completion. To put this idea in a different perspective, it is far easier for a supervisor to perform a good coaching job when both the employee and the supervisor know in advance what is expected in the way of performance.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY -- COACHING: -- Supervisors must demonstrate genuine interest and concern and be able to put themselves in the employee’s shoes to see things from the employee’s perspective. -- Supervisors must maintain and foster a climate of mutual acceptance and trust. -- The supervisor must develop a non-threatening atmosphere. -- Supervisors need to recognize that the performance management system and the performance appraisal meeting are joint explorations and efforts.

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