Essential Skills for Successful Coaching

To ensure consistent leadership development within the workplace, coaching has become a highly prioritized method used to train, mold, and encourage employees. And while a sports coach and an office supervisor share similar objectives for team growth, office coaching requires a unique set of skills specific to the working environment.

Devoid of strict time restraints and monotonous drills, great office coaching requires patience, consistent hand-holding, and an assortment of skill-set conditioning.

No matter how talented a supervisor is, an organization’s success rate is greatly impacted by the competence of its workers. Specifically, nonprofits heavily rely on their employees’ ongoing drive and development in order to further advance their mission.

Here are 6 essential elements required for successful coaching:

1. Long-term education—Workplace coaching requires an extended hand-holding process where one must help walk employees through each step of the way; this ensures that workers are applying their new skills in an accurate and time-efficient manner
2. Multifaceted training methods—Rather than solely focusing on your employees’ specific job requirements, it’s important to help them gain a thorough knowledge of the organization as a whole; this will give them a greater understanding of how their jobs affect office productivity and interact with other positions
3. Value mistakes—Since no  employee is perfect, don’t harp on every mistake they make; your workers will appreciate their triumphs much more and will learn from these speed bumps throughout the learning process
4. Genuine feedback—Positive and constructive responses to an employee’s progress will help create ongoing goals as well as instill a sense of accomplishment within the individual
5. Ask questions—Ask open-ended questions on a fairly regular basis in order to check in with your workers’ memory retention and engagement; this will not only build a trust between you and your workers, but it will give both parties a chance to evaluate where the current strengths and weaknesses lie
6. Flexible time limits—While there are some unavoidable time restraints set within the workplace, it’s important that there is an ongoing list of goals, both short-term and long-term, that have no expiration date; employees must be allotted time to reflect on and reevaluate their work

Effective coaching requires a formulaic methodology, which can only be achieved through trial and error. Backed by mutual trust and strategic thinking, the best workplace coaches inspire their employees to continually raise the bar. Great coaches encourage stronger internal relationships and a constant evolvement of talent—paving the way for a more successful organization.

Read more coaching tips within the workplace here.