Real Life Coaching Experiences
Let's discuss a couple of scenarios to determine if we can identify the best approach: coaching or counseling.
Scenario One
Sue was recently hired as a retail store manager. The previous manager was well liked and she knew she might have challenges instituting the much needed changes she was brought in to accomplish. Sue immediately realized that one employee in the store had some issue she would have to address through performance coaching. This particular employee, Richard, had been at the store for a couple of years in an assistant manager role. He had hoped to step into the previous manager's role with her departure. Shortly after Sue became the new store manager, Richard's attitude and approach with his work drastically changed. While his previous reviews reflected a positive attitude with a strong ability to foster a team environment and a willingness to put in the extra effort to accomplish difficult goals, he was now coming in late, addressing other employees and customers in abrupt tones, and missing key deadlines.
Would you use a performance coaching or counseling method if you were in Sue's shoes to achieve a performance improvement? What about if you were in Richard’s shoes?
Click here to see if your reflections about Scenario 1 are similar to mine.
Scenario Two
William has recently formed a new department from newly hired employees and existing employees that were previously a part of a different department. William sets out to evaluate the skills of the inherited employees and notices that while most of the group shows excitement for their work, one employee, Cynthia consistently under-delivers, misses deadlines, and presents a poor attitude to peers, customers, and to the boss. William has had numerous performance coaching discussions with Cynthia around delivering on time and communicating any constraints to her deadlines but has seen little performance improvement. Cynthia continues to miss deadlines and does not communicate with William or the customers she supports.
Would you use a performance coaching or counseling method if you were in William's shoes to achieve a performance improvement? What about if you were in Cynthia’s shoes?
Click here to see if your reflections about Scenario 2 are similar to mine.