The most common reason they give is not enough time, but it’s a bigger issue than that. Most organizations will hire a company to conduct a manager coaching workshop and then send these busy folks on their way. There isn’t much follow-up. The workshop isn’t typically followed up with a coaching playbook or tools, development criteria, recognition, measurement or consequences for coaching or not coaching.
So, as is the case with all manner of human behavior what gets monitored and measured is what rises to the top of the daily priority list. What really matters is quota. Forecast to actuals. This is why managers spend the vast majority of their time reacting to circumstances and doing their best to keep their team on the rails. True developmental coaching seems like a luxury that a manager doesn’t have time for. However, since they can’t say that out loud, they will continue to publicly support the idea, without actually doing it. This is the coaching conundrum.
So how do we stop driving in circles around the same cul-de-sac? It’s about standardizing and systemizing coaching. Process, checklists, certification, recognition, status, and so forth. It may look different in each organization, but these basic ideas are required to break the cycle of advocacy without action.
The Bottom Line: The statistics are clear on the power of coaching when done properly and the revenue stakes are too high to settle for make-believe.
