Great examples of being adaptive to the needs of your team and helping them get to where they need to be based on where they are now and what they are able to handle at this point in their careers or lives.
Original Message:
Sent: Oct 04, 2023 07:48 AM
From: Leslie Dombalis
Subject: Week 1: Understanding Coaching, Lessons 1-3: 4 items: 27 minutes
I think it is so intriguing to consider the way in which this concept, "manager" vs "coach", has evolved over time, as the working world has become more inclusive. Whereas once, in the days when seniority and "who you know" determined success, a manager's job was simply to assign work and ensure its completeness, today's workforce is built WHAT you know and how hard you work. Coaching candidates to succeed has replaced grooming the owner's son to run the show.
Of course, just like in sports, not everyone can be coached. Or more accurately, coached the same way. For example, I've an employee on my team, "Jane". Jane is a veteran employee who has been with the organization longer than anyone else on the team, however she is fairly new to the team. She is deeply resistant to change, and our organization has been Going Through It; additionally, she has experienced significant drama in her personal life. As a not-surprising result, her work has suffered. At this point, my best course of action is to manage Jane on a daily basis. From the article, "The Importance of Knowing When to Manage and When to Coach":
"When team members are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious and do not know to know what to do next, they need someone who can calmly steer them in the right direction."
"Jane" is in a constant state of stress & anxiety due solely to circumstances outside her control. The best thing I can do for her, and for our team, is to simply help her manage her day-to-day workload. Once she is through this difficult time, we can work together to determine a path for growth, if she wants one.
On the other hand, "Evelyn" soaks up knowledge and is constantly looking for ways to grow. Coaching for her looks like delegating new tasks, like scheduling, that require higher levels of critical thought, or recommending LinkedIn Learning courses for her to review. Both Evelynn and Jane feel like valued members of the team and recognize that I care about them as people as well as employees, largely due to the fact that I take the time to find out the best way to help them BEFORE I try to help.
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[Leslie] [Dombalis] CCM
[Vice President, Loan Originations Document Support]
[SECU]
[Raleigh] [NC]
[919.839.8508]
Original Message:
Sent: Oct 04, 2023 07:01 AM
From: Laura Gibbs
Subject: Week 1: Understanding Coaching, Lessons 1-3: 4 items: 27 minutes
A key part in this section, for me, was learning about managing versus coaching. Often as managers, or aspiring managers, the thought is these are one in the same. However, we learn the difference between managing and coaching. Leaders, in any capacity are playing a dual role as manager and coach, whether it is to direct reports or others throughout the organization. I think back to my days in a training environment, you know the on-the-job kind, and at that time I had a clear manager and a clear coach. My manager was sending me work to do to learn, and my coach was there to help me get through it, essentially the person giving me the "how-to". Those coaches became trusted colleagues, people I was comfortable asking all the questions to as I learned the role. This of course shifted as my OJT ended and my manager then took on the dual role. I thought I would give a clear example of how these two roles can be differentiated. So, when should you or shouldn't you coach? The article by Sophie Oberstein "Responding to a Request to Coaching" gives great examples of why one may be asked to coach, and questions to ask if one is asked. Did any of these resonate with you?
Coaching helps in building trust, opens communication and feedback – all skills leaders can use in their own development and for their team. What benefits have you received from coaching? Have you ever tried to coach someone who wasn't really interested? If so, how did you navigate that situation?
Please share any takeaways you have from Section 1 here!
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Laura Gibbs
CUES
Member Engagement Manager
laurag@cues.org
608.288.5352
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