Luke,
this is an excellent synopsis of both words & ideas & I especially want to highlight the part of the conversation/dialogue between coach & coachee.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
yes positive feedback is very important but too much unwarranted praise can facilitate some people getting sloppy in their work
I totally agree that supporting and encouraging are important aspects of coaching. When working with students this is vital as it helps to build their confidence and I believe that confidence builds competence
I believe coaches are not only professionally invested in the success of the team, but personally as well. They take accountability of progress and development of both parties involved. They tend to work more closely with the coachees to ensure success in whatever factors are discussed and agreed upon. I believe the term 'manager' has too wide a definition to be fully discussed, but having had great and not-so great managers has me believing this is more of a title and differentiation of hierarchy. That being said, managing an employee tends to be more setting goals for them, and making sure the adherence of policy is followed. They are closely related, as many times managers tend to be coaches, but the outcomes of each are not always the same.
Amir,
Yes & the key part is helping them learn from their mistakes.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
managing is making sure they do what you want them to do the way you want them to do it. coaching is to train them to get the job done by allowing them to make mistakes and leading them to the right direction.
Brenda,
I like this distinguishing between the two aspects & both skill sets are needed in supervisory roles.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Coaching an employee is giving them guidance while managing is just telling them their duties and helping them stay on track
When working with students who are not as confident about their work, I find they often do not "hear" compliments I may have given them in a critique. The rest of the students clearly heard it. I simply repeat that I had acknowledged their work and their progress once more. Often they blush and "hear" it the second time around. =)
The differance seems to be where is the employee at now vs what potencially he could become in long term
carol,
and I think ideally we find both sets of skills in those who are in positions of formal "authority" in our organizations as we need those coach/leader skills & we also need some good management skills.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I answered this question earlier without really reading it well, so hopefully, I deleted that one effectively.
I think of managing as the "logistics" of the corporation or organization. For example, I think of a manager as the one who maintains the status quo of policies, regulations and/or requirements of running the work space. I think of a coach as one who enters into a professional relationship to 1) better the corporation, 2) provide professional development for the person, and 3) develop an effective professional work environment.
We see examples of managing all the time: the boss with tunnel vision that sees only numbers or dollars and cents, the business associate that sees rungs on a ladder to his/her goal rather than cobblestone on the road to get there. A good coach realizes that without the support of the "team" the culmative goal will never be met. If the team doesn't make it together, then no one really makes it anywhere. Managing employees will lead to high turnovers, bitter employees who have no vested interest in your goals wheras a good coach realize that taking care of your people results in them taking care of you.
Yes. A focused manager is always looking to ensure his or her business is successful by making sure their employees have specific skills in their positions. However, the only way to get long term success is to develop employees to a higher level to retain them and keep them happy in their jobs. This can only be done by being a good coach too. Mentoring and managing, hand in hand.
Management requires a direct, task oriented style that should only be utilized in certain situations. Management is about meeting a specific outcome. Examples of management might include an emergency situation, when an employee has never performed the task, or when the employee lacks confidence in their ability to complete a task.
Coaching is best used for developmental purposes, especially if a team is already performing a high level. Coaching, unlike management, can result in many different outcomes. Coaching best used when the employee already has an understanding of his or her role and is eager to learn, improve, and grow.
An effective leader must wear many different hats. One must know how to evaluate the situation and be able to determine if managing or coaching is needed.
Cynthia,
I agree that coaching is definitely focused on the long-term development & I also believe there is value in good, effective managing.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Yes I do agree that an effective supervisor needs to be both competent and comfortable in both roles.
I find myself acting more in the role as a manager versus a coach. After reading this passage and taking this course, it has come to my attenition that in many instances I failed to take the opporutunity to coach my faculty.
This course has helped me see the difference and I look forward to using the material with my team.
I feel that managing an employee just keeps them from aspiring for more growth, frusteration and therefore leads to lack of confidence and low morale in the work place. Coaching leads the employee to become stronger confident and thus being able to create a strong team and possible growth to other higher positions.
Thank you,
Cynthia
Maria ,
yes and to frequently provide the feedback on identified developmental areas.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Coaching gives the manager the opportunity to share with the direct report best practices to further improve his/her capabilities.
