Supervisory coaching conversations
[The more I think about this, I don't think this gets at promoting communication and collaboration across work units, which are our two FEVS indicators (Kathleen)]
To foster engagement, coaching should be an ongoing process and not limited to quarterly or annual performance evaluations. Schaufeli and Salanova (2007) suggest that coaching employees and helping them with planning their work, highlighting potential difficulties, and offering advice and emotional support helps to foster engagement. It also helps to instill confidence or self-efficacy among employees.
Coaching sessions vary but common types include:
- long-term development help, which focuses on a goal that takes time and practice;
- debrief of an event or project; and
- short-term problem solving.
Tips for supervisory coaching:
- Listen with your full attention.
- Ask instead of talk: ask open-ended questions, so your direct reports can articulate their goals and challenges and find their own answers. You might start with questions like these:
- What is happening?
- What is challenging about it?
- What have you done, tried, or considered?
- What is your ideal outcome?
- What would senior leadership want to see happen?
- What would have to change to make that happen?
- What conditions would have to be in place?
- How will you prepare for that?
- How will we measure success?
- Who will be impacted by these potential changes?
- Who needs to be included or in alignment to these goals?
- Create and sustain a developmental alliance.
- Focus on moving forward positively.
- Build accountability.
Reference:
Gruman, J. A., & Saks, A. M. (2011). Performance management and employee engagement. Human Resource Management Review, 21, 123-136. (downloaded from http://shop.tarjomeplus.com/Uploads/site-1/DownloadDoc/288.pdf)
Su, A. J. (2014, December 12). The questions good coaches ask. Harvard Business Review. (downloaded from https://hbr.org/2014/12/the-questions-good-coaches-ask\
Su, A. J. (2015). Holding a coaching session. Chapter in HBR Guide to Coaching Employees.
Valcour, M. (2014, July 17). You can't be a great manager if you're not a good coach. Harvard Business Review. (downloaded from https://hbr.org/2014/07/you-cant-be-a-great-manager-if-youre-not-a-good-coach\