Coaching Makes the Difference - 6 Tips to Get Engagement and Performance Started

Is your team firing on all cylinders?

Every CEO we meet wants a high performing workforce that is engaged, agile, developed and productive in order to help execute their strategy. But before they spend big money and time on employee satisfaction surveys and the actions they generate, smart leaders make sure that the changes will bring about the desired business results.

Consider this real world example.

• Employees at a recent client cited the lack of career development opportunities as key to their dissatisfaction.
• They, like many other employees across multiple industries, wanted visible options to learn, grow and advance.
• The company quickly assembled an internal team to address the problem and, as a result, created a state-of-the art career resource center.
• Great news except for the fact that most managers did not support their employees going to the center because "they needed to get their real work done at their desk."

Not surprisingly, the pressure of the urgent day-to-day business tasks often outweighs the longer-term importance of retaining top talent in the eyes of front-line managers. So, as one employee put it, "another great idea that did not deliver great results."

Why?
In addition to day-to-day pressures, many managers view engagement, development and retention as someone else's responsibility. They believe that the annual employee satisfaction survey and the resulting action plan belong on the sidelines of their day-to-day business. What these well-meaning managers failed to realize is that even the best plans can and will fall short if they aren't supported at multiple levels in the organization.

That's where performance coaching can create a sustained and measurable difference.

Coaching for engagement and development can reduce the risk of failure, empower leaders to tap into their employees' discretionary effort, and encourage employees to own their careers. When the coaching relationship is directed at these issues, it helps managers and employees find simple, yet meaningful, ways to engage and develop beyond the everyday distractions and for the long term. And, very appealing to leadership, coaching can also mean big improvements in the company's bottom-line.

Read About the 6 Tips to Get Engagement and Performance Started

About LSA Global
Founded in 1995, LSA Global is a leading performance consulting and training firm that helps high growth technology, services, and life-science companies create a competitive advantage by powerfully aligning their culture and talent with their strategy. Learn more about getting aligned

3 Immediate Tips for Dealing with a Bad Boss

Most of us have had to deal with a horrible coach, teacher or boss at some point during our lives. And it is rarely easy.

My worst boss micromanaged everyone on our team, was more worried about who he sat next to than what he delivered, played favorites and did not help us grow in our careers. Fortunately his boss saw through his antics and replaced him with a more superior and motivating leader before we all quit.

An article in the Huffington Post by Dr. Tasha Eurich wonders why there are so many bad bosses. She claims "they're bad because everyone is afraid to tell them." As bosses rise up the corporate ladder, there are fewer and fewer employees willing to tell bosses the truth about their behavior and the negative effect they have on the motivation and engagement of their followers. I know that early in my career I was certainly timid about providing upward negative feedback.

According to a survey by Reputation Management Consultants, the top three CEOs with the worst reputations are Donald Trump, Jamie Diamond of JP Morgan Chase, and Martha Stewart. If your boss emulates one of these three, you have some options. New manager training programs advocate open lines of communication between team members and managers. If this recommendation were followed, there would certainly be better leaders. A difficult conversation about the truth of their management behavior may eventually be necessary but, meantime, there are other ways to deal with a bad boss.

Get 3 Immediate Tips for Dealing with a Bad Boss

About LSA Global
Founded in 1995, LSA Global is a leading performance consulting and training firm that helps high growth technology, services, and life-science companies create a competitive advantage by powerfully aligning their culture and talent with their strategy. Learn more about getting aligned