I recently read an article by Jennifer Robinson, from Gallup. She reviews how employees want their managers to be coaches, not bosses, plus great managers have frequent, meaningful conversations with workers.
Last week we went over some Jennifer’s points. This week we continue with more from the article by Jennifer Robinson, from Gallup.
How Managers Can Learn How to Coach
To truly give up on bossing and begin real coaching — most managers need to be coached themselves.
- Most managers can learn to build their own individual development plans, increase their own capabilities and solve their own local-level problems.
- Leaders should also keep close tabs on their managers’ engagement. Managers are slightly more engaged than individual contributors.
Employees watch and take cues from their manager. While bossing just requires stamina, coaching requires purpose and belief. And leaders can do a better job of investing in manager development.
- Gallup research shows that seven out of 10 leaders and managers see developing people as one of their primary tasks, and that’s a good sign. Engagement, performance and development are interlinked and interdependent.
The conversations that great managers have — can’t help but have — weave engagement needs, performance coaching and development opportunities together.
To be honest, not every manager is capable of that. Some believe their role is to crack the whip until goals are met. Those people have no business managing others.
Their teams wish leaders would hurry. Along with researching managers, Gallup has been tracking the “will of the workforce”: the elements of a job that matter most to workers.
The most highly talented thoroughly reject command-and-control management. They crave development. They expect purpose. And they will leave a boss as fast as they can in search of a coach.
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia:
Check out ‘Catalytic Coaching’, as a way to learn Coaching Techniques and to tie coaching to talent management.