If you’re considering coaching as a part of your employee training and development programs, then you’re at the right place. Your employees want to feel valued and have a sense that they’re capable of achieving more in their career. And as leaders, you want your employees to be inspired, motivated and work towards a common goal. Inspired and engaged employees will perform at their best and if you have read our blog on managing performance, you might remember our suggestion on coaching. Coaching has the capacity to raise engagement and motivation by providing more meaning to an employee’s role.

Different ways of coaching

For an employee training and development program to be successful, leaders need to address the question of whether their employees require coaching, mentoring, or training. Training is based on learning skills for employees to perform their jobs efficiently. Mentoring implies high-level support from you, as their leader. Coaching on the other hand, comprises guiding your employees to identify their strengths, remove roadblocks and empowering them to their full potential. It also serves two similar but different purposes: performance improvement or performance development (usually long-term in nature).

Performance Improvement Coaching

This is where you, the coach, help employees to become more efficient in their current roles. You will be acting as a guide to get your employees achieve competence in a particular skill set. You will be providing feedback in real time and your goal is to empower the employee to enhance their skills set and knowledge. You might also want to address behavioural issues that might prevent them from reaching their goals whilst communicating your expectations. This is also where you might want to review an employee’s past performance. However, with coaching, it goes beyond the traditional concept of performance management.

Performance Development Coaching

This type of coaching is to prepare your employees for the future. You invest your time coaching them and in turn they get to know their strengths. Long-terms goals are discussed and as a leader, you help them identify the skills and experiences needed to reach them. You might want to give them more responsibility through more assignments and inviting them to learn about other departments of the business. It fosters a sense of growth and even leadership position at a later stage.

Coaching opportunities at work

Coaching is an investment and like any investment, it requires time commitment. You will need to fit it in your schedule. The good news there are plenty of opportunities where coaching can take place.

Don’t undervalue the myriad of opportunities that arise in the workplace. You could try some of the following:

• Having on-the-go conversations providing real time feedback
• Acting as a sounding board for an employee, particularly for those who dealt with a difficult client/customer
• Formal sit down at the office
• Create opportunities for your employees to learn something new or to share their own expertise
• Allow your employees to spend time in other departments to consider other career paths
• Get your employees to attend training programs specific to their goals
• Invite your employee to meetings or get involved in projects that will expand their knowledge or skills
• Allocate responsibilities to develop and expand skills.

When you see a direct report grow and move onto bigger with more responsibility (thanks to your coaching!) is rewarding for any leader. Likewise, leaders who identify and develop their successor are advocates for the success of their organisation.

As a leader it is essential that you assess the skills your team needs to be successful and that you are familiar with your current team’s skills and knowledge. This not only allows for employee training and development to be effective it also allows you to make informed decisions when recruiting.

Our business coaching services

At LMHR, we collaborate with business leaders on coaching. Working with small and medium business owners, we help leaders on coaching their employees to reach their goals. If you need expert guidance in business coaching services, we can help. HR can be painful. We do the heavy lifting, so you can focus on running the show. Get help now. Contact us today.