Traditionally, organizations look at relationships with peers and supervisors as critical to keeping employees motivated and productive. But there’s another workplace relationship which can have an even greater impact: that of coach and coachee.
At Integrity, we utilize a coaching system throughout our associate and worksite management systems, and both we and our clients are extremely pleased with the results. In this article, we’ll highlight some of the ways that workplace coaching increases employee engagement.
Guidance-Driven Feedback
Giving appropriate and frequent feedback is perhaps the single biggest step you can take towards employee satisfaction and growth; yet, it’s rarely or inconsistently practiced by leadership.
Coaches communicate with employees in a non-intimidating way, so that the information is better received and acted on. A coach’s job is to make employees feel that their work is valued, as well as helping them improve their performance.
Coaches also provide a safe avenue for feedback from the employee about workplace difficulties, and can facilitate solutions that avoid having the employee resign in frustration.
Communicating Corporate Goals
Nearly 75% of employees say that managers don’t spend enough time explaining business objectives. These people are more likely to lack commitment to the organization, and have little interest in helping achieve the company’s goals. The coach can act as the channel between workers and management, reinforcing the big picture during day-to-day operations.
Defining goals is also important for the individual employee. Coaching empowers the coachee to set career goals and plan a strategy for achieving them. This increases employee engagement by letting them know their employer cares about their future, while developing stronger skills that will benefit the company.
Incorporating Accountability
If you let them, most people would rather not take responsibility for their actions and run the risk of incurring any bad consequences. This leads to bad workplace habits such as learned helplessness and waiting for someone else to make decisions or solve problems. Productivity cannot thrive in such an environment.
Coaches help create a corporate culture of accountability and help managers address employee concerns in the workplace. On an individual level, they encourage employees to assume responsibility for their own career development and role within the organization.
Growing Soft Skills
Employees interact with each other, their supervisors and the company’s customers on a daily basis. Coaches can help them learn how to communicate effectively, understand situations and emotions, and ask appropriate questions for optimum outcomes. The result is a happier team, more engaged individuals and a more successful organization.
