As a leader, you want your team engaged and ready to move the business forward, but sometimes keeping employees focused and committed can be a challenge. In a 2013 study on the State of the American Workplace, Gallup reported that 70% of employees are disengaged.
These employees are not working up to their potential and that increases work, decreased productivity, and increases pressure on leaders. In this report, Gallup identified the positive influence of a manager on an employee is development as being key to increasing engagement.
An effective solution for addressing low engagement for many leaders is to incorporate coaching. Coaching is a great way to develop communication between a leader and their employees.
It provides opportunities to share expectations, promote accountability, and give and receive feedback. As a manager develops the relationship with an employee, trust and respect increases, collaboration and teamwork improves, and employee development advances.
With such a large pool of disengaged workers nationwide, investing in and implementing an effective coaching program is like putting money in the bank. But, you have to ask yourself if all coaching programs are created equal.
The answer to that question is a resounding “No.”
When choosing a coaching program, you want a program that will create your greatest return on investment. You want a program that will provide practical application for your managers so when the coaching training program is over, they not only have learned a coaching process, but they have practiced the skills, used the tools, and are prepared to take immediate action.
Additionally, you want a program that helps managers target their coaching efforts on the highest percentage of employees. Your company is made up of three levels of performers…about 5 % are low performers; another 5% are top performers.
Most managers spend their time working with the lower 5%. Many coaching programs concentrate on growing your workforce by only focusing on the top 5%. But, what about the 90% in the middle? It is the average, disengaged performers that can, with attention and care, become high performers and make a difference in the organization long-term.
In over 35 years of coaching experience, we have found these two variances to be key aspects of a successful coaching program. We have also found that choosing a program that is flexible enough to allow for customization that meets your specific needs is essential. No two organizations are alike and you need a coaching program that can speak to the needs of your leaders.
The final area to consider when looking for a coaching program is sustainability. Your leaders are going to be most excited about the things they learned immediately after a coaching workshop. But when the demands of their role side track their good coaching intentions, they will need tools and reminders to keep them focused and committed to the coaching process. Choosing a program that provides a sustainability element will help you maximize your return on investment.
As you kick off this new year and look at ways to make improvements to your part of the business, consider your employees and how engaged they really are.
Are they following the trends described by Gallup?
If so, reach for a coaching program that will help you build those relationships, develop your employees, and turn your average performers into engaged high performers. For more information or questions on CMOE’s coaching program(s), visit /products-and-services/coaching-skills/ or call us directly. We have TIPS2™ for you.
Recommended For You:
Coaching
