A great coach in the workplace can inspire us; help us to learn and grow; to reach our full potential. Trouble is, not everyone’s coaching game is quite as strong as it should be in the workplace. If your goal is to equip your team with the positive vibes and tools they need in order to work at their best, then it’s time to brush up on how to be a better coach!

Go Into Coaching Your Team with the Right Mentality

Not everyone associates their leadership role with cracking the whip, but honestly, far too many do. It is better, and healthier, to consider your position of power as an opportunity to be a mentor — not a taskmaster. Your goal is to maximize your team through generating a healthy workplace culture, and by learning the strengths of your team and how to play off of them.

Practice the Art of Listening

Whether your coaching is aiming to assist with underperformers or you’re doing a weekly check-in, take time to let your team talk with you. Foster a healthy workplace relationship with your team so that they feel comfortable cluing you in on problems they are having, or so that they are more likely to engage with the team as a whole.

When you have talking points, ask your employees for their opinions. If they see that their contributions are valued and that their ideas carry weight, then they can feel inspired to do more.

Consistently Use Encouragement

Though most wouldn’t admit it on the spot, even the quietest of us can’t help but crack a smile when we are praised for a job well done. It feels good! One of the best ways to fuel a great work ethic among your team members is to take notice when they’re doing well.

If someone nails a presentation or finds a more efficient way to do their work, let them know that it’s appreciated. Too many underperformers these days were once go-getters that quickly learned that hard work and innovation often goes completely unnoticed.

Feedback for mistakes is important, too, of course. It just needs to be tempered with the goal of helping the employee to correct the issue — don’t come in at the angle of chastising them.

Don’t Shy Away From Challenging Your Team

There are two big enemies of a productive workplace. One is a bad workplace culture, where the day-to-day work environment is stuffy, full of anger, or outright uncomfortable. The second is boredom. Bored employees tend to mentally clock-out. They aren’t being engaged, and it is hard to do a good job when you’re bored out of your skull.

To prevent this, come up with challenges based on each team member’s skills, knowledge, and tasks. By pushing at their limits a bit (without overdoing it) you can help them connect with the workplace while also growing.

Make Sure You’re Doing Your Part

A good coach doesn’t sit on the sidelines in the workplace. It’s your job to lead and organize, and it’s also your job to make certain everyone has what they need. Check in with employees frequently to be sure they have the tools, knowledge, and support required to get their current set of tasks done. If they’re behind or struggling, see what you can do to assist.

The best coaches create loyal, pumped-up teams that can tackle any task with ease. If you’re ready to build up your coaching skills, start with the points we’ve discussed. We guarantee you’ll see a difference, both in yourself and your team.

How to Be a Better Coach