You are new to leadership, but you have likely mastered many skills on your way up the ladder. In fact, you’ve probably reached expert status in several areas. At some point, you will need to share that knowledge with your employees. You’ll need to teach them new skills and coach them to better performance.
Learning a new skill and being a beginner at something is hard, but too many leaders fail to remember that. It’s easy to lose sight of the beginner’s challenges, especially when you are an expert at performing a specific skill.
These suggestions will help you step back from your expertise long enough to effectively coach employees:
Don’t assume anything
When you get in to start a car, you go through a number of steps in your mind automatically, without thinking. Things like checking the mirrors, adjusting the seat, applying pressure to the brake and others. If you were to teach someone how to safely start a car, you might assume that the person already knew many of those things. Because the steps are so automatic to you, you think “Everyone knows that.” Coaching a beginner requires you to lay out every step very clearly. Don’t assume employees know the “obvious” stuff.
Tell people why
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is thinking that people will automatically understand why each procedure is done and why it is important. The opposite is actually true. To provide better coaching, you need to explain more than just what to do, you need to help people understand why they should do it.
Be patient
If someone is a beginner, you can’t expect the person to become an expert immediately. Did you reach your level of expertise after one try? Since you didn’t, you can’t expect others to either. Have faith that the person will get there, be patient and help the person improve a little bit at a time.
Space feedback out
As the expert, you likely can see many areas for improvement in the beginner’s performance, and you may have an entire list of suggested changes. However, if you offer all of that feedback at one time, employees will become overwhelmed and may not know where to start. Begin by providing basic advice that will make the biggest initial improvements. Offer people additional guidance as they improve and become more comfortable.
Build their confidence
Employees need confidence to succeed, but it is often lacking in beginners. It’s only natural for them to be afraid of failing, especially if they are comparing themselves to people with tons of experience and knowledge. Offer them plenty of training, resources and emotional support, and let them know you are always there if they need you. That alone will give them the confidence they need to tackle a new assignment or build a new skill.
You will coach others more successfully when you remember what it was like to be a beginner. After all as a new leader, you are experiencing much of the same confusion, doubt and insecurity that employees are. Teach from that perspective, not from your expert perspective. When you do that, you will create more confident and competent performers in less time.
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Good Article, and good advice. Thanks.