Management is a control function. In the case of everyday operations, it is geared for achieving production or operation goals.
Coaching is teaching. It is helping the people develop skills that allow them to reach their goals. It is also helping them to set realistic, achievable goals, that they can measure their success. By giving people the room to grow, the direction that leads them in the direction they wish to go, and the praise and feedback that allows them to believe in themselves, we foster success for our people and ourselves.
Yes & our job as the leader/coach is to make sure that we are not just giving extra responsibilities but that we are truly giving meaningful work that will help our employees grow.
Ryan
Brandon, that is correct not everyone is going to grow and improve. There are always people you are trying coach that feel all you are doing is giving extra responsibilities. Or have the job done your way.
Coaching an employee allows them to grow and change. To develop their own skill set and abilities. Managing is more directing their efforts with regard to productivity. That does not necessarily mean that anyone is growing or improving…
Ruben,
I think this is a good way of putting it in perspective for the employees, especially to understand the potential differences in levels of management/leadership. I also think this provides for leaders to be at all levels as any one can help influence those goals & objectives.
Ryan
Jim,
Great point & often it is hard to distinguish between these two terms. For some there is not a difference. I have found that a lot of it depends on which type of coaching your are thinking about. There is performance coaching which is much the same as managing. In this case I try to help an individual improve their behavior or on a certain task.
Another type of coaching is what we would consider career coaching. In this instance it is much more about what the other person hopes to do, what their goals are & helping them come up with their own plan to get there. This is where I believe coaching & managing split apart. In this instance coaching is not about telling the other person but a lot of it is listening & then here & there providing some insight.
Ryan
That is a great, physical & literal way to demonstrate the different roles.
I would say that managing and coaching an employee go hand in hand. As a manager you have a responsibility to provide coaching when needed to ensure that your employees are successful in their job. As I try to come up with differences between the terms managing and coaching they both seem to do the same function.
The way I show the employee if I am mentoring him or being his manager is where I sit when I am talking to him. If I am behind my desk or wearing my hard hat I am the manager. If I sit next to hom or remove my hard hat I am mentoring/coaching him.
Dr. Myers I have always told my employees that leaderships set goals and objectives and managers manage the company's assets to obtain those goals and objectives.
You are right. I have said before (& in this forum) that coaching to me is really the aspect of leadership & you lead people, often toward goals that they have cooperatively established. Management is more about resources or things; you manage tasks & things.
Ryan
Although Coaching and Managing are both ongoing processes, coaching is more focused to achieve a certain goal. Managing is just that and more emphasis in directing work that is usually structured in nature.
Wayne,
You are so right & I too have seen this happen many times before.
In addition to the ego factor, I have also found that some managers have a hard time letting go of the satisfaction they get from solving the problems themselves. Often they formerly did that job & so it feels so good to show their own expertise. I have found that these folks are often struggling with the role of manager & so they're looking for something to fill their bucket which then takes from someone else's bucket.
Thanks for the post Wayne.
Ryan
Managing employees tends to create a culture of “Dad†syndrome. Dad what do I do now, Dad I need help, Dad I was waiting for your OK etc. Coaching trains the employee to make good decisions on their own. Effective coaching requires putting your ego aside and not worry when the employee starts making better decisions on their own. Unfortunately, many managers believe if they train someone to do their job they’re putting their own career at risk.
Coaching an employee is helping him/her to do the assigned task when the employee is new to the company or new in the position. Managing an employee would be to assign the employee a task and let him do it the way he has been trained to do it. this employee should already done this type of assignment before.
Absolutely Charles. I would also add that coaching is supporting the employee while they are striving to achieve that goal or complete that task. Great job.
Ryan
Coaching is working with the employee to help achieve a certain goal or attain a task set out to them.
Managaing an employeee relates more to holding one accountable to any goals set forth to them.
Yes, the initial establishment of a positive & safe relationship & environment is key to coaching sucess.
Ryan
Robert,
Great observation. According to the Hay group & Daniel Goleman's research, the Coaching leadership style is all about the long-term development of employees.
Ryan
Coaching should be based on positive exchanges to begin with, and morf into positive, constuctive critisism, along with an action plan.
