Beyond Management Coaching
By CMOE Development Team, Sat Dec 10th
Leaders and Managers often ask us, ‘What do you do when youhave tried to coach and counsel an employee about a performanceconcern, and the employee has not responded?
Unfortunately, we see far too many cases where the leaderhasn’t, in good faith, tried to coach the employee or to put theleader’s concerns into words. Often, leaders look for a quickfix alternative to what is perceived as a difficult and painfulconfrontation.
We have also learned from first-hand experience that management coaching is not a one-shot effort. It takes regularongoing discussions and experiences to achieve the level ofsupport and cooperation needed. When you have truly exhaustedall your good-faith efforts to coach an employee into change,you have the right to move to the next best alternative, acoaching based solution.
In certain situations, employees have grown accustomed to anddependent on heavy authority in the workplace, or they justdon’t feel attached to the job or organization. We are notadvocating that the leader wait for someone to pass out apermission slip to try a different approach; rather, the leadershould tell the employee that the management coaching approachhasn’t worked and it is time to take a different path. Probablythe best thing a leader can do is literally call a time-out,pull back, and reexamine the entire interpersonal/workingcontract or agreement with the employee. The leader needs toreconsider the basic assumptions and understanding about theemployee’s role and terms of employment in the organization.This is a major renegotiation effort.
It is very possible that the job demands or personalexpectations and objectives of the employee or leader havechanged
sufficiently that a real pressure point has been createdin the leader/employee relationship. Remember, a social contractbetween a leader and employee works as long as there is “mutualconsent and valid consideration” for both parties. If a newagreement and shared vision of common goals can be reached, thena new state of leader/employee stability and equilibrium will beachieved. If not, the leader and employee should begin toexplore and plan a way to separate effectively.
Some leaders say they can’t get along without the employee. Noproblem – you simply need to look for creative ways torestructure the employee’s job or reassign or retrain theemployee to cut your losses and limit your exposure. You mayconsider “down-sizing” the employee’s role to fit the needs ofthe situation.
Another strategy is to pursue a path or formal disciplinary orprobationary action. Obviously this is riskier; it may be a pathof no return in the sense that cultivating a healthyrelationship in a climate of hostility and possible resentment,anger, and embarrassment over disciplinary action is difficult.You may be forced to pursue this path to the unpleasant end of aseparation, the ultimate challenge for any leader.
The other thing you may consider is to take two aspirin, grinand bear it, and go on lots of short vacations.
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