Coaching Skills for Supervisors and Managers

In the workplace, coaching communication should be a counseling process with individual steps, such as the following:

____ 1. State an objective. At the beginning of a counseling session, state the reason for the

meeting. Give some background about the problem and commit to a plan of action.

____ 2. State a desired change. The supervisor should make it very clear how the desired behavior should be different from current or past behavior.

____ 3. Allow a response. The supervisor should ask for the employee's opinion about the problem. It is important to ask the employees what they think the reasons are for a problem. The employee should not be allowed to move into a mode of denial.

____ 4. Discuss solutions. The employee should suggest alternatives, as should the supervisor. It is paramount that the employee not be allowed to shift the problem back on to the supervisor, however. The supervisor may, in serious cases, suspend the employee until a solution can be reached.

____ 5. Agree. The supervisor and the employee together should arrive at a solution that both feel is appropriate and beneficial.

____ 6. Write it up. The supervisor should prepare a written action statement about the solution and the plan for implementing it, complete with follow-up dates.

____ 7. Get a commitment. The employee should make both a verbal and written commitment to the plan. This provides good documentation should the supervisor need to take more serious action. The supervisor should have the employee sign the written action statement.

____ 8. Follow up. The supervisor can meet again with the employee on the prescribed date and discuss progress in implementing the solution. If the employee has met the objectives of the plan, the follow-up meeting would be a perfect time to provide recognition for that accomplishment. If not, then the supervisor can advise the employee of a need to comply or indicate contemplation of more serious action.