Coaching employees is a particularly important factor in what we do as managers. Effective coaching is often the main difference between success and failure. Below are five hints to help you to become a better coach.

1) Find out what they don’t know – Coaching Employees doesn’t just comprise of one morning devoted to training on a single topic. It’s on-going and in a sense, never really ends. You may have coached your staff several times upon certain themes yet coaching is never time misspent. The crucial thing is that you are able to assess what exactly it is that they don’t understand and then train them appropriately.

2) Listen – Following on from the first point is the idea of having two ears and only one mouth. Otherwise referred to as listening! When it comes to coaching, telling is unquestionably not selling. Instead of continually hurling information at the employees, question them about what they know with regard to particular topics. Ask them to demonstrate to you the correct technique for doing certain jobs. Listen to everything that they’re telling you and more specifically to what they’re not telling you and coach them accordingly.

3) Do not take control – In time sensitive circumstances it can be quite tempting to take over from a member of your team who is struggling to complete a specific job. Don’t! This is exactly the time when you have to coach. It can be really difficult, especially if there are customers waiting around but ultimately it will pay dividends.

4) Make time – Despite the fact that training and coaching aren’t exactly the same concept it’s essential that you make time for training each week. You have to arrange a time specifically to train and provide the appropriate materials and there ought to be no distractions, particularly from clients. This session should be the spring-board for all coaching that happens later on and should grant everyone a central point to return to.

5) Be a mentor – Whilst coaching you need to seem less like a boss and more like a mentor. It isn’t necessarily about right and wrong, simply being able to help your team to grasp the right way of accomplishing particular things and to make the correct choices. Think Yoda and Obi Wan and you’ll be well on your way.

Coaching employees is an essential tool in helping your employees reach their potential. Attempt to employ as many of these tips as you possibly can and your team will be better coached and more motivated!