Coaching for Problem Employees

Business owners often approach me about coaching their problem employees. They want to make them do coaching to fix their weaknesses and bring them up to higher levels of performance. While this can occasionally be effective, more often than not there is only moderate improvement with this approach.

Focusing on fixing weaknesses rarely yields great success. Building on strengths yields far more significant changes, especially over time. People can develop their talents so well that their weaknesses are no longer relevant. This not only dramatically improves job performance it increases job satisfaction, as well. It only makes sense: the more we get to do what we’re good at, the more we like what we’re doing!

So, how do you choose which people to invest in? Before I answer that, I’m going to ask you to take a look at your business . Where do you tend to make your largest investments? Where you can get the best return, right? Why would the people part of the business be any different? With that in mind, the top performers in any business are a natural choice for providing coaching. They tend to be open to learning new things that help them become more successful. They also tend to know what kind of support they want and need and they are willing to apply what that they learn.

Newbies are another good investment. It is expensive to bring a new person on board and, assuming you have hired the right person for the job, giving them the tools they need to excel as quickly as possible just makes good business sense. They become profitable sooner and they move through that frustrating stage of not knowing what they are doing more easily.

The steady performers are another viable option. They may never become the cream of the crop, but you can depend on them to consistently do a good job. These are people who tend to stay with the company for a long time and make a steady contribution. Coaching can help leverage their knowledge and skills and may motivate them to do more than would otherwise do.

If you are considering providing coaching to employees who are struggling, it is important to look at why that person is having difficulty. If an employee is talented, but lacks the necessary skills and knowledge, that employee would likely be well worth investing in. Skills and knowledge are something anyone can learn and having someone work with them can turn them into valuable assets.

If the situation is reversed – they have the skills and knowledge, but not the talent – then added support is unlikely to produce a significant change. This is a time to reassess and consider transferring the person to a position that is more suited to them. Coaching can often help with this assessment and transition.

Once you have decided which employees you would like to offer coaching to, there are several factors that will help maximize the successful outcome of the coaching process:

1. Don’t force coaching on anyone. Start with the people who are excited about the opportunity. Allow people who are unsure about the process to see what happens for others. Leave the door open, but don’t push them through. They will gain far more from the process if they want to be there.
2. Allow people to select their coaches. Because coaching is highly personal, it is important that people feel comfortable working with their coach. Give people an opportunity to have an initial interview to be sure it is a good match before committing to the coaching relationship.
3. Don’t expect coaching to do everything. Provide mentoring, training, etc. as needed and be sure the coach is familiar with this work so they can support the process. Studies have shown a marked increase in application from training programs when combined with coaching.
4. Be sure the coach is fully apprised of the corporate culture. It is very difficult for employees when they are receiving conflicting information. Be sure the coach knows what the expectations are within the organization.
5. Build performance measurements into the coaching process. Be very clear from the beginning what the expected outcomes are and how success will be measured. Assess every three months to be sure the coaching is on track and course-correct when necessary.

Providing coaching for employees is a great way to encourage people to express their best, as long as it is done thoughtfully and respectfully. Individual coaching, sometimes combined with assessments, can help people find the keys to improving their effectiveness more quickly and easily than when working in groups or when left alone. If you are looking to help your employees excel, then coaching is worth investigating as a useful tool.