What happens when an employee or customer survey indicates that the supervisors, customer service agents, or senior management team needs to behave in different ways? Often, someone in the organization creates a mandatory training program to teach the supervisors, customer service agents, or senior management team new skills in the hope that knowing about the new skills will … [Read more...]
10 Coaching Rules the Best Leaders Follow
Last week, we answered "Is All Coaching the Same?" (Spoiler alert: We don't think it is, and in fact, we believe there is a very clear distinction between coaching for knowledge versus coaching for skill.) You should definitely hop over and check out that post if you haven't already to read our full explanation, but it essentially boils down to this: Coaching employees to build … [Read more...]
Is All Coaching the Same?
“Is all coaching the same?” Absolutely not. There is a difference between skills and knowledge, and there is definitely a difference when it comes to coaching employees to improve in either area. IMHO, it is easier to coach knowledge. You essentially are presenting facts, data and what works or doesn’t work. It takes less time to coach knowledge because it often requires … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Support and Grow Your Top Performers
As a leader, you should be spending 50% of your energy, focus and time coaching and further developing your employees, specifically your top performers. I truly believe that your most important job is helping employees realize their full potential. When employees do their best, you are more capable of hitting your goals, increasing your productivity and innovating. Still, … [Read more...]
7 Simple Ways to Be a Supportive Coach and Leader
As a leader, coaching is one of your most important duties. It's how you will help employees correct negative behaviors and enhance positive ones. It is how you will train new employees to take on their new positions. It is how you will guide two employees to work through a conflict. And the list goes on. While coaching, in general, is important, how you coach can mean the … [Read more...]
8 Keys to Successful Performance Conversations
It is likely you have had an experience like this in your past: You are 8 or 10 or 12 years old. You’ve done something wrong, but maybe you don't know what just yet. However, you certainly know you are in hot water after you have been told to “Stay after class,” “Go to the office” or “Wait until your father gets home.” Whatever the offense, the event goes about the same. … [Read more...]
What Should you Optimize? Define Good Work
This is a guest post by Tom Cox, leadership consultant, author and speaker. One of the most common, and tragic, causes of poor work performance is that everybody assumes the definition of "good work" is obvious, so nobody ever seeks explicit agreement on what it is. When the boss (that's you) doesn’t define "good work," things can get bad. For example, I live in Oregon, … [Read more...]
10 Roles Every Leader Must Fill
Most leaders aren't ready when they step into a leadership role, so if you are feeling out of sorts, don't worry just yet. Everything takes time. Instead of worrying that you will never get up to speed, focus your energy on improving. Here are the 1o roles every leader must fill (even the new ones) that are most important to the success of the team and organization as a … [Read more...]
Three Ways to Coach Your Employees So They Don’t Feel Coached
New supervisors often struggle with coaching the employees on their teams, and one of the reasons they often give for the struggle is that they don’t have time for or don’t know how to have the conversation. Many times, the challenge starts with the new supervisor thinking that a coaching conversation has to be a long, drawn-out meeting. The good news is that coaching can … [Read more...]
New Leaders: 5 Misconceptions that Undermine Your Success
By Keith Rollag, author of What to Do When You’re New: How to Be Comfortable, Confident and Successful in New Situations So you’ve been promoted and suddenly find yourself leading your friends, teammates and peers. How should you approach your new role? Over the past 20 years I’ve been studying the new leader experience, trying to understand what leads to new leader … [Read more...]