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Coaching effectively as a leader is a process that is part of an overall plan to achieve the goal you have set to get the results you are looking for. Good coaching starts with a good plan. Coaching will help you as a leader to focus on behavior that will lead you to the goal. The word "coaching" taken from the sports field is a great one. Keep in mind the idea of any sport. The ultimate goat is to win. With that goal in mind, the individuals on the team need to develop the skills they need to be successful.

There are three steps to coaching. The first set is an activator action that requires coaching to improve or affirm the behavior. This can be to set performance goals, to train an employee or to set expectations. An action by the employee is noticed by the supervisor, the action is not necessarily wrong, but could be improved or at least remarked upon. This will help the employee understand the expectations that are put into place for him or her and help them determine how to respond to the situation in the future.

The next step is the behavior of the employee. Do they meet quality standards for work? Do they meet deadlines? Do they make mistakes or miss important details? Whether the behavior is positive or negative it needs to be addressed. By ignoring the behavior of an employee you are affirming negative behavior and undermining positive behavior.

The third step are consequences. This can be praise for a job well done or a task performed well. It can be a reprimand for a negative action that needs to be addressed or an important mistake that needs to be corrected. Another action that can fall under consequences can be to ignore the action, but as previously stated ignoring or offering no response can have a negative impact on positive or negative behavior.

Coaching focuses on the present and the future. A Good coach acknowledges mistakes, sets a plan of action to correct the behavior and moves on. If a coach continually focuses on previous mistakes then the employee will not be able to overcome the problems they have previously encountered. They will focus on their previous mistakes, become frustrated and have a negative impact on the company. If an employee is able to put their mistakes behind them and focus on the positive aspects of their training they will be able to become a positive impact on the company and help it continue to succeed.

Coaching is an important role for any leader. It is imperative that they realize the impact they will have on the employees in their department. If they are able to motivate and coach them in the right direction they will have a solid and hard working department that will help to benefit the company. A leader of any department or company is looking to help their employees to improve not only the actions of their employees of the actions of the department or company as a whole. They aren't looking to make themselves look good, but to help their employees improve which will help the company succeed.

Learn more about this author, Patti Winters.
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