Coaching & Counseling Goal: Help Employees Succeed Provides
valuable information for annual review
Turnover is costly – protect your investment Recruiting
replacement costs Loss of valuable tenure gained knowledge
Training
Stay on top of potential problems Don’t
let issues go unaddressed
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Behavior & Performance Behavior that: Affects
employee’s output interaction with others Violates university policies and procedures Is too annoying or offensive to overlook Affects
Performance that: Poorly
impacts work quality or quantity missed deadlines Continues after Coaching Adversely affects whole work unit Causes
Coaching & Counseling (cont’d) What is the difference? Coaching
Ongoing communication and continued feedback to help develop, improve and enhance job performance Addresses both Behavior and Performance Issues
Counseling
Follows coaching when employee is still struggling To recognize and solve serious performance problems More formal conversation before adverse effects
Consistency counts
When to Counsel & When to Coach Coaching Situations
Counseling Situations
A new employee has trouble performing a An employee incorrectly performs a required procedure even after additional required procedure that was covered training and several coaching sessions. during orientation. An employee incorrectly fills out a new version of a required form.
An employee continually makes careless errors on a required form.
A long-term employee who is consistently on time comes to work late one day without calling in.
An employee is late to work twice in one week without calling in and without having acceptable reasons.
An employee is meeting expectations in one area of responsibility. You believe he has the ability to do even better.
For two quarters, an employee has failed to meet expectations in one area of responsibility.
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Positive Feedback Praise employees in public, so others recognize their accomplishments. Give the feedback as soon as possible–the longer you wait, the less impact you will have. Be specific—point out positive details of the behavior and the benefits for others. Supplement verbal feedback with written feedback— e.g., hand written “thank you” notes are very effective. Recognize routine actions (e.g. common courtesy, extra effort) as well as significant accomplishments. Be sincere. Don’t say it, if you don’t really mean it. Make sure your body language and tone of voice are positive. Be consistent with all employees.
Corrective Feedback Give corrective feedback in private. Give the feedback as soon as possible—the longer you wait, the less credibility you will have. Maintain confidentiality. Don’t blame the employee—focus on behavior, not on the person. Be specific—explain exactly what the employee did and what he or she needs to change. Explain why the behavior needs to change—point out consequences for the employee and the company. Focus on behavior the employee actually controls. Control your emotions and be sensitive to the employee’s feelings. Be consistent with all employees
Coaching Stay Connected Be
aware of what is going on around you often to employees about their work Appreciate good work and express frequently Listen actively to concerns and ideas Involve employees regularly in implementing solutions Talk
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Coaching (cont’d) Take Preventive Action Focus
on the problem not the employee specific and focus on behavior Avoid blaming and listen openly Seek their help in developing solutions Always follow-up to commend positive changes or take next step if no change Be
Coaching for Improved Work Behaviors Is the behavior affecting employee’s output? Is the behavior affecting the output of co-workers? Does the behavior violate a rule or policy?
Coaching for Better Performance Deal with situations promptly Establish working relationships based on mutual respect and open communication Show confidence in your employees; they tend to live up to expectations of others Make sure all of your employees know what is expected of them Know what good performance looks like
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Counseling DO
DON’T
Begin counseling as soon as possible after an incident occurs.
Delay counseling because you are uncomfortable or too busy.
Conduct the session in a private location, free from interruptions.
Conduct the session in public or in an area where others can hear.
Develop a plan and follow it.
Come to the session unprepared.
Remain calm.
Lose control of your emotions.
Be objective and stick to the facts.
Express subjective opinions or argue with the employee.
Allow the employee to respond.
Refuse to hear the employee’s view.
Listen actively.
Talk too much or interrupt often.
Effective Coaching & Counseling Steps Choose the right time and place Describe the poor behavior observed in detail Explain why coaching/counseling is needed Agree on the performance gap Determine how to close the gap Develop an action plan Follow-up with employee
Document Document Document! Take notes and document all discussions Foundation
– create foundation in the event future actions are needed Information – collected to inform administrative officer for possible disciplinary action Evaluation – record of interactions for annual performance review Adjudication – good documentation saves time and money
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Moving from Coaching & Counseling to Disciplining Used when employee either:
Fails to correct problem performance or behavior Commits a serious violation of policies & procedures
Results in: Written
Counseling Suspension without Pay Demotion Termination
Disciplinary Actions (up to and including Termination)
Always consult with HR Always brief your supervisor Draft letter summarizing discussions and outcomes
Disciplinary Meeting Describe situation and its severity Ask for reasons situation occurred or hasn’t been resolved Indicate action you must take and why Agree on specific action and follow-up date Obtain employee’s signature on letter Indicate your confidence in the employee
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Helpful Resources Employee Handbook Skillport for Supervisors Employees Assistance Program Office of Human Resources 448-8587
