Last week, we answered "Is All Coaching the Same?" (Spoiler alert: We don't think it is, and in fact, we believe there is a very clear distinction between coaching for knowledge versus coaching for skill.) You should definitely hop over and check out that post if you haven't already to read our full explanation, but it essentially boils down to this: Coaching employees to build … [Read more...]
Is All Coaching the Same?
“Is all coaching the same?” Absolutely not. There is a difference between skills and knowledge, and there is definitely a difference when it comes to coaching employees to improve in either area. IMHO, it is easier to coach knowledge. You essentially are presenting facts, data and what works or doesn’t work. It takes less time to coach knowledge because it often requires … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Support and Grow Your Top Performers
As a leader, you should be spending 50% of your energy, focus and time coaching and further developing your employees, specifically your top performers. I truly believe that your most important job is helping employees realize their full potential. When employees do their best, you are more capable of hitting your goals, increasing your productivity and innovating. Still, … [Read more...]
7 Simple Ways to Be a Supportive Coach and Leader
As a leader, coaching is one of your most important duties. It's how you will help employees correct negative behaviors and enhance positive ones. It is how you will train new employees to take on their new positions. It is how you will guide two employees to work through a conflict. And the list goes on. While coaching, in general, is important, how you coach can mean the … [Read more...]
8 Keys to Successful Performance Conversations
It is likely you have had an experience like this in your past: You are 8 or 10 or 12 years old. You’ve done something wrong, but maybe you don't know what just yet. However, you certainly know you are in hot water after you have been told to “Stay after class,” “Go to the office” or “Wait until your father gets home.” Whatever the offense, the event goes about the same. … [Read more...]
What Should you Optimize? Define Good Work
This is a guest post by Tom Cox, leadership consultant, author and speaker. One of the most common, and tragic, causes of poor work performance is that everybody assumes the definition of "good work" is obvious, so nobody ever seeks explicit agreement on what it is. When the boss (that's you) doesn’t define "good work," things can get bad. For example, I live in Oregon, … [Read more...]
6 Ways Leaders Can Help Others Measure Success
One of earliest tools I learned how to use growing up on a farm was a tape measure. There are several reasons for that. It is often used, using it won’t hurt you (think hammer, saw or torch!), and my Dad carried a small one in his pocket. As a boy, emulating Dad was always a good idea. I don’t use a tape measure every day now, and you may not either, but the idea of … [Read more...]
8 Tips For First Time Leaders to Get Results From the Team
This is a guest post adapted from YOUR FIRST LEADERSHIP JOB: How Catalyst Leaders Bring Out the Best in Others by Tacy M. Byham and Richard S. Wellins, Wiley, 2015. Byham and Wellins are CEO and SVP, respectively, of Development Dimensions International (DDI). We absolutely believe that as a leader you are a powerful, creative and indispensable force for good in society. But … [Read more...]
Maximize the Risk-Reward Relationship in Corporate Settings: A Safe Environment Plays a Key Role in Innovation
This is a guest post by Maxine Attong. There’s no shortage of fanfare for the hottest corporate buzzword of the past several years – innovation. As Forbes noted in a 2012 article, the word has become the “awesome” of corporate speak. Innovation is the quality desired by business leaders, who tend to believe that if you’re not innovating, you’re dying a slow death. While … [Read more...]
The ABC’s of Coaching Success
If you are a manager, you are also a coach. You just can't avoid that. You will need to evaluate your employees' performance, and offer them guidance and support for making necessary improvements. Otherwise, they won't reach their full potential. Gaining the confidence to coach your employees is a big challenge for first-time supervisors. However, just like the alphabet is … [Read more...]