On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Coach Workers in Only 10 Minutes a Day

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Coach Workers in Only 10 Minutes a Day When asked about coaching employees, most bosses will claim a) theydont have timeto coach employees because theyve got a million other things to do or b) theyve tried coaching and employees ignore them. The problem is that while managers may believe these statements to be accurate, theyre not actually true. While a Corporate Executive Board study finds that the average manager has at least 12 direct reports (compared to only seven before the Great Recession), these managers still can find time to coach because it only takes five to 10 minutes a day, says Michael Bungay Stanier. As for the second assertion about employees who ignore managers attempting to coach them? Well, thats simply because managers are often terrible coaches, says Bungay Stanier, the senior partner and founder of Box of Crayons. The reason more managers dont embrace coaching is because from our earliest school days, we are rewarded for having the right answer, Bungay Stanier says. So managers think they have to always give the answers. The problem is thatwhen managers provide all the answers, then employees have little incentive to think deeper or more creatively to find their own solutions. It actually feels good to give advice, which is why bosses like to do it, he says. They will do it even if its the wrong advice or the other person isnt listening. This creates even more dependence on the manager, which leads to bosses feeling even more overwhelmed and disconnected from the bigger picture of what a company is trying to accomplish, he says. What is more difficult for managers to embrace but critical to good coaching is to ask morequestions. Its tough because its more ambiguous and the boss feels like hes giving up control, says Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More and Change the Way You Lead Forever. The boss may be worried hes going to get a crazy answer when he asks a question, or maybe (read more here)