Yesterday we talked about team building. I sparked a lot of questions about individuals and small teams. People wanted to know what to do if the individuals do not seem coachable…so here we go…
Is your team coachable? If not, call us at MCDA – we can help!
In any business, it is the managers’s responsibility to be a leader and coach their direct employees. You want to lead them and coach them to utilize their full potential. But how do you know when an employee is coachable and at what point are they not?
How do you coach your employees?
First, an employee needs to be committed. They need to accept criticism and feedback, try something new, and admit and own when they make a mistake. It is necessary to have a positive attitude and put effort into constantly improving. This commitment to excellence is a key ingredient to being a coachable employee.
Second, the employee has to have the capacity to look beyond their current level, but know what is a reasonable expectation. For example, even a 50-year-old who works out and is in great shape and who practices all of the time will not make next years New York Yankees roster as a shortstop. Knowing their limits, and having the capacity and ability to achieve their goals is crucial in coachability.
What if the employee doesn’t appear to be coachable?
If you have an employee that doesn’t seem to be coachable, the first thing you need to look at is their commitment level. Do they show up on time, do they show up to meetings on time? Do they take the lead and follow up with you, the leader? Do they listen to your feedback and are they trying to improve on it?
If the answers to these questions are no, then it’s the manager’s job to address them. Communication skills are critical in this situation. Addressing your observations, concerns, and communicating how to improve is the only way help the employee get on the right path. Sometimes it may be as simple as a miscommunication cue, such as the employee may think you’re too busy to talk, so they don’t come to you for help. But without having this conversation, there is no way to move forward.
Another very common way an employee can appear to be uncuttable is through their ability. They may be putting in as much effort as they possibly can, but their work could still be at its max plateau. As a manager it is your job to recognize this and use their talents elsewhere. Have a conversation with them and after you may want to move them to a different project where their skill set can be maximized in helping the team. As a manager do not set up and employee for failure if you know what their limits are.
And finally, if the employee was once your rockstar and now seems to be struggling with their work, have a conversation with them. We are all human beings, maybe something is going on in their personal life that is distracting them from work. The important thing is to have the door open to be able to check in with them to see what is hindering them from their work and have the resources available to help if they need it. Always have an open door where your employees can trust you and come talk to you whenever they need help so you can help them be the best they can be.
If you would like more information or would like some ideas on how to develop your team further call us at MCDA today! (714) 872-2393
One comment
Toby Rash
October 22, 2015 at 6:10 am
That is so very true about communication .T hat unifies your team to peak performance. Thank you for putting that out there.