The Best Managers Are Great Coaches
Last month I talked about the importance of mindfulness and starting each day with intention. This month, let’s look at how managers specifically can take this a step further by applying that same sense of conscious purpose to coaching the people on their teams.
A recent Gallup poll looked at employee turnover and found that at least 75% of the reasons for voluntary turnover can be tracked to managers. Most of the reasons employees cited for leaving were things managers could have changed like job fit, opportunities for growth or advancement, and work environment.
Your Team’s Expectations
Before we talk about some strategies for effective management, let’s look at who makes up your team. In my coaching practice, I consider each new client as an individual and really try to understand who they are as the product of their life experiences, their backgrounds, and even their age. As a team leader and a coach, you are working to do the same.
The workforce today — and likely your team — is increasingly comprised of a generation with different priorities than those that came before it, and managers need to understand the expectations these typically well-educated and eager employees bring. Gallup’s informative report, How Millennials Want to Work and Live, suggests that growing up in the age of technology and social media, millennials are looking for that same kind of constant connection in the workplace. They want continuous feedback as part of frequent-touch coaching, and they’re seeking seasoned colleagues willing to mentor and engage them as they grow and explore and discover their “why.”
Strategy 1: Help Your Team Find their “Why”
Understanding the “why” behind an activity can bring meaning and purpose to your work, and it can influence your team in the same way.
Help your team understand how their actions affect the organization as a whole, and how they relate to the core values of your company. Gallup names this strategy as the number one way effective managers lead their teams. For millennials especially, understanding the big picture is critical. They want to know how their specific role ties back to the organizational purpose and priorities — they want to see that they matter.
Strategy 2: Encourage Others to Shine
The best managers are constantly looking for ways to highlight and grow the skills and talents of those on their teams but there are many ways managers can invest in building their employees—the most accessible is through simple conversation. If you commit to engaging each team member in open, honest conversation, you begin to know your employees not only as teammates but as people. Embracing a holistic view of the individuals around us lets us better leverage the unique skill sets each person brings to the team, and will also help us spot opportunities for growth and promotion that we might not recognize otherwise.
As a manager and coach, learning about those on your team shows them that you are interested in knowing them and helping them find their best path to success. That kind of authenticity in management breeds loyalty and builds culture, and will ultimately drive the whole organization forward.
Strategy 3: Seek Out and Reward Excellence
This strategy encompasses more than just offering a pat on the back for a job well done. Instead of looking at the work of your team at the task level, consider it from a broader perspective. Look at the challenges your team faces as individuals—both in their personal lives and in the workplace. Listen to them talk about the obstacles they’ve encountered, and demonstrate your respect for their ingenuity and inventiveness through positive reinforcement and ongoing engagement.
Your team needs to know that you believe in them, that you are their champion, and that you believe their role within the organization—and the world—really matters. Celebrate success and encourage your team as human beings, and you’ll see amazing connections begin to emerge inside the larger organization.
The Big Picture is the Key
As a manager, you have the power to inspire and recognize the unique and variable talents of the people you work with. When you focus on your role as a “coach” rather than as a “boss,” the way you begin to think about the workplace is likely to evolve alongside that of your team.
I’d love to share more ideas about how leading a team is parallel to coaching, and to help you grow your own coaching strategy as you continue to nurture your team. If you’re interested in learning more about how the Clifton Strengths can help grow as a manager, or how to find a sense of purpose in your own work, I’m here to help.