Coaching Techniques for Employee Development

Let me fix your 1:1 meetings in 90 seconds. It only requires two changes: - Make it their meeting, not yours - Ask questions, don't give directions Here's how to do it: 1. Make It Their Meeting Relinquishing ownership of this meeting is the same as delegating any other work. - Define what excellent looks like - Hold them accountable - Coach to success - Don't step in But how do I get what I need to lead? That's part 2... 2. Good Questions >> Great Directions The easiest way to align on expectations is to preview the questions you want them to answer. If they can answer these well, you can have confidence that they are excellently managing their area (even individual contributors). Here are mine: ✅ How are you doing? Want people to produce outsized results? You need to care personally. You'll only know when to show up for them if you know them well. Get a tepid response? Ask again. ✅ What's most important for us to focus on? If it is their meeting, they set the agenda. Not only are you empowering them, but you also get to learn how they think. This will help you anticipate what they might miss. ✅ How are you tracking against your goals? I want data. Clear metrics. The more tangible, the better. If the goal isn't easily measured, then I want a few qualitative angles that are in tension to surface the truth. Don't be afraid to ask, "What is your confidence?" ✅ Are there notable Wins/Losses to discuss? The specific Win or Loss doesn't matter to me as much as: a) Can they separate big from small? b) Are they proactively sharing? My probing questions should uncover very little. ✅ What problems are you focused on solving? I don't expect perfection if we're driving hard and creating value. Instead, I want them to have command of their area. - Do they know the problems? - Do the solutions make sense? - Are they making good progress? ✅ How are your people doing? Your people are only as good as those that support them. Even individual contributors rely on others. Help them practice sizing up those around them. Make empathy a habit. ✅ How are you getting better? When your team is filled with curious and compounding professionals, the result is a team that's agile and resilient. To get there, you must coach those who coach others. ✅ How can I support your success? Hopefully, you've done this throughout the conversation, but it never hurts to ask them directly, "What else do you need to win?" - Remove obstacles. - Provide resources. - Repeat often. If you want access to the management dashboard template I used to delegate my 1:1 meetings, subscribe to my MGMT Playbook for free access. https://lnkd.in/eAA-CJrJ You get dozens of playbooks and templates for critical management moments. It's the advice your boss should be giving you but probably isn't. P.S. Repost to share this with your network ♻️. And follow Dave Kline for more great posts.

If your one-on-ones are primarily status updates, you're missing a massive opportunity to build trust, develop talent, and drive real results. After working with countless leadership teams across industries, I've found that the most effective managers approach 1:1s with a fundamentally different mindset... They see these meetings as investments in people, not project tracking sessions. Great 1:1s focus on these three elements: 1. Support: Create space for authentic conversations about challenges, both professional and personal. When people feel safe discussing real obstacles, you can actually help remove them. Questions to try: "What's currently making your job harder than it needs to be?" "Where could you use more support from me?" 2. Growth: Use 1:1s to understand aspirations and build development paths. People who see a future with your team invest more deeply in the present. Questions to explore: "What skills would you like to develop in the next six months?" "What parts of your role energize you most?" 3. Alignment: Help team members connect their daily work to larger purpose and meaning. People work harder when they understand the "why" behind tasks. Questions that create alignment: "How clear is the connection between your work and our team's priorities?" "What part of our mission resonates most with you personally?" By focusing less on immediate work outputs and more on the human doing the work, you'll actually see better performance, retention, and results. Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #leadershipdevelopment #teammanagement

Conflict gets a bad rap in the workplace. Early in my career, I believed conflict had no place in a healthy workplace. As I progressed, I realized that it was quite the contrary. The lack of conflict isn't a sign of a healthy work culture, rather it is an indication that important debates, discussions and differing viewpoints are being disregarded or suppressed. This insight revealed another key aspect: high-performing teams do not shy away from conflict. They embrace it, leveraging diverse opinions to drive optimal outcomes for customers. What sets these teams apart is their ability to handle conflict constructively. So how can this be achieved? I reached out to my friend Andrea Stone, Leadership Coach and Founder of Stone Leadership, for some tips on effectively managing conflict in the workplace. Here's the valuable guidance she provided: 1. Pause: Take a moment to assess your feelings in the heat of the moment. Be curious about your emotions, resist immediate reactions, and take the time to understand the why behind your feelings. 2. Seek the Other Perspective: Engage genuinely, listen intently, show real interest, and ask pertinent questions. Remember to leave your preconceived judgments at the door. 3. Acknowledge Their Perspective: Express your understanding of their viewpoint. If their arguments have altered your perspective, don't hesitate to share this with them. 4. Express Your Viewpoint: If your opinion remains unswayed, seek permission to explain your perspective and experiences. Remember to speak from your viewpoint using "I" statements. 5. Discuss the Bigger Objective: Identify common grounds and goals. Understand that each person might have a different, bigger picture in mind. This process can be taxing, so prepare beforehand. In prolonged conflict situations, don't hesitate to suggest breaks to refresh and refuel mentally, physically, and emotionally. 6. Know Your Limits: If the issue is of significant importance to you, be aware of your boundaries. For those familiar with negotiation tactics, know your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement). 7. Finalize Agreements: Once an agreement has been reached, continue the engagement to agree on responsibilities and timeframes. This ensures clarity on the outcome and commitments made. PS: Approach such situations with curiosity and assume others are trying to do the right thing. 🔁 Useful? I would appreciate a repost. Image Credit: Hari Haralambiev ----- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

If your feedback isn't changing behavior, you're not giving feedback—you're just complaining. After 25 years of coaching leaders through difficult conversations, I've learned that most feedback fails because it focuses on making the giver feel better rather than making the receiver better. Why most feedback doesn't work: ↳ It's delivered months after the fact ↳ It attacks personality instead of addressing behavior ↳ It assumes the person knows what to do differently ↳ It's given when emotions are high ↳ It lacks specific examples or clear direction The feedback framework that actually changes behavior: TIMING: Soon, not eventually. Give feedback within 48 hours when possible Don't save it all for annual reviews. Address issues while they're still relevant. INTENT: Lead with purpose and use statements like - "I'm sharing this because I want to see you succeed" or "This feedback comes from a place of support." Make your positive intent explicit. STRUCTURE: Use the SBI Model. ↳Situation: When and where it happened ↳Behavior: What you observed (facts, not interpretations) ↳Impact: The effect on results, relationships, or culture COLLABORATION: Solve together by using statements such as - ↳"What's your perspective on this?" ↳"What would help you succeed in this area?" ↳"How can I better support you moving forward?" Great feedback is a gift that keeps giving. When people trust your feedback, they seek it out. When they implement it successfully, they become advocates for your leadership. Your feedback skills significantly impact your leadership effectiveness. Coaching can help; let's chat. | Joshua Miller What's the best feedback tip/advice, and what made it effective? #executivecoaching #communication #leadership #performance

Looking to make the most of your 1:1s with your manager/direct report? People often confuse 1:1 with “status report.” But the truth is, a status report can be shared over Slack. Meetings — especially ones between a manager and direct report — should be leveraged for those more nuanced topics, where a quick Slack message just won’t do the trick. If you’re a manager, this is your time to shine as an advocate and coach, while catching underlying issues before it’s too late. Here’s a list of topics to start prioritizing in your 1:1s (with a few sample questions to get you started): 🧠 EQ check - On a scale of 1 - 10, how stressed are you right now? - On a scale of 1 - 10, how motivated do you feel when you start each day? - On a scale of 1 - 10, how satisfied are you with your job right now? - What are you most excited about at work right now? ⌚️Optimization check - What’s eating up the most of your time right now? - What is your biggest blocker? - What are you struggling with the most? - What would make your day-to-day 10% easier? 🏋️♀️ Career coaching: - Let’s explore your top growth areas / opportunities. - Let’s explore opportunities to take on new tasks / responsibilities. - What new things would you be curious to learn or explore? - Let’s discuss how you’re performing against the expectations of your role. You don’t have to hit each of these topics every time, but prioritizing 1 or 2 of them will help ensure you and your manager/report are making the most out of your time together and addressing some of the higher impact, more critical issues outside of the usual status update. 👉 For more helpful manager Qs, download my full list here: https://lnkd.in/ezEFPdBy What Qs did I miss? #hr #hrbp #managers

How I helped ~90 AEs & BDRs increase outbound meetings set by 42% quarter over quarter 👇 Back story: - This sales team primarily relied on expensive inbound leads - AEs were not self-sourcing pipeline - Many AEs hadn't made a cold call in years - Inbound deals were way too small Here's what we did: ✅ Focused on training front-line leaders This is crucial for making habits stick and creating long-term results. ✅ Implemented the "Reinforcement Loop" framework with leaders We used this simple framework to reinforce the training. Teach. Telling is not teaching. Speak to the why, what, and how behind the area of coaching focus. Practice. The stakes are high in live situations with prospects. Avoid a culture where reps practice on prospects. Role play and facilitate practice during your 1on1s and team coaching calls. Observe. Self-reported data is the least accurate. Trust in your reps, but verify by watching and listening to them in action. Coach. Ad-hoc coaching doesn’t create lasting change. Be consistent in delivering coaching. But more importantly, empower reps with the tools and ability to self-assess and self-coach. ✅ Determine the Sales Math You must establish metrics for success. They worked with each rep to determine the exact level of activity needed to hit their desired target. No arbitrary activity metrics. ✅ Give to get culture with rep coaching In order to get coaching, reps must first attempt to coach themselves. We did this by aligning the leaders on a standardized cold-calling scorecard. Then, each rep was required to score one of their cold calls and bring it into their weekly 1on1 for feedback. ✅ Weekly GSD sessions We ran twice weekly Get sh*t done sessions with the sales team. These are two 1-hour standing calls where every rep is required to get on and prospect within each of their teams. Managers get in the pit, give feedback, and make calls with reps. ~~~ This is what it takes to create a dramatic pipeline-building culture shift in your org. It's hard. Requires a ton of discipline and accountability from front-line leaders. And takes 1-2 quarters to successfully implement. Want help making this culture shift at your org? Drop me a DM and I'll let you know we might be able to help #sales

You don't have to be harsh to hold others accountable. You can make expectations clear and also guide with empathy. Follow these steps: 1. Be the Example Model the excellence you expect. Lead by doing. 2. Set a Clear Vision Define success. Ensure everyone's on the same page. 3. Use Constructive Feedback Offer it often. Be supportive and non-judgmental. It's fuel for their growth. 4. Check-In, Not Just Up Regular touchpoints keep everyone aligned. And keep stress levels in check. 5. Empower Your Team Let them own their tasks. Be their guide, not their shadow. 6. Tackle Challenges Together When issues arise, address them head-on. But always focus on solutions. 7. Celebrate the Wins Show you see and value their efforts. It's the best kind of motivation. That's accountability with a heart. ➟ High expectations ➟ Genuine support ➟ Together, you succeed Be a leader that combines empathy with expectations. Find this valuable? Repost to share with others ♻️. And follow Nihar Chhaya, MBA, MCC for more. P.S. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gGCNyeGj

This week, I facilitated a manager workshop on how to grow and develop people and teams. One question sparked a great conversation: “How do you develop your people outside of formal programs?” It’s a great question. IMO, one of the highest leverage actions a leader can take is making small, but consistent actions to develop their people. While formal learning experiences absolutely a role, there are far more opportunities for growth outside of structured settings from an hours in the day perspective. Helping leaders recognize and embrace this is a major opportunity. I introduced the idea of Practices of Development (PODs) aka small, intentional activities integrated into everyday work that help employees build skills, flex new muscles, and increase their impact. Here are a few examples we discussed: 🌟 Paired Programming: Borrowed from software engineering, this involves pairing an employee with a peer to take on a new task—helping them ramp up quickly, cross-train, or learn by doing. 🌟 Learning Logs: Have team members track what they’re working on, learning, and questioning to encourage reflection. 🌟 Bullpen Sessions: Bring similar roles together for feedback, idea sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, where everyone both A) shares a deliverable they are working on, and B) gets feedback and suggestions for improvement 🌟 Each 1 Teach 1:  Give everyone a chance to teach one work-related skill or insight to the team. 🌟 I Do, We Do, You Do:Adapted from education, this scaffolding approach lets you model a task, then do it together, then hand it off. A simple and effective way to build confidence and skill. 🌟 Back Pocket Ideas:  During strategy/scoping work sessions, ask employees to submit ideas for initiatives tied to a customer problem or personal interest. Select the strongest ones and incorporate them into their role. These are a few examples that have worked well. If you’ve found creative ways to build development opportunities into your employees day to day work, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you!

Confronting an underperforming employee is never easy. Here’s my guide to make sure it doesn’t go off the rails. Schedule a one-on-one meeting with the employee. Send the invite at least one day in advance via email, using a generic title like “Discussion”. Write detailed notes on what you plan to cover in the meeting. Meeting tone: Once the meeting starts, avoid small talk and get down to the matter at hand immediately. Maintain a positive and constructive attitude.  Focus on the facts, the impact, and the solutions. Do not focus on the personalities, the emotions, or point fingers. The beats of the meeting: Open by stating that this is going to be a difficult conversation about their performance issues. Make it clear that the goal of this meeting is to find a way for them to improve. This sets the tone. Next, describe the circumstances that have made this discussion necessary. Be specific about actions, dates and times, and tell them what the impact of their underperformance has been on the business and other co-workers. If applicable, tell them exactly where they’ve violated your policies. Get the employee’s perspective: Do they feel they have the necessary time, support, and resources to perform their job? Has anything changed in the business that has an impact on the employee’s performance? Has anything changed outside of the business, like a personal issue or health problem? Be clear about your expectations: Be specific, e.g. “Your job starts at 8 a.m. from Monday through Friday. You should be at your desk and available to answer client calls by that time every business day.” Together with the employee, make a detailed action plan you both understand and agree on. Set specific steps, deadlines, and targets. Include what you will do to support them. You should both sign and date the document. Schedule several followup meetings to check in on their progress. Once you’re done, update your meeting notes to include everything you discussed. Follow up: Send a recap of the meeting and your agreed upon action plan to the employee immediately after the meeting. If you have any to-do items on your side, get through them ASAP. You want them feeling the urgency of the situation. From there, things will go in one of two directions: Hopefully, the situation will improve. If it does, give that employee recognition. Refer specifically to what they’ve accomplished. Sometimes, things don’t get better. At that point, it’s time to move towards parting ways. — I hope this helps. Thoughts on this process? Comment below!

Coaching should be available to all employees, not just senior leaders. Twice a month, I get to hop on Teams with one of the most forward thinking companies today to lead group coaching sessions with their entire employee base. Yes, everyone is invited. They pick the topics that are most important to their business goals or what seems to be on everyone's minds! Employees submit the questions and I answer them with stories and coaching tools - we all engage with each other to crowdsource additional ideas and resources that folks can use at work and home. Here are some of the topics we cover: ▫️Growth Mindset ▫️Speaking Up With Confidence ▫️Navigating Change ▫️Setting Boundaries & Finding Balance ▫️Creating Influence ▫️Making Confident Decisions ...and so many more in the last 2 years! Coaching doesn't always have to be one-to-one or only for leaders. With health and well-being as a top priority for employees these days, what resources do you provide everyone in your company with practical tools they can use to handle work's daily challenges? Here's some ideas to try: 1. Name a topic of the month, allow folks to submit questions and have a moderator host a forum to crowdsource solutions from other participants 2. Have a member of your L&D/HR team host a monthly Q&A event for all employees to answer questions and provide strategies to move forward 3. Have a senior leader host a monthly Q&A event and provide tools and tips Remember, the best group coaching sessions don’t just provide “this is how to do it” answers, they give employees a set of tools they can personalize so they can advance in a way that aligns to their unique skills, talents and values. Coaching doesn’t teach you to show up like someone else and blindly follow advice, it encourages you to show up as the best YOU. And PS for job seekers: If you're looking for a highly innovative, remote work opportunity, definitely add Businessolver to your list. #leadershipdevelopment #coaching #careers #confidence #wellbeing