8 Coaching Do’s And Don’ts

However, not every manager has innate coaching skills that they feel confident with because they have most likely not attended any coaching skills for managers training.

However, that is not a problem,—any person can coach with practice and determination.

This article will provide coaching do’s and don’ts that you can focus on before you perfect your process.

Coaching Don’ts

1) Telling Others What To Do

Simply “telling” your staff members they need to be better at communicating, working harder or accomplishing another goal is not coaching!

Leaders need to understand the difference between giving out directions and true coaching.

2) Not Creating Deadlines

If you simply discuss a plan but don’t set actual deadlines, you do not hold yourself or the other party responsible.

You need to set reasonable due dates to keep the employee motivated.

3) Not Being Consistent

It’s not a secret that the agendas of managers are overflowing, and it can be time consuming to coach.

However, if you have committed to coaching, you can’t do it sporadically or it will be a waste of time to you and your coachees.

4) Be Lackluster

If you ever see a sports coach on the field, they are excited, animated and clearly invested.

You need to follow the same protocol and be energetic in order to motivate your employees!

Coaching Do’s

1) Build Trust

In order for another person to take your suggestions and advice seriously, they need to trust that you have their best interest at heart. 

Focus on building a relationship that embodies trust before starting to coach.

2) Ask Questions

You need to ask questions to see objectives that are important to your employees, and what they want to focus on.

Coaching isn’t a one-direction game; you need to focus on what your staffers want to improve and not just what you think is the right course of action for them.

3) Rewind and Repeat

Information doesn’t always stick from the first time.

Make sure to summarise goals, resolutions and plans not only after every meeting, but also in the continuous meetings going forward to keep them fresh in the coachee’s mind.

4) Be Flexible

Seasoned coaches know that they need to be flexible and adjust their strategy to the person they are coaching.