Hey Managers!! Stop Whining and Start Coaching...

Stop me when you've heard this one before:

1.  A Manager is not happy with Employee A's performance.
2.  Manager talks to you (HR Pro) about Employee A's performance.
3.  You provide counsel to manager to talk to Employee A about concerns.
4.  Manager does nothing.
5.  Review time rolls around, manager lists issues, and employee is PO'd...

How did I do?  Ever dealt with that one?  Ever wonder why managers don't coach effectively?  A past study from Chief Learning Officer goes soft and suggests that managers deal with a lot of "stuff" related to coaching:

"One-third of supervisors find coaching employees is too time-consuming, according to a survey of 710 North American managers by global consultants BlessingWhite. The new study, “The Coaching Conundrum 2008,” is based on input from 2,000 employees and managers in 17 countries and explores a range of issues including coaching’s prevalence and effectiveness.

Managers who participated in the study noted the top challenges they face in coaching employees who report to them, said BlessingWhite’s coaching practice leader Cathy Earley.

What is the biggest challenge you face in coaching others? (Responses of North American managers)

• I don’t have all the answers. - 30 percent
• It takes too long. - 29 percent
• I have too many direct reports. - 16 percent
• I don’t see the results of my effort. - 10 percent
• I am not sure where to start. - 9 percent
• I am not comfortable having coaching discussions. - 4 percent
• I don’t like to coach. - 1 percent

You're kidding me right?  This survey should be called the "Ways We Can Allow Managers to Rationalize Their Way Out of Doing Their Job" study.  The last time I saw this many rationalizations, Ron Artest was explaining all the reasons he couldn't stop himself from going into the stands to savagely beat a fan in Detroit.

Seriously - "I don't have all the answers?"  Join the club, sparky.  "It takes too long?"  So does that 90 minute lunch you take at Applebee's every Thursday.  "I don't know where to start"?  How about looking your employee in the eyes and making a statement about what you've observed that's bothering you, then letting them respond?

There's only one thing on the list above that's chronically underreported, and that's "I am not comfortable having coaching discussions".  Everything else is a symptom/excuse.  Coaching is hard because it's CONFRONTATION.  It's tough, it takes nerves of steel, and you have to practice.

Still, it's your job.  If you or a manager you know is less than comfortable with coaching, find a simple coaching tool, conduct some training and be involved as the managers get some live practice with the tool you've implemented.

And stop whining about why you don't coach. 

Comments

[John Hunter]

Couldn't part of the problem be "You provide counsel to manager" when you should be coaching the manager? Granted in many organizations I guess you would have great difficulty doing so if the manager just chooses to ignore you. But it seems like the action the manager needs to take that is hard (coaching) is the action (coaching) needed to help the manager. I try to help coach people that do not work for me quite often. It does add challenges but it works.

[Michelle]

I completely agree Kris. All of those responses can be rolled into "I am not comfortable having coaching discussions." I have never seen a manager, who is comforitable providing feedback, no matter how busy, NOT provided employees with the coaching they need.

To all those managers out there, your job is to manage. That means you have to provide feedback. If you don't like coaching your employees, you should not be a manager.

[Tim Sackett]

KD -

Great post - I've always been one that thought it really has little to do with the managers, and much more to do with the "culture of feedback" your organizaiton has. I worked for one employer who made a conscience effort to begin the feedback cycle, in the interview process. They/we set up the role of feedback that early, by telling people, you probably won't like it here, because we give feedback all the time and from the beginning you walk in the door. We look at is as a gift, and it's our job to give you these gifts to make you and us better.

It was the only organization I've ever been apart of that, the majority of managers, wanted to give feedback and looked forward to it. It was part of the business model. I think we need to stop working on making individual managers better at giving feedback, and make organizations that expect feedback as part of their everyday business.