ForConstructionPros.com

When most people think of the word "coach" they immediately imagine someone on the sidelines screaming at players to do a better job. While that may be true in certain sports situations, in business a coach needs to have a completely different approach to help employees improve performance.

Let's have a look at the role of a manager/coach and how that integrates with employee development. Where does traditional training come in? How does training relate to coaching? And what are the differences between training and coaching?

The process starts with training. Let's say you're training a group. What usually happens is most of the group understands, learns, and benefits from the information you've taught. Unfortunately, not everyone "gets it." What do we do about that small percentage of employees — often good, conscientious people — who may need personalized attention after training? Those are the ones who need coaching.

Remember that coaching is strategically guiding someone into improving performance. It's analyzing feedback to see the areas where the training hasn't taken hold. Is remedial training needed? That's where the coaching comes in. These are the people who need one-on-one customized help to develop their skills.

So for effective coaching in a business environment, consider the 4 Cs of Coaching:

• Concurrence
• Content
• Commitment
• Congratulations or Continuation

Concurrence is critical. Unless you and the trainee agree (concur) that there is a gap, and he commits to the improvement that's needed, you won't be able to coach to your full capacity for effectiveness. Both you and the employee need to concur there is an issue.