1. Coaching for Superior Employee Performance
Techniques for Supervisors
Slide Show Notes
Coaches play a very important role in the success of a sports team. They develop and motivate players. They work hard to bring out the best in each player and to unify their players into a winning team.
Coaching in the workplace has basically the same purpose and involves similar techniques. Today, we’re going to talk about effective techniques you can use every day to coach your employees to higher levels of performance, which means greater success for you, your employees, and your department.

2. Session Objectives Recognize the benefits of coaching
Identify the role of the coach
Understand the techniques involved in successful coaching
Use coaching effectively to improve employee performance
Slide Show Notes
The main objective of this session is to discuss coaching and why it is an important part of your job. By the time the session is over, you should be able to:
Recognize the benefits of coaching;
Identify the role of the coach;
Understand the techniques involved in successful coaching; and
Use coaching effectively to improve employee performance and help employees grow and develop.

3. What Is Coaching? Informal one-to-one or small group interaction
Encouraging, advising, motivating, and developing
Essential supervisory tool
Philosophy of employee management
Slide Show Notes
What is coaching? Coaching is informal one-to-one or small group interaction with employees.
It provides you with an excellent opportunity to encourage, advise, motivate, and develop your employees a little more every day.
Coaching is therefore an essential supervisory tool that you can use to improve performance. Working with employees individually or in small groups, you can observe their performance, help them identify weak areas, and then work with them to develop their skills and strengthen their abilities.
Coaching is also a philosophy of employee management. This philosophy leads you to create a climate in your department that encourages and supports professional growth. In this sense, coaching provides your employees with the extra training and assistance they need to take charge of their jobs and their careers. Really, coaching empowers employees to succeed.
Think about how you use coaching to improve employee performance and empower your workers to succeed.
Lead a discussion about how trainees use coaching to get the best performance from their employees and help their workers develop skills and strengthen abilities.

4. Purposes of Coaching Inform Teach Guide Recognize Inform Teach Guide
Slide Show Notes
Just as in athletics, coaching in the workplace serves many important purposes.
Coaching informs. It lets employees know what they have done well and what they need to improve.
It teaches employees how to improve, providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their jobs and in their careers. Coaching supplements and reinforces the more formal aspects of your training program.
Coaching also guides and advises employees, showing them the steps they need to take to improve performance and become stronger, more effective workers.
Coaching recognizes and builds on employee accomplishments as well.

5. Purposes of Coaching (cont.)
Motivate
Assist
Develop
Empower
Motivate
Assist
Develop
Empower
Slide Show Notes
In addition, coaching also assists employees in solving job-related problems and in improving communication skills.
Coaching also motivates employees and helps them develop greater levels of competence so that they can make even greater contributions to their work group, the department, and the organization.
Coaching helps develop employees’ skills and abilities, making it possible for them to grow professionally and prepare for advancement.
And, as we said earlier, coaching empowers employees to take charge of their jobs and be accountable for their performance.
Can you think of other ways in which coaching helps you supervise your employees, improve their performance, and help them grow and develop professionally?
Ask trainees to suggest other ways coaching can help them better manage employee training and development.

6. Benefits of Coaching Improves quality and productivity
Boosts enthusiasm and morale
Strengthens relationships and communication
Increases job satisfaction
Improves teamwork
Builds trust and enhances loyalty
Improves quality and productivity
Boosts enthusiasm and morale
Strengthens relationships and communication
Increases job satisfaction
Improves teamwork
Builds trust and enhances loyalty
Slide Show Notes
Coaching offers numerous benefits. It:
Improves quality and productivity;
Boosts enthusiasm and morale;
Strengthens relationships with your employees and promotes more effective communication between you and your employees and among employees;
Increases employee job satisfaction;
Improves teamwork; and
Builds trust and enhances employee loyalty.
Can you think of any other benefits you’ve gotten from coaching your employees?
Ask trainees to suggest other benefits of coaching that they’ve identified from their own experience coaching employees.

7. Coaching Is an Important Part of Your Job
Helps you to keep in touch with workers
Lets you get closer to employees
Allows you to work with employees
Uses everyday situations to improve performance
Slide Show Notes
With all those benefits, you can easily see how coaching is an important part of your job. Coaching helps you keep in touch with your employees and work with them as individuals to strengthen performance.
It lets you get closer to employees. Through coaching, you get to know workers as individuals. You get to learn about their work styles, what motivates them, and what they want to achieve.
Coaching also allows you to work with employees in a collaborative, rather than an authoritative, way. Of course, much of the time as a supervisor you have to use your authority to manage, appraise performance, give directions, make decisions, and set goals. But when you’re coaching an employee, you have the chance to work side by side and experience a different aspect of the supervisor-employee relationship. When you’ve got your coach’s hat on, you get to listen, observe, guide, advise, reinforce, nurture, and empower.
Coaching takes advantage of everyday situations to improve employee performance. It’s often a spur-of-the-moment kind of interaction with employees. Unlike more formal training, which is planned and scheduled, coaching takes advantage of teaching moments during the workday.

8. Positive & Enthusiastic QUALITIES OF A GOOD COACH
Good Listener
Observant
QUALITIES OF A GOOD COACH
Good Communicator
Slide Show Notes
You already possess the qualities that make you a good coach, and you use them every day in your capacity as a supervisor.
Good coaches are positive and enthusiastic. They believe in people and the ability of every worker to grow and improve on the job.
Good coaches are observant. They pay attention to what their employees do and how they do it.
Good coaches are also knowledgeable. They inspire confidence because employees sense immediately that their coach knows from personal experience what he or she is talking about.
Good coaches are good communicators, too. They speak clearly and directly, adjusting to each employee’s level of experience and understanding.
Good coaches are also good listeners. They ask the employees they’re coaching lots of important questions and listen actively to the replies.
Knowledgeable

9. QUALITIES OF A GOOD COACH (cont.)
Supportive
Patient
Empowering
QUALITIES OF A GOOD COACH (cont.)
Slide Show Notes
Good coaches are supportive. They are ready, willing, and able to provide employees with the resources they need to succeed.
Good coaches are also patient. They understand that people progress at different rates and in different ways.
Good coaches are tactful. They are careful of employees’ feelings. They always focus constructive criticism on performance, not on the individual.
Good coaches are also respectful of their employees, treating each worker as they like to be treated themselves.
And, of course, good coaches are empowering. Through the coaching process, they give employees the tools they need to succeed. Good coaches aren’t threatened by their employees’ success. They welcome initiative and use delegation as a means for promoting employee growth and development.
Which of these qualities do you use and value most, as a supervisor and as a coach? Are there other qualities of a good coach that you would add to this list?
Lead a discussion about the qualities of good coaches, encouraging trainees to talk about the qualities they use and value most.
Respectful
Tactful

10. Effective Coaching Is Immediate
Coaching is often spontaneous
Coaching is most effective when it closely follows events or behavior
Slide Show Notes
The most motivational and effective coaching is always immediate. It’s something you do right this minute, not something you put on your To Do list. You seize a moment when the employee is just at the right point to learn what you have to teach.
That means effective coaching is often spontaneous. It’s given on the spot in response to a particular situation. For example, in the course of having a word with an employee about another matter, you realize the employee is uncertain about the proper procedure for carrying out a particular task. So you step right in and review the procedure. You listen while the employee talks it back to you. And then, if possible, you hang around and watch the employee perform the task just to make sure everything goes OK.
Coaching also produces the best results when it closely follows an event or behavior that warrants recognition or correction. That’s when employees are most open to learning. Negative behavior is easier to correct if you nip it in the bud. And positive behavior is most likely to be repeated if it’s reinforced immediately.

11. Effective Coaching Is Specific
What is done well and what needs improvement
Required skills and knowledge
Standards of good performance
Significance of the job
Corrective action
What is done well and what needs improvement
Required skills and knowledge
Standards of good performance
Significance of the job
Corrective action
Slide Show Notes
Effective coaching is also specific. You have to be specific about what the employee is doing well and/or what needs improvement.
You must also specify the skills and knowledge required to do a good job.
Standards that must be met must also be documented.
In addition, you should make sure the employee understands the significance of the job. In other words, what are the benefits of the employee’s effort to the team, the department, the organization, customers, and so on?
Finally, if corrective action is necessary to improve an employee’s performance, you should be absolutely clear about what action is required, step by step.

12. Effective Coaching Is Interactive
Discuss rather than lecture or give orders
Ask questions
Listen to what the employee has to say
Pay attention to body language, too
Slide Show Notes
You’ll remember that earlier we said coaching was more collaborative than authoritative. That makes it more interactive than some of your other supervisory duties.
When you coach an employee, you discuss rather than lecture or give orders.
You encourage participation from the employee by asking questions about a job, a problem, or whatever the issue is that gives rise to a coaching opportunity.
After you ask the question, then, of course, you have to listen to the answers. Hearing what the employee has to say will give you insight into how this person thinks, what motivates him or her, and how he or she is progressing.
As well as listening to words, also pay attention to body language. Do the employee’s nonverbal responses indicate that he or she is open to your guidance at that moment or is this person closed and defensive, which might mean this isn’t the best time for coaching? If you proceed under those circumstances, you know you have some kind of barrier to remove before any effective learning can take place.
Think about the elements of effective coaching described in this and the previous two slides and how they affect your coaching technique.
Lead a discussion about the key elements of effective coaching. Make sure trainees are using all these elements when they coach employees.

13. Coaching Techniques: True or False?
Coaching is an important part of your job.
Coaching isn’t something you should do on the spur of the moment.
Effective coaching is specific and interactive.
Coaching should only be used to correct workers when they’re doing something wrong.
Coaching only benefits employees.
Slide Show Notes
Let’s take a few minutes now to check your knowledge of the coaching techniques we’ve discussed in the previous slides with this little test. All you have to do is read the statements on the screen and click on the ones that are true. You can begin now. [PAUSE] How did you do?
Let’s review quickly:
Coaching is an important part of your job. Absolutely true. It helps you improve employee performance and help employees grow and develop professionally.
Coaching isn’t something you should do on the spur of the moment. False. Effective coaching is immediate and takes advantage of everyday teaching moments on the job.
Effective coaching is specific and interactive. True.
Coaching should only be used to correct workers when they’re doing something wrong. False. Coaching can also be used to give employees recognition for good performance or to guide them to the next step in their professional development.
Coaching only benefits employees. False. It benefits you, your department, and the whole organization as well.

14. Coaching Basics Do you understand: What coaching is?
Purposes of coaching?
Benefits of coaching?
Basic coaching techniques?
Do you understand:
What coaching is?
Purposes of coaching?
Benefits of coaching?
Basic coaching techniques?
Slide Show Notes
Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the information presented so far. For example, do you understand:
What coaching is?
The purposes of coaching?
The benefits of coaching?
Basic coaching techniques?
It’s important for you to understand all this information so that you can use it on the job to help you coach employees effectively.
Answer any questions trainees have about the information presented in the previous slides.
Conduct an exercise, if appropriate.
Let’s continue now to the next slide and talk about your role as a successful coach.

15. Your Role as a Successful Coach
Observe employees at work
Show concern for them as individuals
Find out what motivates them
Focus on cooperation, not competition
Observe employees at work
Show concern for them as individuals
Find out what motivates them
Focus on cooperation, not competition
Slide Show Notes
If all the information we’ve covered up to now still leaves you unsure of your role as a coach, these points can help.
As a coach you will want to spend time watching employees work as well as working alongside them. This will give you valuable insight into their current level of performance and help you tailor your coaching strategy to individual needs.
You also want to show concern for employees as individuals. Coaching doesn’t involve psychological counseling or being best friends with employees. But it does involve genuinely caring for your people and showing concern for their professional welfare.
As a coach you need to find out what motivates each employee. For example, some employees might be motivated by recognition, while others are motivated by challenges or advancement opportunities. Some might just like the satisfaction of doing a good job.
When you’re coaching employees, you also want to focus on cooperation instead of competition. Coaching helps you build teamwork among employees. If successful, it should help get everyone working together and assisting one another achieve individual as well as group goals.

16. Your Role as a Successful Coach (cont.)
Highlight growth and development
Provide new challenges
Give support and assistance
Create a positive work environment
Highlight growth and development
Provide new challenges
Give support and assistance
Create a positive work environment
Slide Show Notes
In your role as a successful coach, you also want to highlight employee growth and development. It’s important to encourage employees to develop professionally within the department and the organization, and coaching is an excellent way to achieve this goal.
To encourage growth and development, you have to provide new challenges and offer employees the opportunity to take on more responsibility through a variety of growth-oriented experiences.
As a coach, you give employees support and assistance. This means being available to your workers every day and making sure they have the resources and information they need to succeed.
And finally, your role as a successful coach is to create a positive work environment in your department where all employees can produce their best work and develop to their full potential.
Think about all the important things you do when you coach your employees. It makes you realize what a significant part of your job coaching really is.
Lead a discussion about the significance of coaching as a part of every supervisor’s job.

17. The Coaching Session Determine the agenda
Focus on one or two issues at a time
Begin by checking progress
Show appreciation
Determine the agenda
Focus on one or two issues at a time
Begin by checking progress
Show appreciation
Slide Show Notes
In addition to daily interaction with employees, periodic coaching sessions with each employee give you the chance to sit down privately and discuss important issues concerning the employee’s work. These sessions are informal events, separate and different from formal performance appraisal meetings.
A coaching session will produce the best results if you and the employee jointly determine the agenda ahead of time. This helps both of you prepare for the meeting and make the best use of the time.
Focus on just one or two issues at a time. If you have more issues to discuss, schedule another meeting.
Begin the coaching session by checking on the employee’s progress since your last meeting. Review goals and progress made. Also talk about new skills the employee has learned or work experiences the employee has had since your last session.
Show appreciation for the employee’s effort and achievement, and make sure the employee knows he or she is valued. Even when an employee is not performing up to expectations, try to find some positive aspect of performance that you can praise. This will help create the kind of positive atmosphere you need for the rest of the session to be productive.

18. The Coaching Session (cont.)
Ask for feedback
Discuss problems and possible solutions
Allow time for questions
Agree on a plan of action
Slide Show Notes
During the coaching session, be sure to ask the employee for his or her feedback about how things have been progressing. At this point, just listen. You don’t have to agree or disagree. You just want to hear the employee’s perspective.
Discuss any problems the employee is having with the job or meeting performance goals. Explore possible solutions together.
Allow time for the employee to ask any questions about any of the issues you’ve discussed, or any other work-related matters that the employee is currently concerned about.
Agree on a plan of action for the period until your next coaching session. This plan involves improving performance, enhancing growth and development, achieving goals, and so on.

19. The Coaching Session (cont.)
Look ahead
Aim high, but keep goals within reach
Thank the employee for input and participation
Set a date for the next coaching session
Slide Show Notes
A coaching session should always look ahead. Ask employees what they would like to cover in future sessions. Also consider presenting some kind of challenge during each session. For example, you might pose a work problem and have the employee think about the issue and come back with some solutions for the next coaching session. Or you could ask the employee to think about professional growth and where he or she would like to be in terms of advancement in 3 to 5 years.
Aim high when you set goals with employees during coaching sessions, but always keep goals within the employee’s reach; otherwise, you could discourage achievement.
Also be sure to thank the employee for input and participation during the coaching session.
And don’t forget to set a date for the next session. Remember, coaching is a process, not an event. It’s an ongoing responsibility. For as long as employees work for you, you are their coach.
Think about how you handle coaching sessions and how these sessions help you coach your employees. Do your sessions include all the elements discussed in this and the previous two slides?
Ask trainees to talk about the elements they include in their coaching sessions and how these sessions help them coach their employees.

20. Follow Up Review performance and goals Provide feedback
Offer advice and support
Don᾽t give up
Review performance and goals
Provide feedback
Offer advice and support
Don᾽t give up
Slide Show Notes
Be sure to follow up on each coaching session. It’s some extra time and work for you, but the results will make it worthwhile.
Check in with the employee periodically to make sure there are no problems and that performance, goals, and the other issues you discussed during the coaching session are on track.
Provide daily feedback to each employee you supervise. Even if you only have time for a couple of words of encouragement or praise, that can mean a lot and help employees progress toward their goals.
Offer advice and support as needed to each employee. This will help avoid problems and keep workers motivated to perform at their best.
And here’s a very important point. Don’t give up on employees who are slow to respond to coaching. It may take some time and a few coaching sessions before you start to see positive results.

21. Coaching Top Performers
Provide frequent feedback
Be specific
Ask for input
Slide Show Notes
All employees need coaching, including top performers. Sometimes supervisors tend to neglect top performers when they’re coaching because they figure these employees are already doing so well, they don’t need the extra motivation, support, growth, and development. But, of course, they do so that they maintain their high standards and get even better. In fact, top performers need frequent feedback about their performance—often more than other workers. Don’t assume they know that they’re noticed and appreciated. Take advantage of coaching situations to provide feedback and let them know how much you value them and their contributions to your department and the organization.
To be effective, your feedback must be specific. This tells your top performers that you’re paying attention and are impressed with what you see.
You also need to give top performers a chance to tell you what they think can be done to maintain and strengthen their outstanding performance. Coaching sessions are an ideal opportunity for these discussions.

22. Coaching Top Performers (cont.)
Keep them challenged
Give them adequate recognition and rewards
Keep them challenged
Give them adequate recognition and rewards
Slide Show Notes
You must also to keep top performers challenged because they are generally highly motivated by challenges. Coaching provides a great opportunity to determine and set appropriate challenges—and to help your top performers meet those challenges.
Top performers are usually also motivated by recognition and rewards. Find out which form of recognition motivates each employee. Examples of recognition and rewards that frequently motivate top performers include:
Raises, bonuses, and promotions;
Opportunities to learn new skills or technologies;
Opportunity to specialize in a desired area;
Participation in high-visibility departmental and organizational projects;
Public recognition during meetings or via your employee newsletter;
Certificates recognizing superior performance and unusual contributions; and
Commendation letters for the employee’s personnel file.

23. Coaching Average Performers
Determine employees’ potential
Find out why they aren’t doing better
Reinforce strengths
Clarify standards
Develop a plan
Slide Show Notes
Average performers often slip through the cracks in supervision. And that’s a mistake, since average performers probably make up the majority of most work groups.
In order to coach average performers effectively, you first have to determine if this is the best they’re capable of doing. Probably it’s not, and some coaching can help improve performance and contributions.
For those average performers who are capable of doing better, you have to find out why they aren’t in fact working up to potential. Is it lack of knowledge or skills? Is it lack of understanding of standards and expectations? Is it lack of motivation or lack of challenging work? Coaching sessions are a good place to get answers to these questions.
A good coach reinforces strengths before working on weaknesses. Let average performers know what you think they are capable of and what they have to build on. Then get into the specifics of how to improve performance.
Be sure to clarify expectations and standards.
And then work with these employees to develop a comprehensive plan for improved performance and professional growth and development. With time and the right coaching, some of these people could turn into top performers.

24. Coaching Poor Performers
Consider causes
Encourage employee input
Work to develop solutions
Renegotiate goals and objectives
Agree on an action plan
Schedule follow-up sessions
Slide Show Notes
When coaching poor performers, consider the causes. Is it lack of training? A mismatch between the person and the job? Lack of motivation or self-discipline? Indifference to achievement?
Encourage these employees to talk about their jobs, aspirations, and problems in coaching sessions.
Then work with them to develop solutions. This should help them to feel more empowered and that’s usually a strong motivator for poor performers.
Renegotiate goals and objectives, taking into account the employee’s input as well as your own judgments about the level of performance.
Agree on a plan of action to improve performance. Create a step-by-step guide that the employee can follow.
Finally, schedule frequent follow-up sessions. Turning around poor performance requires consistent and persistent coaching.
Think about the coaching techniques we’ve discussed for top, average, and poor performers and how you can use these techniques to coach all workers to higher levels of performance.
Ask trainees to talk about their experiences coaching different kinds of performers. Have them explain the techniques they’ve used successfully in each case.

25. Coaching Employees Through Periods of Change
Explain what’s going on
Offer reassurance
Involve employees in the change process
Teach them the new skills
Set clear goals
Monitor performance
Slide Show Notes
Times of change in the workplace are difficult for both supervisors and employees. Coaching offers you a way to help your employees through these rough times and ensure that your department not only survives but thrives on changes.
Your first step in coaching workers in times of change is to explain what’s going on, why the change is important, and how everyone will ultimately benefit.
Offer what reassurance you can. Don’t soft-soap hard facts, but try to put a positive spin on the information you give employees. Also, empathize with their fears and concerns.
Involve employees in the change process as much as possible. This will give them a sense of control over events and a greater sense of participation in new developments.
Teach them the new skills they need to function well in the new workplace environment.
Set clear goals. This will help workers feel more secure and it gives them a sense of direction in confusing and stressful times.
Also be sure to monitor performance closely to make sure employees are getting with the new program and developing a sense of confidence and competence to deal with new challenges.

26. Coaching Sessions: Is it True?
Focus only on one or two issues per session.
Because sessions are informal, you don’t need an agenda.
Little employee participation is required for a successful coaching session.
Set goals a lot higher than you know employees can reach to challenge them.
Slide Show Notes
OK, now let’s see how much you remember about the information we’ve covered concerning coaching sessions. Your job is to decide whether the statements on the screen are true or false. Let’s begin.
Focus only on one or two issues per session. Is this true? Yes. If there are other issues you and the employee want to deal with, schedule another session.
Because sessions are informal, you don’t need an agenda. Is this true? No. An agenda helps you and the employee prepare for the session and make the best use of the time.
Little employee participation is required for a successful coaching session. Is this true? No. Coaching is all about employee participation.
Set goals a lot higher than you know employees can reach to challenge them. Is this true? No. The goals you and employees set during coaching sessions should be high but attainable; otherwise, you could discourage achievement.
How did you do? Did you get all the answers right?

27. Effective Coaching Do you understand: Your role as a successful coach?
How to conduct coaching sessions?
Coaching techniques for top, average, and poor performers?
Coaching employees through times of change?
Do you understand:
Your role as a successful coach?
How to conduct coaching sessions?
Coaching techniques for top, average, and poor performers?
Coaching employees through times of change?
Slide Show Notes
Now it’s time to briefly review and make sure you understand all the information about coaching strategies discussed in the previous slides. For example, do you understand what we’ve said about:
Your role as a successful coach?
How to conduct coaching sessions?
Coaching techniques for top, average, and poor performers?
Coaching employees through times of change?
You need to understand all this information to be an effective coach.
Answer any questions trainees have about the information presented in the previous slides.
Conduct an exercise, if appropriate.
Let’s conclude the session now with some key points to remember.

28. Key Points to Remember
Coaching employees is a very important part of your job.
Coaching helps employees improve performance and grow professionally.
Coaching helps you develop closer, more effective working relationships with employees.
You already possess the qualities that will make you a good coach.
Slide Show Notes
Here are the main points to remember from this session on coaching for superior employee performance:
Coaching employees is a very important part of your job.
Coaching helps employees improve performance and grow professionally.
Coaching helps you develop closer, more effective working relationships with employees.
You already possess the qualities that will make you a good coach.
This concludes the coaching for superior employee performance training session.
Give trainees the quiz, if appropriate.