The Gallup organization did a meta-analysis of 100 million employee interviews to identify what makes a highly engaged team. The key factor is the manager, but one with a particular style of leading. In a recent blog post, Jim Clifton reported, “Gallup has discovered -- through studying what the best managers do differently -- that great managing is an act of coaching, not one of directing and administrating.”
At the center of compassionate accountability is coaching. Good managers engage in regular coaching conversations to encourage, develop, and support team members. In the blog, Clifton suggests several ways to implement this game changing strategy in an organization.
1. Recognize that Millennials and Generation Z individuals want to learn and grow. Coaching provides this opportunity.
2. Announce to your organization that your leaders will move from administering teams to coaching teams.
3. Do away with all evaluation forms and institute this approach: “We lead through a habit of having one meaningful coaching conversation per week with each team member.”
4. The conversation should be about goals—"What progress is the team member making on his or her goals and how is he/she serving constituents?”
5. Implement a plan to train managers to be coaches. Clifton states that leadership should say, “We are going to teach you to develop people just like a winning coach develops a great player and team in any sport—by maximizing your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses.”
Undergirding this approach are these values:
1. Clarity—This approach is not optional. This is our culture.
2. Intentionality--This is going to happen. Count on it.
3. Relationship—This will require resonant leadership, connecting person to person.
4. Transformation—We will train for, encourage, and reward change.
Perhaps the greatest challenge here is working to make the coaching conversations quality experiences. This can be reinforced as managers meet with, encourage, and coach each other. In turn, team members can do peer coaching or develop coaching groups around specific topics, challenges, or tasks. When a coaching culture takes hold, it transforms very conversation in the organization.
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