Why Managers Are The New Coaches

What is coaching?

Coaching requires both skill and time. Before someone can apply either of these, they need to understand what coaching is and why it is important. Coaching is the act of helping others to perform better.

Sometimes it’s focused on helping to correct poor performance or improve existing skills. At other times, it’s targeted at developing entirely new skills.  Good coaching by managers speeds up the development of employees.

Why do managers need to coach employees?

Companies are now thinking about employee engagement in terms of an employee’s experience at their company as a whole. Rather than a one-off activity or perk. This is an important shift in thinking and highlights the critical role managers play in employee engagement.

An employee’s experience with their manager is most positive when they are coached to be their best. It is this coaching that lays the groundwork for the strong engagement that drives productivity, innovation and business success.

Why don’t all managers coach?

Coaching isn’t part of what managers are formally expected to do at most companies. Research shows that employees value learning and career development, many managers don’t see its importance. Managers believe they don’t have time to have these conversations, and many lack the needed skills.

70% of employee learning and development happens on the job, not through formal training programs. If line managers aren’t supportive and actively involved, employee growth is compromised. And so is engagement and retention.

Three key reasons most managers don’t coach is because:

1. Don’t understand the value or importance of coaching.

2. They don’t possess the skills to coach others.

3. They don’t have the time.