Q. I’ve just been made a supervisor for a department of 12 people. I’ve heard our managers say that good managers coach their people. What’s involved? —Lois M.

A. Coaching is one way a manager helps an employee improve job performance. It’s not discipline—but willing, enthusiastic career guidance. Sometimes it’s formal—at the regular performance review. More often, it’s informal, with more frequent, perhaps daily, contact between the manager and employee on a specific project or a job-related problem. Coaching is one of the most effective performance growth tools a manager can use.

For good coaching to take place, some basics have to be in place:

The employee must want to improve and expand capabilities, so he/she can take more responsibility and grow professionally. Sometimes we call this readiness for learning. Until an employee can say, “Changing the way I do things is important, and I want to change,” little growth will occur.

Coaching is not just a technique--it's a way of life. It’s something that the manager and employee willingly participate in often throughout the year. It’s part of the workday.

The key to coaching is sincerity, honesty, mutual respect, and esteem—both on thepart of the coach and the employee. Good coaching is a partnership in growth.

The manager must sincerely want to help the employee grow. If you as the supervisor are doing it only because you have to, it won’t work.

This process of coaching is in direct contrast to the "sink-or-swim" approach to supervision. It starts with the coach or manager answering three questions:

• What do you or the employee want done differently?

(Write this out so you have a clear focus on the change you want to take place.)

• What good behaviors are not in place (that you want in place)?

(Write down the specific, measurable, observable behaviors you want. “When John talks to customers, I’d like to see a smile on his face and hear a greeting like, ‘Hi! How can I help you today?”)

• Why is coaching important now—what’s the payoff?

What measurable results will you and the employee see, when the behavior has changed? Maybe: “I want John to receive 80 percent positive comments on the customer feedback cards.”

Coaching Guidelines

• Make sure the employee knows and accepts the performance standards. Both you and employee must have the same vision of good performance.

• Focus on commitment--not just minimum performance. The goal is excellence.

• You have to create a climate of confidence, and you have to trust each other.

• Throughout the process, the employee must feel approved as a person--must feel respected for his or her honesty, courage, and ability, etc. Say how much you appreciate and admire the employee for his or her commitment to growth.

• The employee must see a personal benefit for the action suggested. You have to be able to answer the employee’s natural question, “What’s in this for me?”

• Coaching must tackle the real problems, not just the symptoms.

• The employee must take active responsibility for his or her growth.

• You need to get the employee’s commitment on specific changes in behavior, skills, or ideas, on a follow-up plan you and the employee can commit to.

• Performance feedback must be as quick and as supportive as possible. For real growth, the successes must outnumber the failures. The employee must experience real progress.

Plan Feedback Carefully

Because you’re building a relationship of trust, and the employee’s defenses are down, it’s important to be careful of the messages you send. You have to deliver behavior-correction messages in a way you’d want to receive them. Ask yourself what he or she will get out of the information. Are you "dumping" your feelings or really trying to improve performance?

Solicit feedback rather than impose it: “John, would you like my thoughts on how you handled the meeting today?” Describe, rather than evaluate behavior, and calmly describe the impact on you, the unit, the team, or the company. “When you began the meeting without a written agenda, I felt a little confused. I noticed several people were flipping through their notes, trying to find out what topic you were on.”

Remember that this is a partnership for growth, so test understanding often to be sure you’ve communicated clearly: “Barbara, would you help me make sure I’ve been as clear and as helpful as I mean to be? What’s you’re understanding of what we just talked about?”

Finally, remember that reinforcement is the most effective form of feedback, and criticism is the least effective. Give reinforcement in a 4:1 ration to criticism. And enjoy the growth.