Why, When and How to Manage More Like a Coach

If you’re a manager, your job is to oversee the work of other people. We all know that sounds a lot more simple than it really is. That’s because people and projects are complicated … and always evolving.

Now consider coaching … first from a sports perspective.

If you’ve ever played sports, you know good coaches are often humble, compassionate and passionate about their sports. They’ve got a plan and communicate clearly so you know what’s expected—where you’re supposed to be on the field or court. They’re enthusiastic and it’s contagious—making you want to be part of it. They’re encouraging when you succeed and when you falter. The experience with this person makes you a better athlete and your team wins!

Why to be a coach

Great managers know how to coach. They have strong two-way communication—for explaining what’s expected and more important, listening. Employees grow to trust them. They influence and motivate others to be their best. They encourage continuous development, good attitudes and independent thinking.

“Coaching is a sophisticated management style that requires developing a relationship that empowers employees by building confidence and competence,” suggests mit.edu. Emphasis is not on checking and monitoring, but on developing a higher level of performance.

When to be a coach

But coaching is a management style that isn’t right for every situation. When to be a coach and when to take a more directive approach is based largely on the complexity of the task and the experience level of the employee.

Certainly, when managing your own work teams, there are times that call for a directive management style—an inexperienced or new employee, a tight deadline, a crisis, dealing with a habitual problem employee or running a meeting. In these situations, you need to tell people what to do because you have the experience needed.

But for a large portion of the work, over-managing means your employees don’t learn to think for themselves. They can become disengaged because they feel their ideas and suggestions aren’t being heard. (For more details on re-inspiring, read this article.)

How to be a coach

 (outlined by mit.edu):

1. Provide direction. Clearly define goals and values. This helps employees understand the context and how their work contributes to the overall success of the project or organization. Help them to understand the priorities so they can make good choices on their own.
2. Improve performance. Create a learning environment where employees are supported to continuously improve. Begin by assessing their current capability. Ask questions. Then give feedback and outline the gap between their ability and where you both agree they should be. Create opportunities that enable them to work on this gap.
3. Open up possibilities. Help employees develop to solve problems and make decisions. Do this by: asking the right questions, challenging employee’s thinking, offering options, giving information and providing new interpretation to a situation. Make employee part of the decision-making process.
4. Help remove obstacles. Stay close to projects by asking questions. Confront people who become obstacles to your employees. Provide additional resources if needed. Or, serve as a sounding board for the employee to develop his own plan for overcoming the obstacles.

A coaching management style helps you gain trust and get a deeper commitment from your team by developing and inspiring them rather than simply demanding compliance. Help them to see their potential. Help them to grow and be more confident in their work by pointing out its value. Define what excellence looks like. Then step out of the way!