Best Coaching Approach

On my interaction with various teams, I found one thing, very common, some team members are highly motivated while some struggling to fit into the role. At times, the managers/leaders quickly assume that it is about individual’s ability to adjust and accommodate rather seeing what as leader, they need to rethink on their approach of coaching them.

Truly said by Pete Carroll- Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.”

I would suggest each manager/leader to use and apply Skill/Will Matrix at work. The Skill/Will Matrix can help you find the right coaching style in situations like these. It's designed to help you assess people's skill and motivation levels. You can then tailor your coaching to their needs, based on this assessment.

The Skill Will Matrix is?a tool used by managers and leaders to assess an employee's performance based on two factors: their skill and their will. In the 1970s, author Paul Hersey and leadership expert Blanchard created The Situational Leadership Model.

Before going to the matrix, lets understand skill and will. Skill is the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance.?Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of work, some general skills would include time management, teamwork and leadership, self-motivation and others, whereas domain-specific skills would be used only for a certain job. Will here refers to, the power of the mind to choose what to do; a feeling of strong determination.

Skill/Will Matrix

You can use the matrix to think about people's levels of skill and motivation, and, from this, choose the best coaching style for each of them.

Figure 1 – The Skill/Will Matrix

The matrix is divided into four quadrants. Each one reflects a different coaching style that you can use, based on people's levels of skill and motivation. The four styles are:

• Direct:?use this approach for people with low skill and low will.
• Motivate:?use this coaching style for people high skill, but low motivation.
• Guide:?this approach is best for those with high will, but low skill levels.
• Empower:?apply this approach for people with high skill and high motivation.

How to Use the Matrix

First, explore people's levels of skills, and think about how motivated they are. Then, plot skill and motivation on the matrix to determine which coaching style you should use.

Let's look at the different coaching styles that you can use for each quadrant.

Direct (Low Skill/Low Will)-Working with someone in the Direct quadrant takes a lot of time and effort. If you manage the person that you're coaching, set clear deadlines, and monitor progress closely. If you don't manage her, encourage her to discuss deadlines and instructions with her manager, and to ask for help if she is struggling.

Excite (High Skill/Low Will)- Someone who falls into this quadrant has the skills he needs to perform effectively but lacks the motivation to use them.For example, if he/she is motivated by new responsibilities, point out where these will arise within his/her current projects, and highlight that there will be more of these if he/she sets an example of effort and hard work.

Your coachee may reveal that elements of his role or working environment are negatively affecting his motivation. If this is the case, explore how you, or he, can reduce or remove these demotivators.

Guide (Low Skill/High Will)-Someone in this quadrant already has the motivation that she needs to improve. Your task is to look for opportunities for her to build key skills, and then give her the confidence to apply them. Then, encourage her to take managed risks, so that she can learn from her experiences.

Empower (High Skill/High Will)-Someone with high skill and high motivation needs you to be less of a coach, and more of a?mentor?or "sounding board" for his ideas.

Let him know that you're available if he needs to brainstorm, and encourage him to adopt a?self-coaching" ?approach to personal development. Make sure that you're clear on your responsibilities as a mentor, and, if you're also his manager, check that there are no conflicts of interest.

Placing your team members in different quadrants and coaching them as per the requirement will help the team to function effectively.

“The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point that they eventually surpass him or her in knowledge and ability.” – Fred A. Manske Jr.

Do write to me and share your experiences in applying this matrix for your team members.