Managing employees can be one of the most difficult parts of running a business and it sure helps to have a few relevant tips on coaching employees. Even if you are not a trained coach, as a manager or owner, you need to possess some real coaching skills to get all your employees on the same page.

11 Powerful Tips on Coaching Employees

Here are 11 powerful tips on coaching employees – separated into four categories – the veteran employee, the difficult employee, the new employee, and all employees. These tips on coaching employees will make you a better manager, executive, or business owner. The better you are, the better your employees will do, and the more profitable your business will be.

Before we start the countdown, here is one bonus tip on coaching employees – learn as many coaching skills as you can – you will need them!

5 Tips on Coaching the Veteran Employee

1. No BS. Keep it real when you coach a long-time employee. They can undoubtedly see through the BS. While you are keeping it real, make sure to provide some useful information. If you just talk in generalities, they will learn to quickly tune you out.
2. Because veteran employees are sometimes a bit cynical, make sure to take the time to build trust. Seasoned employees need to feel as if you sincerely care about their circumstances and their personal development.
3. Acknowledge their contributions and recognize their value to the organization. Everyone likes a pat on the back here and there. Gratitude not platitudes – value their contributions with real praise, don’t offer clichés and overused expressions.
4. Understand that most veteran employees still want to develop and grow. They may seem bored and tired because they have not been presented with opportunities to grow, but they will savor some challenges and direction.
5. Help them reach their goals. You must first identify these goals, then help them clarify them, and assist them in charting a course to those goals. You can also help them align their goals with the organization’s goals.

3 Tips on Coaching Difficult Employees

Yes, some employees are a pain in the…neck. Some of these are just plain bad employees and should be fired immediately. However, some just need a little extra attention and may well develop into great representatives of an organization. Here are a few tips on coaching employees – the difficult ones.

1. Stay calm. You may be seething inside, but you must always remain calm and controlled. If you are angry, postpone the coaching session until later. Don’t lose control of the situation and don’t say something you will regret later.
2. Stay consistent. Like children who misbehave, difficult employees need consistency. Do what you say and say what you do, and mean it, too! If you say you are going to take action, then take it! Failure to follow through will not help a difficult employee improve their behavior or performance.
3. Give feedback privately. Coaching with interruptions or in a group setting will not help a difficult employee. Make sure to coach in a private setting and avoid constant interruptions.

2 Tips on Coaching New Employees

1. Be prepared. Don’t go into a session and wing it. New employees are like sponges – they will absorb everything you have to offer – so have plenty of valuable information to offer them.
2. Break down the big picture into several little pictures (or break down the big steps into several small steps). They are new – they need instruction before they can grasp the big picture (the company’s mission, structure, and flow).

2 Tips on Coaching Employees – All of Them

1. Ask questions. Inquiry is the foundation of coaching. You must ask questions so the employee can find their own answers. Certainly there are things that must be told and information that must shared, but the more that employees find their own answers and create their own solutions, the more dynamic the organization will be.
2. Listen, listen, and listen some more. You are asking plenty of questions…you better listen to the answers. This might be the most important of all the tips on coaching employees – so learn to listen!

Hope you took some great value out of this post today! I’d love to hear your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts or questions. And also, you can click on the Twitter button below to retweet this article… Thank you!

Fred Philips
Business Coach
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