How Coaching can improve employee performance

Coaching is part of the day-to-day interaction between a manager and an employee who reports to them.

The goal of coaching is to work with the employee to solve performance problems and to improve the work of the employee, the team, and the department.

Employees who respond positively to coaching and improve their performance can become valued contributors to the success of the business.

The time managers spend in?performance coaching with their best, most contributing employees is time well spent. It is more likely to produce increased results for the organization and for the manager's department and priorities.

It is ironic that many managers find that they spend the majority of their time with their troubled, or underperforming employees. This is despite the fact that the most significant value from their time and energy investment most often comes from the opposite priority.

Coaching is an effective tool for managers to deploy in their efforts to help employees succeed, and especially help employees increase their skills and their?potential opportunities for promotion?or?lateral moves to more interesting positions.

Demonstrate your belief in the employee's ability too improve

Show confidence in the employee's ability and willingness to solve the problem. Ask him or her for help in solving the problem or improving their performance. Ask the employee to join in with you with the goal of increasing the employees' effectiveness as a contributor to your organization.

Describe the performance problem to the employee.

Focus on the problem or behaviour that needs improvement, not on the person.

Determine whether issues exist that limit the employee

Ask yourself whether the employee has the ability to perform the task or accomplish the objectives. Four common barriers are time, training, tools, and temperament. Determine how to remove these barriers, assuming one exists. Determine whether the employee needs your help to remove the barriers—a key role of a manager—or if he or she can tackle them alone.

Discuss potential solutions to the problem or improvement actions to take

With a lower-performing employee, ask the employee for their ideas about how to correct the problem, or prevent it from happening again. With a high performing employee, talk about continuous improvement.

Agree on a written action plan

The written plan should list what the employee, the manager, and possibly, the HR professional, will do to correct the problem or improve the situation. Identify the core goals that the employee must meet to achieve the appropriate level of performance that the organization needs.

Set a date and time for follow-up

Offer positive encouragement. Express confidence in the employee's ability to improve. Recognize, however, that the only person?who is in charge of their performance improvement?is the employee. As much as you try to help, he or she is the one who is ultimately in charge of their growth and improvement.