Until recently, performance coaching in the workplace was regarded as only for C-suite leaders. As businesses have become more complex and competitive, it’s clear that providing coaching to employees at all levels drives organizational success.
Consider the newly-appointed manager who needs coaching to develop their leadership skills, or a sales representative who could use some help with their closing techniques. Personalized support is invaluable in guiding them toward their full potential.
Performance coaching examples vary as much as the individuals being coached because the best approach is tailored to the employee’s particular needs. However, at its core, coaching always emphasizes skill development, self-discovery, and personal growth.
What Is Employee Coaching?
Simply defined, employee coaching is a process in which a manager or experienced professional supports an employee in improving their performance, skills, and overall effectiveness at work. Coaches guide individuals toward their full potential by helping them identify and develop their strengths, overcome their weaknesses, and set and achieve goals.
Unlike traditional training methods, which are conducted infrequently and often take a top-down approach, coaching is a collaborative and ongoing process tailored to each employee. It’s like having a personal trainer for your career and often involves one-on-one interactions between a coach and an employee or group sessions.
What does an employee coaching program look like? There are many different approaches, but some common elements include:
- Clear goals and expectations: The first step in any coaching relationship is to establish specific, measurable, actionable, and time-based (SMART) goals and expectations. This helps the employee focus their efforts and track their progress. The coach also works with employees to connect their goals with those of the organization to ensure overall alignment.
- Feedback: Objective feedback from coaches, both positive and negative, can help employees identify areas for improvement, keep them motivated, and ensure they stay on track with their goals.
- Guidance and support: Coaches are trained to ask the right questions, acting as guides to help individuals discover and come to their own informed decisions. In conjunction with this, they provide resources and help employees develop strategies for overcoming challenges. For example, performance coaching might help an individual improve their time management and organizational skills or develop a growth mindset at work.
What is the Difference Between Employee Coaching and Mentoring, Counseling, or Business Coaching?
The term “performance coaching” can have different meanings and applications depending on the context and reason for its use, but it has distinct differences from some of the more common parallel self-development approaches.
Mentoring is when an experienced person gives advice and shares their knowledge with a less-experienced employee. This is different from the more participatory process of performance coaching, where the person being coached actively steers their own professional journey.
Counseling, on the other hand, uses therapeutic techniques like supportive therapy, which looks at feelings, emotions, and thoughts, digging into the past to explore and resolve underlying emotional issues. This is different from what employee coaching entails, as it focuses more on setting and achieving future goals.
And while