Manager Effectiveness Coaching: What It Is and How It Helps Managers

Whether you are new to management or have years of experience, every manager struggles at times to get the outcomes they want through their direct reports. If you’re looking for a helping hand or want guidance working through a sticky management situation, a Manager Effectiveness Coaching session is exactly what’s needed! 

What is Manager Effectiveness Coaching?

Manager Effectiveness Coaching is a tailored coaching approach that helps managers – regardless if they’re new to the game or have been in it forever – untangle and solve specific challenges they are facing. 

The approach combines traditional coaching with the use of management techniques (all of which are taught in our Managers Essentials program, by the way) in a manner that allows the manager being coached to uncover an effective course of action and get results. Through this process, the manager walks away not only knowing exactly where their desired outcome lies but also understanding how to apply these same management techniques in other situations (“give them a fish … teach them to fish” kinda thing).  

How is Management Effectiveness Coaching different from typical coaching?

When it comes to challenging management situations, sometimes the right question at the right time is all it takes to help untangle your challenges.  This is the scenario a typical coaching session addresses. 

At other times, just asking the right question isn’t enough. [(Coach): What do you think you should do?  (Your internal response): If I knew that, I wouldn’t $!@$ be here asking you for help, now would I? … ]  

Sometimes, to work through a problem, it’s more effective to take a “situational” approach, blending questioning, mentoring, and teaching, depending on the manager’s experience. This is where our Manager Effectiveness Coaching program is different!  

In our Manager Effectiveness Coaching sessions, both coach AND manager work together, uncovering problems while also assessing how much outside input might benefit him/her (or where the manager needs guidance). The coach then helps the manager get to their desired outcome by adopting an effective approach, blending questioning, example giving, and teaching that is most appropriate for the situation (and less frustrating for the person being coached!).

Why would I sign up for a session?

If the management situation you’re facing seems hugely complex, or you’re stuck, or you’re just not getting the results you want from your direct reports, a Manager Effectiveness Coaching session can help get you moving again!  You’ll not only get clarity on what it will take for your desired outcome but also gain experience using essential management techniques so you’ll be able to apply them in the future. 

So how do I get started?

Individuals

If you’re an individual and want coaching support, you can reach out directly and sign up for a session.

Companies

If you’re a small company that wants to provide this as a service to your employees and help your company grow, there are a variety of ways to get started, including:

• Flexible terms – We offer flexible contracts and payment schedules to accommodate your needs.
• Scale – We make it possible and affordable to give the managers in your company equitable access to the specialized, individual support they need right now at a cost you can support.

Reach out directly, and we can discuss how the program can best support your efforts.

So, if you’re feeling stuck in your role as a manager or could use help getting the results you need, Management Effectiveness Coaching may be for you. This unique approach can help you break through the barriers that are preventing you from being as effective as you know you can be. Contact us today to begin talking about how Mark and his team can help you become the best manager possible.

NOTE FOR In-house HR Professionals

The feedback we’ve received from in-house HR professionals regarding the Manager Effectiveness Coaching sessions is that it’s like having an additional ally in your corner. The purpose of these manager coaching sessions is to help people managers more effectively apply foundational management skills to specific situations they’re addressing.  Most often, these sessions focus on helping the coachee in the following areas:

• Establishing clear performance expectations – the “what” and the “how” 
• Crafting useful goals or OKRs for their teams that are meaningful and effective tools for promoting performance 
• Discussing expectations
• Holding effective 1:1 discussions
• Practicing giving feedback 
• Practicing holding difficult performance conversations (with high and low performers)
• Performance Conversations.

All of these alleviate some of the “busy work” many in-house HR professionals face with an already overloaded workload.  At times, topics arise that are more employee-relations related (harassment, discrimination, ethical, etc.). When these topics arise, I always strongly encourage the coachee to talk with their HR partner and walk through the reasons why it’s important and how it will benefit them to do so.