Lessons Businesses Should Learn From Little League Coaches
"I cannot believe he would say such a thing to my customer. He has to go!" The tension radiated from my client as he was telling me of his recent employee debacle. As he was talking, I could see the color of his face turn an intense red and he was tapping his foot on the floor.
As I breathed in deeply, I realized I already knew the answer to my next question. "Have you spoken with him about this?"
"I haven't had the chance to talk to him. I should have known, since there were some problems with him right after I hired him. I cannot spend my time looking after him, so I will just drop his hours. He will give up and move on to a new job if he isn't getting hours."
I have met with more small business owners with employee problems than I care to admit. It seems that most small business owners do not have the training they need to properly manage and guide their employees. Since they are also notoriously short on time, it makes sense that they have so many frustrations dealing with employees. Once we get into the issues, I often find that small business owners have not discussed their concerns with their employees before complaining to me. Once I approach the idea of coaching employees, so many business owners are confused. They think coaching is what they do when an employee needs reprimanded. They are clueless about coaching their employees so reprimands are not needed. It is not surprising that most of these small business owners have never been little league coaches, either.
The strategies coaches use to control and lead their little league athletes can be directly applied to the management and leadership of employees. Here are seven things little league coaches could teach to small business owners:
1. Every employee should know what their job is, what is expected of them while at work, and why their role in the company is important. It is the job of the small business owner to make sure every employee knows their worth and understands their role within the company clearly.
2. Go over the process with them in detail. Don't just assume that they have any understanding of what is expected of them.
3. The same way you must physically demonstrate to a Little League player, you must demonstrate tasks for new employees. While doing your demonstration, point out less obvious elements of the job.
4. Once employees have watched your demonstration, give them the chance to demonstrate the task back to you.
5. Feedback must be specific and immediate. If they have performed everything perfectly, reinforce it by letting them know. If they had trouble with the process, do some coaching again telling them specifics of how they can improve while demonstrating the proper technique. Remember, you should be helping them learn in a manner which will enhance their self-esteem.
6. Try to have empathy rather than feeling frustrated with employees who do not get some tasks right away. Remember that you have also struggled to learn some tasks over the course of your lifetime. Boost up the employee's confidence that they can succeed at the task rather than tearing them down or belittling them.
7. Follow-Up. It is not okay to leave an employee to achieve success or failure on their own after a single coaching session. Let them know that if they have trouble they can count on you for support them as they learn, but they will also be held accountable. Take the time to observe and coach until they have mastered the new skills.
The same skills required to coach aspiring Little League players is needed to successfully coach employees. You need to be patient, observant, encouraging, and intermingle that with the right approach to applying corrective activities. You will be surprised at the improvement you can make when you apply these principles to training your employees.
As I breathed in deeply, I realized I already knew the answer to my next question. "Have you spoken with him about this?"
"I haven't had the chance to talk to him. I should have known, since there were some problems with him right after I hired him. I cannot spend my time looking after him, so I will just drop his hours. He will give up and move on to a new job if he isn't getting hours."
I have met with more small business owners with employee problems than I care to admit. It seems that most small business owners do not have the training they need to properly manage and guide their employees. Since they are also notoriously short on time, it makes sense that they have so many frustrations dealing with employees. Once we get into the issues, I often find that small business owners have not discussed their concerns with their employees before complaining to me. Once I approach the idea of coaching employees, so many business owners are confused. They think coaching is what they do when an employee needs reprimanded. They are clueless about coaching their employees so reprimands are not needed. It is not surprising that most of these small business owners have never been little league coaches, either.
The strategies coaches use to control and lead their little league athletes can be directly applied to the management and leadership of employees. Here are seven things little league coaches could teach to small business owners:
1. Every employee should know what their job is, what is expected of them while at work, and why their role in the company is important. It is the job of the small business owner to make sure every employee knows their worth and understands their role within the company clearly.
2. Go over the process with them in detail. Don't just assume that they have any understanding of what is expected of them.
3. The same way you must physically demonstrate to a Little League player, you must demonstrate tasks for new employees. While doing your demonstration, point out less obvious elements of the job.
4. Once employees have watched your demonstration, give them the chance to demonstrate the task back to you.
5. Feedback must be specific and immediate. If they have performed everything perfectly, reinforce it by letting them know. If they had trouble with the process, do some coaching again telling them specifics of how they can improve while demonstrating the proper technique. Remember, you should be helping them learn in a manner which will enhance their self-esteem.
6. Try to have empathy rather than feeling frustrated with employees who do not get some tasks right away. Remember that you have also struggled to learn some tasks over the course of your lifetime. Boost up the employee's confidence that they can succeed at the task rather than tearing them down or belittling them.
7. Follow-Up. It is not okay to leave an employee to achieve success or failure on their own after a single coaching session. Let them know that if they have trouble they can count on you for support them as they learn, but they will also be held accountable. Take the time to observe and coach until they have mastered the new skills.
The same skills required to coach aspiring Little League players is needed to successfully coach employees. You need to be patient, observant, encouraging, and intermingle that with the right approach to applying corrective activities. You will be surprised at the improvement you can make when you apply these principles to training your employees.
About the Author:
Parts of this article where researched on various Lean Frog blogs. Learn more about Lean Frog at leanfroghuntsville.blogspot.com.
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