How do you coach and develop your employees?

SMART has outlived it's usefulness for a generation of people who want their work to have meaning and purpose. I have become a fan of the SPACE coaching model that helps people look at ways to achieve their goals within the [S]ocial context of their environment, how it makes them feel [P]hysiologically, [A]ctions they are taking, and the impacts on their [C]ognition, and finally the [E]motions associated with success or failure, lessons learned. If SMART factors in at all it is in the actions portion but it should only be a small section of what trainers focus on in developing people. In other words, SPACE allows for a more holistic approach. Of course, what approach to deploy is ultimately job and situation dependent.

The first step that must be taken whwn coaching is to make clear KPI and goals and inform the staff and their head and make a commitment with sign in the form of their KPI. Make sure all staff understanding the agreed KPI and Goals .

Coming from a management and leadership perspective looking into group and individual performance is the best way for me to understand what is the best way forward. One to one gives a personal take on the skills of the person performing the role. Working with the individual can develop that person's development or laying out a structured plan, step by step to grow that person's skill set going forward. Enjoying the task of producing, capable and confident leaders is refreshing. Motivating and communicating new ideas turns the tide of thinking and uplifts people's spirits once, it is delivered in a truthful and direct way. Inspiring words often leads people to achieve more than they would normally do.

Communication is an absolute must for coaching and employee development, this should go without saying. You have to inspect what you expect which means clearly explaining job functions, section or department roles and responsibilities, and organizational flow which may be briefed upon introduction or throughout training. However, there is also the matter of doing. Working with employees to reach their goals and providing hands-on training is also a form of communication. Just like a good movie we want to show them how to navigate not just tell them. After all, every product and service they distill will be their story, and the story of the consumer, and the organization -- make it a good one.

The biggest mistake with feedback is it's only given once a quarter or once in 6 months. There should be a culture of feedback every 15 days or 30 days. Even 5 mins feedback can become incredibly helpful to employees to make the right changes required. This also doesn't bring any expectations mismatch at the time of appraisal.

Most learning and development is focused on tick marking some boxes. If proper emphasis is given on the learning and development activities by both stakeholders, it can bring such a transformation across. An individual learning plan keeping in mind employees personal and professional interest can bring a lot of meaning to the entire process.

Stretch assignments in a supportive environment is extremely pivotal to develop skillls and exposure for your employees. 70% of learning is on the job, this means you have to incorporate stretch opportunities into individuals day to day goals for them to truly develop proficiency in certain skills and competencies. As a leader this means you have to take risks and let an employee take lead on a small project that you could do in a lesser timeframe. It is hard as a leader to do this. However it is worth it. It is the only way your employees will build the skills in a deep way. Just like building muscle, learning takes time, work, and intention.

Knowing the learning style of employees can be very helpful when trying to provide developmental opportunities to employees. Once you know this, it allows you to provide the information in the most receptive way possible at first, then work through other styles to be sure the employee has a firm grasp of the information. You can also possibly bypass bumps in the road of frustration or lack of understanding by the employee that would make them less interested in growth.

One thing I've found helpful in coaching and developing employees is to foster a sense of ownership and curiosity. By empowering and challenging them, employees are encouraged to take ownership of their work and explore new possibilities. This involves giving them the autonomy to make decisions, providing the necessary resources, and setting high but attainable standards. By nurturing a culture of curiosity, employees are motivated to seek innovative solutions, embrace learning opportunities, and think outside the box. This not only enhances their confidence, creativity, and initiative but also promotes a dynamic and forward-thinking environment where continuous growth and excellence thrive.

If you want to see a behavior repeated, make the recognition swift and specific. Words of encouragement needs to occur as close to the action as possible, and need to be detailed and personal. "Good job" isn't specific enough to make that person feel seen and appreciated. "I appreciate how dedicated you have been to getting this issue resolved, while still juggling all of your other tasks. Your ability to prioritize the issue while still giving your team the support they need, shows good leadership and time management skills." Keep it simple but be as specific as possible. And remember; some prefer to be praised in public, while others prefer a private note. Know your team and recognize them accordingly.

Calibrating expectations to situations and growing and learning employees is key in maintain effective workplace relations. As improvement is observed add opportunities form continual learning and, where able, delegate to grow leadership in the trainee. If there is no improvement be prepared to walk things back. Sometimes it is helpful to go back to fundamentals and rebuild. You may also consider bringing in a colleague or more experienced subordinate to see if they can connect with the trainee better than you. This still falls within the realm of coaching because you are demonstrating that even the best train can watch and learn. Everyone can train to be better at something. Continuous learning requires continuous effort.

the good salary make staff happy but an environment that support staff progreess and develope will make staff loyal to the company

Coaching intervention is the most successful if: 1. Goals are aligned to the individual needs and organisational objectives. 2. Plan is long term with due frequency, follow up, and measurement. 3. Emphasis is on optimising upon the inner resources of the individual 4. Powerful questions are able to get the own answers from within.