Are you doing your job as a coach? To find out, ask yourself these questions.
Am I keeping my staff members informed on how well they are doing?
Do I frequently offer insights so employees can make the best decisions?
Do I communicate trust and confidence in my employees?
Are my staff members clear about project priorities?
Are both department goals and the organization mission clear to staff? If they see conflicts, have I taken the time to resolve them in employees’ minds?
Do I seek out information from staff about obstacles or barriers they are encountering in doing their jobs and what might help?
Do I give my staff my full attention when we sit down to talk?
Do I keep a record of my meetings with staff?
The last question is worthy of further discussion. Keep notes of your coaching sessions. A memo to yourself may be sufficient. If the information is critical to the employee’s development, then share the memo with that employee.
Alternatively, you may want to develop a form in which you jot down key points discussed during the coaching session, an extension of the records you keep on employee performance for assessment sessions—a critical incident notebook. After each coaching session, jot down key points. These might include training needs and plans, solutions to problems, answers to routine questions, scheduling items, or insights and ideas shared.