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Coaching
Getting a better performance from key people is now a vital component for business success. Many good people managers realise that being a coach is part of their job description; whilst knowing what coaching is and how to do it is a mystery to most.
Coaching is a method of developing peoples' skills and knowledge to improve their performance. When that improvement is targeted at organisational goals, benefits accrue all-round. The object is to achieve a higher standard of performance with the opportunity for continuous improvement.>
Coaching is not telling people how to do a job better. More than likely the coach will not be an expert at performing the job of the person they are coaching. Examples of this are found in the sporting world where many of the coaches to today's top flight superstars were not themselves members of the sporting elite.
A successful coach recognises their protégés' skills and potential, and launches them on a journey of improvement by challenging them. At a simple level this is done by asking questions like "How could you improve that?" or "What else could you do?" that stretch the imagination towards a better performance.
T.I.P. (To Improve Performance)
- Not everybody is coachable
- Don't instruct, but question, listen and discuss
- Ask what they could do to improve
Remember: A coach is rewarded when the employee being coached performs at a level even they were unaware of. Coaching is a two way process.
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