Coaching and mentorship are core to Josh’s leadership. Frequent one-on-one interactions, both scheduled and ad-hoc build rapport and establish a partnership. The substance of those interactions builds trust and respect. Josh takes his responsibilities as a leader extremely seriously and actively invests in the success of those he manages. A firm understanding of KPI’s and business metrics, allow him to simply focus on growth during coaching sessions. Improving a performance metric is never the only goal of coaching, and plans to make improvements always involve a mutually established plan that is entirely within the mentee’s control.
Goals may be based on Metrics, but plans are based on trackable, material actions. It is his belief that if actions set in the plan are followed, but the goal is not met, the plan was not right. It is up to the Coach to make a good plan, not the mentee. With that shared ownership, Josh shifts the stress of delivering abstract goals (such as reducing call time to a specific number or increasing resolution rates by a specified percentage) to simple actions (like using a specific greeting while opening a call and verifying resolutions with a checklist before hanging up). Finding the right steps to reach a goal takes experience in IT, Customer Support, and business, but following a plan only requires commitment.
A good coaching strategy does not only focus on the job a mentee is doing right then, it also includes steps to help them reach their mid- and long-term goals. These may be steps to reach the next level within a support center, take on a new role in a different department, or even pursue a career path that would move the mentee to a whole new career. No matter what the goal is, a commitment to the success and happiness of the mentee will benefit everyone involved.
What makes a good coaching plan? Good coaching plans will motivate and inspire those they are written for. Feedback should be objective and balance the positive and negative. Goals should be related to metrics or milestones and backed by actions. Frequent scheduled sessions, typically weekly or bi-weekly, should only set one or two short-term goals, any more than that is simply not manageable.
To accomplish short-term goals, coaches should decide upon one – three actions the mentee will take. Actions should be trackable and it is critical that in the next coaching sessions the mentee is accountable for following through on those actions. If the actions are followed, and the goal is not reached, then a new set of actions should be created. Mentees are not held responsible for bad plans, only their commitment to the actions within them.
Mid-term goals typically benefit both the employee and the employer. These goals are usually things like obtaining a promotion, getting a transfer, or taking on more interesting work. When setting up actions for mid-term goals, an action should be given to both the employee and the employer. For instance, the employee may need more exposure to complex situations, and thus the employer will ensure they are assigned those cases. Employer actions can include allowing work time for study or allowing access to resources and content that is typically out of reach. The key to these actions is that both parties show a willingness to invest in their success.
Long-term goals should revolve around the mentee’s desires. This could be finishing a degree, launching their own business, or any other professional aspiration. Long-term goals are tracked in coaching sessions, but this conversation is primarily to ensure that both parties are clear about what the mentee wants. It is also important that employers take action, when possible, to help the mentee reach their goals, even if they will not directly benefit the company.
Coaching sessions should help mentees refine their long-term goals and take actions that keep them on that course, but ultimately it is up to the mentee to follow through on these plans. There should never be a negative consequence of changing or delaying a long term goal, mentees should simply be supported in whatever way possible.
Included in this article you will find two documents, a blank coaching session and a completed coaching session. These samples could be weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly coaching logs. The expectation with these logs is that the metrics discussed are familiar to both the coach and mentee. While these may seem like a lot of work to set up, once a rhythm is established with coaching, these logs only take a few minutes to create/update and will provide a solid foundation for coaching. This style and method of coaching will work in almost all roles, industries, and levels within a business.