Team members of all ages and generations want to develop their skills and grow their careers. However, the way that skill transfer occurs and performance is evaluated is changing. Many employees, especially those in younger generations such as Millennials, don\u2019t want just annual reviews. They desire coaching, feedback, and training on an on-going basis. \u00a0In our national survey on Gen Z expectations<\/a>, 89% said that they want a job that will help them develop new skills and learn new things.\u00a0 This requires that organizations and leaders focus on frequent, continuous developmental opportunities though on-going dialogue and coaching.<\/p>\n Team members don\u2019t want to remain stagnant because they realize the need to be adaptable and flexible to succeed in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world. \u00a0Eighty-eight percent of Gen Zs rated the ability to adapt to change as the number one factor needed to progress in their careers. This indicates realism around what is needed to succeed in a fast-paced business environment.\u00a0 Employees want to be constantly improving their skills, growing, and working towards the next level of their careers.<\/p>\n Millennials, specifically, would rather work in an environment where they receive frequent feedback on their work. This doesn\u2019t mean that leaders need to sit down and conduct a formal review with each team member on a weekly basis, but it does require a shift away from pre-determined formal conversations to more frequent, informal dialogue around areas of strength and development.<\/p>\n By effectively coaching your team, you can help them achieve their career goals while strengthening the organization overall.<\/p>\n Ongoing coaching can be done in simple ways, such as on-the-spot recognition of reaching a goal or helping someone see how performing a task a certain way makes things easier for the rest of the team. Coaching can also be done in a virtual environment through quick instant messaging chats and regularly touching base via technology to provide real time feedback. Once an organization creates a culture of ongoing coaching and feedback, everyone in the organization benefits from more open dialogue and an environment that encourages development.<\/p>\n Leaders should stress that they are providing feedback because they want their teams to be more engaged and more productive, not because they want to point out mistakes or make employees feel bad about their performance. Even if a leader is correcting an error or delivering \u201cnegative\u201d feedback, it can still be done in an uplifting way through the use of \u00a0positive language, such as \u201cgrowth opportunity, development, areas for improvement, enhancements for higher performance, and maximizing and upgrading skills\u201d.\u00a0 It is also important to use collaborative language such as \u201cwe and us\u201d so that employees feel that you are equally committed to their growth and development.<\/p>\n Whenever possible, explain why improvements need to be made and how performing a role in a specific way will contribute to the overall success of the team \/ department \/ organization. Instead of saying \u201cyou need to follow these steps in this order to achieve X\u201d explain to your team member why a certain approach leads to greater success. Describe why something is done (as opposed to saying \u201cthat\u2019s the way we do it here\u201d), answer questions and be open to suggestions. This approach will encourage greater buy-in and increase engagement.<\/p>\n Coaching is often a two-way street. Instead of saying \u201cThis is how I would like you to do this,\u201d be open and listen to ideas that your team members may have on how processes and tasks can be improved. You don\u2019t necessarily need to act on all suggestions, but truly listening and considering ideas can be very helpful in improving performance and engagement. Being open to new ideas demonstrates that the entire organization, including its leaders, are open to growth and improvement.<\/p>\n Learning and growth happens through multiple touch points. If you encourage team members to work with cross-functional colleagues, share their experiences, and help each other grow, the entire organization will benefit. This approach allows for more frequent learning opportunities (which younger generations crave) without overwhelming leaders. Plus, it can help foster strong connections between team members, which strengthens support-seeking and encouragement during stressful and challenging times.<\/p>\n While employees used to stay with one organization for their entire careers, this is no longer the expectation. The average employee will work for several different organizations in their lifetime. However, if leaders are engaged and actively working to help employees improve their skills and leverage their strengths to grow their careers, team members will be more likely to stay with an organization longer and be more engaged while they are there.<\/p>\n Even if an employee leaves an organization after being coached and developed, leaders shouldn\u2019t assume that the time and effort invested was \u201cwasted.\u201d It\u2019s likely this employee was more engaged when they were a part of your team and therefore contributed significant value to your team\u2019s success.<\/p>\n In addition, if leaders create a positive environment that provides frequent opportunities for growth, this will improve the organization\u2019s reputation and employer brand. Millennials and Gen Zs are very likely to share their work experiences (especially online) and if an organization is seen as a good place to work, this will help attract new talent and continue to build upon your strong employer brand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How Workplace Coaching Boosts Engagement and Helps Your Organization Grow Team members of all ages and generations want to develop their skills and grow their careers. However, the way that skill transfer occurs and performance is evaluated is changing. Many … Continue reading Focus on Ongoing Coaching<\/h3>\n
Take A Positive Approach<\/h3>\n
Be Open<\/h3>\n
Encourage Learning From Others<\/h3>\n
Coaching Can Lead to Greater Retention<\/h3>\n