Is it worth investing in outside coaching for a direct report who is facing change or second-guessing his or her abilities?
Here are five questions to help you find the right answer.
1. Is his or her current performance or potential, valuable to your organization?
(Executive coaching could be time-consuming or expensive, therefore, reserve it for key potentials or high-performers.)
2. Can you pinpoint challenges he or she is facing right now?
(Leaders must be able to demonstrate alignment with the organization’s vision, mission, and values. Coaching can help, especially if the biggest problems fall outside you management purview.)
3. Is he or she willing to work with an outside coach?
(If someone is not at least reasonably open to self-improvement, you may want to re-examine your answer to question #1.)
4. Have you considered alternatives to coaching?
(Mentoring, training, even direct coaching from you are possibilities to explore before looking for an outside solution.)
5. Are other members of your team willing to support his or her growth and change?
(Explicit or implicit negative reinforcement will neutralize any investment you make. Your office environment should bolster, not undermine, the growth of all your direct reports.)
If you have an employee who could improve in his or her current role with better business acumen and communication skills, or you are interested in grooming someone for succession planning, it could be worthwhile to have a conversation with Karl Bimshas Consulting.
Also published on Medium.