COACHING YOUR EMPLOYEES

As a leader, you have the role of shaping your team and making an impact on their performance. Coaching your employees by building their confidence is one of the ways to do that. You don’t have to be a self-help expert, but you can encourage employees to believe in themselves with these tactics:

Balance weaknesses and strengths. Don’t ignore an employee’s gaps, but don’t blow them out of proportion, either. Provide training that addresses weaknesses, and focus on your employees’ efforts on what they do best so they don’t obsess over their shortcomings.

Tell people what they do well. Don’t assume your employees recognize their own strengths – or that they know you value their abilities. It’s easy to take a particular skill for granted; pointing out its importance can show employees you appreciate their work, and prompt them to improve even further.

Acknowledge good work right away. You know about catching employees doing something right. Make a point of praising people on the spot and even holding impromptu celebrations when an employee scores an important victory. Nothing reinforces good work better than recognition.

Encourage people to show off. When an employee can do something especially well, suggest ways for the person to do it on a bigger scale. Maybe the worker can volunteer for a task force or make a presentation at a professional association meeting. Ask employees to share their good news — projects they’ve accomplished, goals they’ve reached, and so forth.

— Adapted from “Building employee confidence,” by Carol Kinsey Goman in the March 2007 edition of the Leading for Results newsletter.