The role of leadership in companies has changed over the past couple of decades. Learn what it means to be a true leader and how, with coaching, you can help your team be the best they can be.
Being a leader is not an easy job.
Being a leader means living what you say and building trust constantly. It’s not about being liked but rather respected. That is true leadership.
Leaders can drive change, increase awareness, build loyalty to the organization, and, most importantly, showcase the skills of their team.
But, leadership has changed over the decades.
What is Leadership?
The role of leaders is to understand the organization’s vision and align their employees’ values and skills to the overall goals. At times, leaders need to reinforce those goals through coaching, mentoring and, most important – FOLLOW UP.
In the past, the heavy hand of delegating and discipline was a key part of leadership. That has changed significantly. Now, instead of discipline, coaching is more widely accepted.
Too many times, leaders have come to me and asked about discipline. Yet, when I ask a few questions, it is clear that coaching has yet to happen, and that is where the issues lie.
What is Coaching?
Coaching means to take an interest in one’s development sincerely.
Employees have lives, and often what’s happening at home can come to the office and affect performance or behaviour. Leaders should never take a dip in performance or decreased productivity, personal. Humble, caring leaders know their people and know when someone needs to be picked up, not kicked when they are down.
They know how to utilize coaching to improve their employee’s performance, including a performance improvement plan (PIP).
What is a PIP?
A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) sets the direction of excellence for your employee and includes a road map of how to get there.
A good PIP includes:
- What the expectation is,
- An example of their area of opportunity,
- Dates to meet, review and move forward.
Like I said, being a leader is not easy. Being a leader can be time-consuming, and building trust takes time. But, well, thought-out coaching for your employee will go a long way.
You’ll need to do your homework first… know what you need to change, know how to help the employee change, provide timelines and follow-up meetings… all to ensure success.
Specifics are key.
Ask lots of questions.
…What happened?
…How did it affect the organization or program goals?
…What can the leader do for the employee to achieve the required goal?
When an employee is failing, a well-written performance improvement plan is the answer almost every time.
Do you have an employee that has been dragging along? Have you tried implementing a coaching structure?
If you have not already, it is not too late to start.
Get in touch with our team here at Bridge Legal and HR Solutions for practical guidance on coaching and leadership training programs – (647) 794-5442 or at admin@bridgelegalhr.ca
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