How Can You Improve Your Coaching ROI?

Larry Sternberg Larry Sternberg

November 22, 2017 Blog Leadership

As a leader you’re responsible to help your direct reports improve their performance. A big part of that involves coaching. Unfortunately, the term “coaching” has taken on a negative connotation in many organizations. To mention that a person is receiving “coaching and counseling” is, sadly, not a good thing. That’s because “coaching and counseling” is now a euphemism for “disciplinary action”. This post is not about how to discipline.

Did you compete in sports when you were in school? You expected to receive coaching. You wanted to receive coaching. This post is about that kind of coaching, the kind of coaching that actually helps people improve their performance. Coaching requires an investment of time, effort and money. What practices give you the best ROI?

First, in order to improve someone’s performance you have to understand what you have to work with. Begin by learning the answers to these questions: What are that person’s strengths and weaknesses? What are his or her character traits? What do they naturally do well? Here’s a hint when assessing someone’s potential — there’s a difference between room for improvement and potential for improvement.

Counter intuitively, a person’s greatest potential for improvement lies in building on areas of strength. However, way too often coaching focuses on efforts to improve areas of weakness. Asking a person to perform behaviors they simply don’t have in their repertoire actually makes performance worse. Why? Because aptitude matters, that’s why.

For instance, if a person isn’t good at telling jokes, coaching them to tell a joke at the beginning of a speech won’t improve their performance. In all likelihood they’ll tell it poorly, people won’t laugh and it’ll make things worse. If you’re the coach here, you should ask yourself, “To what end do I want this person to tell a joke? What outcome will that accomplish?” Let’s assume the answer is, “To establish rapport with the audience.” A great coach will help the person identify a different way to establish rapport, an approach that involves behaviors they can do naturally. Find ways to work around weaknesses. Find ways to make weaknesses irrelevant.

Great coaches focus on specific recommendations rather than talking in generalities. For instance, instead of saying, “You have to be a better listener,” a great coach might say, “When the prospect is talking, don’t interrupt. Take notes if you can.”

Great coaches invest more time reviewing successful performances rather than reviewing failures. If you want to learn more about failure, study failure. If you want to learn more about success, study success.

Don’t confine your coaching feedback to annual or semi-annual reviews. Give people frequent, candid feedback. Coaching is an ongoing, every day responsibility. Don’t shy away from tough conversations.

Of course there’s much more to coaching than can be addressed in this brief post. But if you follow these five guidelines you’ll improve your coaching ROI.

  • Understand what you have to work with. Don’t ask people for behaviors they don’t have in their repertoire.
  • Focus on building strengths rather than eliminating weaknesses.
  • Review successful performances to learn how to repeat those performances.
  • Provide specific rather than general recommendations.
  • Provide frequent, candid feedback in real time.

Thanks for reading. As always, I’m interested in your thoughts.

Larry Sternberg
lsternberg@dev-talent-plus.pantheonsite.io

Larry Sternberg

Larry Sternberg

Larry is a Fellow and Board Member at Talent Plus where he helps people and organizations grow by using the Talent Plus science to select high potential people, put them in the right fit for their talent, and make them feel valued and significant.

“I help managers and leaders make a lasting positive difference in the lives of their employees.”

Talents: Conceptualization, Relationship, Ego Drive, Individualized Approach, Growth Orientation

Latest Posts: Blog

Blog November 04, 2024

High Employee Morale for the Holidays: How to Finish the Year Strong

No matter what industry you work in, the holidays can be stressful for your team. Learn strategies you can use to maintain high employee morale.

Talent Plus Talent Plus

Read More
Onboarding a new manager to a team

Blog October 22, 2024

Get Ready: Onboarding a Team Manager 

Discover the importance of effective onboarding for new managers. Learn how to maintain team culture while fostering growth and trust.

Talent Plus Talent Plus

Read More
30-60-90 day employee onboarding

Blog September 12, 2024

Get Ready: Building a 30 60 90 Day Onboarding Plan

Boost employee engagement and productivity with a well-crafted 30 60 90 day onboarding plan. Set new hires up for success from day one.

Talent Plus Talent Plus

Read More
Engaged Employees at Work

Blog September 09, 2024

Employee Engagement Strategies

Unlock the power of employee engagement strategies to boost productivity, retention and your organization's bottom line.

Talent Plus Talent Plus

Read More
Employee check-in at work

Blog August 27, 2024

Get Ready: Make Your Mid-Year Check-In Matter

Increase communication and build trust with an effective check-in. Learn how to have a productive conversation with our employee check-in template.

Talent Plus Talent Plus

Read More
successful team at work

Blog July 24, 2024

Go for the Teamwork Gold 

Discover the keys to building engaged workplace teams. Learn how coaching strategies can unlock your work team's full potential.

Talent Plus Talent Plus

Read More