Professional Development
The Last Word
by Cecile Peterkin
Moving from Manager to Successful Coach
Most managers were placed in their roles because they were excellent performers. But with more than 45 per cent of managers failing in their first 18 months, most are struggling with how to get their teams functioning. When it comes to people skills, many simply don’t know where to start. Whether you have been a manager for one year or 10, your day-to-day should be less about your own productivity and more about coaching your team to work better together and deliver results.
It takes time. Google spent nearly five years perfecting its Gmail program – by soliciting user feedback and making adjustments – before releasing it to the public. Coaching your team is just like a beta test; it takes time to get it right, and you need to listen to advice.
Shift your mindset. Your job is no longer the tasks themselves, but instead making sure everyone else’s tasks get done. If your team works harder, faster, smarter – it reflects on your ability as an effective manager and shouldn’t challenge your confidence.
Set achievable goals. Focus on a few valuable changes – two to three big wins- that will make a noticeable impact and motivate your team.
Clarify your roles. A team falls apart when no one understands what they are accountable for, the importance of their work and what their value is to the team. Set up meetings to talk to each member of your team one-on-one about your expectations and their goals and what they need from you to be successful.
Build on strengths. Stop helping people develop skills in their areas of weakness. They were hired into their positions because of their strengths. Your job is to find ways to help them grow and flourish. You don’t need a well-rounded team (or team member); you need the right people doing the right things.
Follow different paths. An important part of leadership is letting team members find their own way- not your way – to accomplish tasks. Constantly telling people what to do and how to do it inhibits their growth and independence.
Ask questions. Your team will tell you everything you need to know (and even solve their own dilemmas) if you simply ask them questions. What do you think we should do? Why are we doing it this way? How can we improve our approach?
Challenge them. If employees aren’t challenged, their heart won’t be in it. Ask them what they’d like to do and how they want to work with you. Give them a chance to lead.
Keep your emotions in check. If you are frustrated with your team and their lack of success, the worst thing you can do is show your emotions. If they aren’t measuring up, it’s ultimately a reflection on you. Go back and think about why you hired them and build on those strengths. Coaching takes time, energy and willingness on both sides to experience both the challenges and the success.
Cecile Peterkin is founder of ProMentoring and Cosmic Coaching Centre.
