04. Performance and Trust: How Coaching Benefits Managers – II

Continuing our exploration of how managers benefit from adopting a coaching mindset, here’s the benefit…

1. Improved Employee Performance

A Gallup survey reveals that a mere 21% of employees strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates outstanding performance.

How then can the remaining 79% of employees be motivated to perform better? Simply by approaching performance management from a coaching perspective.

Research by the International Coaching Federation reveals that 65% of individuals from organisations with strong coaching cultures are highly engaged.

Meaning, a manager who dons the hat of a coach – rather than a boss – and…

1. Takes the time to connect with each team member authentically.
2. Values each team member’s individuality and makes an effort to understand the way they think, behave and work.
3. Uses that knowledge to match team members with different assignments and projects that energise them.
4. Actively engages in frequent coaching conversations, constantly guiding and encouraging them to work better.

…can naturally expect improved employee performance.

Let us now look at benefit…

2. Gaining Employee Trust

Coaching requires that a manager put in the effort to create a safe working environment that supports ongoing mutual respect and trust, which can be achieved when a manager:

1. Shows genuine concern for the employees’ welfare and future.
2. Works at the employees’ pace and in their learning style, allowing them the space and the time to reflect, think, and process what needs to be done.
3. Gives them the freedom to take the action required to execute a task or project.

Adopting this approach helps managers build a high level of trust, where employees understand that even if they fail when trying something new or particularly challenging, their manager will still be there to help them use the failure as an opportunity for learning and personal growth, rather then using it as a bludgeon to strike them during performance reviews.

In this lesson, we learned about how managers can benefit from adopting a coaching mindset. In the next lesson we will explore how coaching benefits employees.

For now, please take the accompanying quiz.

Happy Quizzing!