What if the key to unlocking your team’s full potential is simpler than you think? Discover how coaching can be the game changer in managing your team.

Any business owner knows that managing people is often the most time consuming and difficult aspect of any job.  In my experience the majority of people issues are caused because managers do not want to have difficult conversations, so they avoid it and of course the issue just gets worse.  Failure to speak to an employee about their behaviour does not help anyone, managers become more frustrated and the underlying issue does not get addressed. 

Often times employees are promoted to a

role with line manager responsibilities without any training, being good at your job doesn’t automatically make you a good people manager. Therefore, when confronted with an issue often managers don’t have the skills or confidence to deal with it. 

We also live in a world where often people are concerned about what they can and can’t say to employees.  We all read the high-profile employment cases in the press where eye watering amounts of money are paid out following an employment tribunal, due to a comment someone has made.  Of course, we do need to be mindful of how we approach issues, sending someone a ‘What’s app’ message on a group chat criticising their work performance is clearly not the right way to address problems.  Having a constructive one to one meeting to discuss issues in a factual and calm way, will allow a two-way conversation during in which both parties have an opportunity to talk to through the problems and devise a plan to resolve them.  However, this can seem daunting and managers can be unsure of how to approach the meetings, or how to deal with unexpected comments in a conversation.  They can feel out of their depth, particularly if employees start to mention personal issues or struggles with health, especially mental health.  The fear of making things worse or saying the wrong thing can be paralysing.

Coaching can provide numerous benefits which will impact not only managers, their teams but the organisation as a whole.  Coaching develops communication skills, helping managers understand how to approach difficult conversations, why it is important, how it benefits the employee and how to effectively deal with different scenarios which may come up.  Through coaching managers become more self-aware and learn how to respond in a thoughtful, calm and measured way.  It improves listening skills as well as the ability to give feedback in a constructive way and address employee concerns.

Managers who are confident to tackle issues will be better at conflict resolution.  Grievances can occur when employees don’t feel they have been listened to or when conflict arises in a team and it isn’t effectively dealt with.  These issues can be time consuming to deal with and have an adverse effect on the whole team.

Coaching also gives managers the tools to work with their team, setting goals for them and helping them achieve it.  Employees who have managers they can talk to and who make them feel supported at work will often stay in their jobs for longer, reducing company retention rates. 

Good managers impact the company culture, they nip problems in the bud, foster a good working team, are supportive and give their teams clear goals and objectives to work towards.  Coaching gives managers a safe space to think about and practice new approaches and create a culture where their team can thrive.

Interested in how coaching can help your business?  I have a certificate in coaching and 20+ years of coaching managers in having difficult conversations and resolving issues.  Whether you are interested in 1:1 sessions or group training sessions, contact me at bev@bdhr.co.uk for more information.  Found this article interesting subscribe to get my blogs straight into your inbox.