INTHEBLACK October/November 2024 - Magazine - Page 51
IT IS HARD TO FIND A MANAGER WHO IS
not busy juggling projects, meetings and a
stream of pressing problems. This leaves
them with little time to develop the skills of
their team.
Yet according to workplace experts, it is
the managers who coach their teams, rather
than simply manage them, whose lives are
made much easier.
“Being a good coach and a manager can
remove a lot of the stress,” says Guy Hargreaves,
principal at HR and coaching consultancy The
Workplace Coach.
“That’s because your team will be more
engaged. They’ll be happier in their roles,
morale will be higher, absenteeism will be
lower, and you’ll have fewer conduct issues.
It can be a big timesaver.”
The terms managing and coaching are often
used interchangeably, but the approaches are
distinct. Managing is about organising people
and processes to deliver work on time and on
budget, while coaching focuses on getting the
best out of people by helping them improve
their own effectiveness.
“When we’re using coaching skills, we’re
asking questions and guiding rather than
telling,” explains Professor Grace McCarthy, dean
of business at the University of Wollongong.
“We’re listening to people, helping them to
solve their own problems, to set their own goals,
and giving them feedback in a respectful way.
That leads to positive action in the future.”
“When we’re using coaching skills, we’re asking questions and
guiding rather than telling. We’re listening to people, helping
them to solve their own problems, to set their own goals, and
giving them feedback in a respectful way. That leads to positive
action in the future.”
PROFESSOR GRACE MCCARTHY, UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG
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Hargreaves believes that, while some
situations may require a more direct
management approach, managers should never
take off their coaching hats.
“Every interaction you have with someone in
your team is an opportunity to either build that
relationship or damage it,” he says.
“Going into those conversations, you should
always be asking, ‘What am I trying to achieve?
How can I make sure it’s a positive experience and
that the person will be more engaged, not less’?”
Coaching is not a skill set that comes
naturally to all managers, but the experts agree
that following a few simple rules can help
managers put coaching into action.
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