Managers think they’re good at coaching. They’re not.

Many executives say they’re good at coaching their employees, but they’re incorrect, according to The Harvard Business Review.
For one, managers tend to think they’re coaching when they’re actually just telling their employees what to do. While this behavior is often reinforced by their peers, it’s not an effective way to motivate people and help them grow, and it can result in wasted time, money, and energy.

According to Sir John Whitmore, a leading figure in executive coaching, the definition of coaching is “unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” When done right, coaching can also help with employee engagement.
A recent study conducted on MBA students showed that most potential managers don’t understand what coaching really is, and when tested instead demonstrated a form of consulting where they simply provided the other person with advice or a solution.
The students then worked to get a better grasp of coaching skills which included listening, questioning, giving feedback, assisting with goal setting, showing empathy, letting the coachee arrive at their own solution, recognizing and pointing out strengths, providing structure and encouraging a solution-focused approach.
They were the worst at recognizing and pointing out strengths, by the way.
The takeaway, Harvard Business Review reports, is that any approach to coaching should begin by clearly defining what it is and how it differs from other types of manager behavior. Then managers should practice coaching in a safe environment before working with their teams.
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