Companies Benefit From Managers Who Coach With Emotional Intelligence

In the current climate of economic uncertainty, it is critical to have managers that possess emotionally intelligent (EI) management skills to keep employees focused on their assignments in spite of the stress that surrounds them. It is often said that your manager can “make or break you”. It is not uncommon for otherwise content employees to leave their company due to a strained relationship with their manager. The opposite also holds true. Many employees will continue to perform with a company they view as unsatisfactory out of loyalty to their manager. At an average cost of one and a half times the salary to replace a position, poor management skills can have a devastating effect on the bottom line. Having managers that display strong coaching and EI skills are one of the best ways to insure employees maintain their focus and are productive.

In the management book “First, Break All The Rules” by Marcus Buckingham, there is evidence provided that proves the far reaching impact managers have on their employees. With surveys completed by more than a million employees from various industries and countries, it was discovered that regardless of all the reasons an employee had for joining a company, “how long that employee stays and how productive he is while he is there is determined by his relationship with his immediate supervisor.” Rather than make attempts to change the essence of who the employee is, the effective manager will learn how to harness the strengths of their employees and will minimize the perceived weaknesses. This is not an innate skill, but rather a finely tuned craft requiring conscious effort. If the manager fails to respect that each person is an individual, who offers unique opportunities and skill sets, they will certainly enervate their team.

A paradigm shift occurs in the managers who effectively commit to developing effective management skills. The shift is from, “What can you do for me?” to “What can I do for you?” The skills that provide this transformation are centered around a coaching model. Effective coaches know how get the best out of their people. They know how to position the strengths of their team members for success. The effective coaches know how to select talent and will work in many different ways to develop those talents. Effective coaches earn the trust and loyalty of their team members by demonstrating a high level of emotional intelligence. In a study that was conducted in the pharmaceutical industry, a company employed both coaching and Emotional Intelligence awareness with a group of their managers. The results after six months provided the group that had the coaching and EI awareness a 13% increase in sales as well as an increase in employee satisfaction and employee retention.

Although there are numerous skills that are beneficial to a successful manager, there are five that provide a manager with the ability to act as a coach/manager. They involve; setting clear expectations and giving clear feedback, valuing the opinions of their employees, giving consistent and regular accolades, checking in with employees and highlighting only a few areas for development. This is the C.O.A.C.H. method. These skills provide the greatest opportunity for your managers to effectively develop your company’s most important resource.
* The coach/managers effectively set clear expectations for how their employees will be measured. The effective managers are able to provide clear feedback to the employee regarding the expectations. This process helps to ensure that both the employee and the manager know what is expected. A clear roadmap has been established that both can confidently follow.n
* Your opinion does matter. Effective coach/managers understand the valuable insight that there employees provide to the success of the team. They are open to feedback and will often solicit ideas from their employees.n
* It has been said that recognition doesn’t cost, it pays. Effective coach/managers know that truth. They understand human nature. You can’t tell someone too many times that they are appreciated. They have learned that this motivates their employees to do more not less. nn* Effective coach/managers understand the importance of “checking in” with their employees. This simple gesture allows for a dialogue to take place between the two and demonstrates a level of conce
for the employee on both personally and professionally. n
* Effective coach/managers also have learned to highlight only a limited number of areas for employee development. They have also tended to focus on the individual’s strengths. The belief that developing the strengths of and individual is a much more productive use of the managers time and produces far greater benefits than focusing on weaknesses. These coach/managers go against the trend and set their team’s course for success.

How is your company’s most valuable resource being developed by your managers? How would the skills discussed help raise your organization to new levels of success? There is clear evidence that your mangers play a key role in the overall health and financial well being of your company.

Unfortunately, many of the skills that got them promoted to management will not be the same ones that will allow them to succeed as a manager. Companies will need to make the investment and provide follow up to insure that their managers are developing their most valuable asset in the most effective way. Where is your company? n