Karen Dwyer: Kick Off Employee Success through Great Coaching

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/0930_kick_off_employee_success_through_great_coaching/

By Karen Dwyer

Football season is an apt metaphor for a company game plan.

It’s that time of year again — football season is in full force, and employees are working for the weekend. And, just like a football team achieving a victory late in the game, employees need great coaches to inspire great performance, not just in the fourth quarter, but throughout the year. Coaches can excite the inner drive in each and every person. They give us the tools we need to be successful and help us develop the skills to reach our goals. So, why not offer the same experience to your employees and kick off the fourth quarter right.

To help boost the success of your employees and have them working hard until the whistle blows, try these tips for coaching your team.

Establish a game plan. Like a coach on the football field, it’s your job to put your players in the areas where they can shine. Start by scheduling a one-on-one meeting with each member of your team to go over their strengths and weaknesses. Listen to what they have to say, and then give feedback on where you think they show the most potential along with where they need improvement. Then, discuss strategies to help get them on the right track that is both beneficial to the company and the employee. Help each employee create goals, and show how these goals impact the company. Finally, find out what motivates the employee to do their best work and use those motivators to help them reach their goals.

Be on the field. Great coaches don’t teach from afar. They are on the field with their team, every day. To get the best results from your employees, coach on a daily basis. This doesn’t mean meeting with employees every day or micromanaging them on every project. But, making sure you’re providing positive feedback and constructive criticism on a consistent basis is important. Make sure you’re using what you’ve learned in your initial meeting to give each employee what they need. Whatever the needs of each team member, make sure you coach them in the same consistent way. Some people require verbal rewards to motivate them, while others want more responsibility for a job well done. By being on the field and interacting with your team on a daily basis, you will equip each team member for success.

Post game review. After football games, coaches and players critique game videos to see what worked and what didn’t. This helps the team know where and how to adjust so they are continuously improving. So, track results and see if your techniques and team’s efforts are working. You can schedule a monthly meeting to review goals and see where to go from there. Regular goal tracking and review will remind employees of their contribution and progress and help them remain focused on what they’re working for.

Coaches become great when their players succeed. So, use these tips to coach with enthusiasm. Demonstrate pride for your team and model great leadership, and you’ll be playing for the championship.

Karen Dwyer is owner of Express Employment Professionals, 9 W. Figueroa St. Click here to contact her or call 805.965.6900.

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/0930_kick_off_employee_success_through_great_coaching/