Just like in sports, coaching in the workplace helps individuals perform at their best. Through employee coaching, you can improve individual and team performance, boost employee engagement, and help your sales reps develop their skills. An effective employee coaching program leads to higher levels of employee engagement, which ultimately improve your bottom line.

Whether you want to refine your current employee coaching program or start a new initiative at your organization, it helps to know some best practices. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share guidance from Mrinmoy Rabha, content writer and digital marketer at Vantage Circle, on the steps to take for more successful employee coaching.

1. Start by setting realistic goals. The first step to a successful employee coaching program is defining achievable goals. Be clear that you are coaching your employee on a new process or helping them learn a new skill. Set goals that employees feel comfortable with and excited to reach. Rabha says that, whenever possible, try to develop your employee and your organization at the same time.

2. Determine a weakness. Think about areas your sales reps may need to improve. Do they often struggle with productivity? Time management? Organization? According to Rabha, you must highlight these weak spots so you know how to help your employees.

3. Make sure roles align. You might have the right people in your organization, but they may not be in the right roles. That’s why employee coaching is so important—it allows leaders to manage employees according to their abilities and skills. It also makes it easier for managers to assign employees to the roles that best suit them.

4. Stay on top of the process. Rabha notes that this step is crucial in the employee coaching process because it ensures you keep track of how your sales reps are progressing and improving. If your employees have any questions or concerns regarding their development, make sure to have a coaching conversation with them. However, be sure to do so in a way that provides autonomy and encouragement. The best coaches do not micromanage but find ways to guide with a positive outlook.

5. Share your feedback. As a coach, it is important to deliver constructive feedback in a way that inspires your sales reps rather than demoralizes them. Rabha encourages leaders to be honest with their team members. This means you should provide positive feedback while also sharing with them what they could have done better. Taking time to help them understand with specific examples will boost their morale and inspire them to do better.

When done right, an employee coaching program benefits both you and your sales reps. Your employees end up feeling valued and supported while you end up strengthening their skills and boosting their performance. To make employee coaching successful, be clear about your development goals, ensure your employees are in the right roles, commit to tracking progress, and offer productive feedback.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Mrinmoy Rabha is a content writer and digital marketer at Vantage Circle, a cloud-based employee benefits and engagement platform.