Coaching

The first step in any effort to improve employee performance is coaching. Coaching is part of the day-to-day interaction between a supervisor and an employee who reports to her, or an HR professional and line managers. Coaching often provides positive feedback about employee contributions. But, coaching also helps an employee improve performance. Coaching is providing feedback, usually to executives and managers, about how to reach their personal best in their organizational leadership role. In her capacity as coach, the Human Resources professional will do everything from active listening through providing test results that highlight a manager's strengths and weaknesses.

While a business coach usually works with high potential managers, the HR coach may work with every manager and supervisor at every level in the organization. This is what makes the Human Resources coaching role so challenging.

The traditional Human Resources coaching role focused on helping managers address issues and opportunities organizationally. Additionally, talented HR professionals have always provided feedback to managers about the impact of their personal and behavioral style on others.

Human Resources coaches must be knowledgeable about surveys and other feedback instruments to provide impartial feedback to the manager. Coaching often takes the place of training for individuals who are advanced in their careers. Therefore, the HR professional must be well versed in management and behavioral theory and practices.

It is necessary that the coach must know about and have access to a variety of resources for the executive as well. Goal setting strategies, follow-up, organization and highly advanced communication skills are necessary for the HR coach to succeed at coaching executives.

The goal of coaching is to work with the employee to solve performance problems and improve the work of the employee, the team, and the department. At the same time, regular coaching brings performance issues to an employee's attention when they are minor, and assists the employee in correcting them.