Coaching poor performers is both a challenge and an opportunity
Having worked with hundreds of clients in a range of businesses and organisations over the past three decades, one consistent challenge is under-performance. This can result from a variety of causes, from being promoted too soon, struggling to meet performance expectations, a loss of motivation, strained colleague relationships, to stress and burn out.
When I am asked to coach someone described as a "poor performer," my first step is to check if coaching is the right approach. Poor performance is often attributed to attitudinal and behavioural issues, rather than a lack of skills or expertise which might actually be the case. Addressing underperformance also requires a deeper understanding of the employee’s motivations, perceptions, and emotional reactions. Again this is often overlooked.
An initial meeting with the potential coaching client is vital to explore their experience, personal beliefs, current contributing factors and their desire to perform well in their role. It is also important to understand how much they believe they can and want to improve their performance. In some cases there is a huge mismatch between the individual’s and the organisation’s perceptions and motivations, so establishing an understanding of these at the outset is crucial.
It sounds obvious to determine how aware these “underperforming individuals” have been made of concerns and whether they agree that they are not performing to expectations. However, often the situation has not been well explained and getting them to see the performance “issue” can be illuminating for them. Are they stuck or demotivated? Are they ready and willing to engage in the coaching relationship and what might help them to engage if they are unsure?
It is also essential to have a discussion with the line manager, and in some cases, the HR Business Partner, to gain their perspective and identify how to best address the poor performance. What is the poor performance about and how quantifiable is it? This can be very helpful in guiding future improvements.
The context and the motivation behind the request for coaching are key as these can have a huge impact on the likelihood of success. One recent request was to coach a member of the senior team who was perceived by the new CEO as consistently negative. In the CEO’s opinion this individual was opposed to everything she suggested, so was considering replacing this person.
When I met the executive I found that she was feeling full of self-doubt, as nothing she said seemed to please the new CEO. This person as also thinking of leaving before she became too stressed and unwell. Once we started working together her perspective changed. Far from leaving the organisation she has regained her motivation, is contributing well and is much happier.
Agreeing the focus of the coaching is an essential step, and having a three-way conversation involving the line manager, the employee, and the coach to clarify expectations and form a development plan is vital. This ensures that all parties are aligned and have a clear understanding of the goals and requirements from the coaching. These three-way conversations during the coaching means progress can be discussed and feedback shared. This usually leads to the relationship between the line manager and the executive becoming much closer, with a greater level of understanding between them, being able to discuss what they couldn’t before.
With the right approach, coaching can be a positive and transformative experience for both the employee and the organisation. It requires patience, empathy, and a genuine commitment to the employee's development. It can bring a multitude of benefits and can be a learning process for the line manager as much as for the employee themselves.
Caroline Donaldson is Director of Kynesis
Coaching www.kynesiscoaching.co.uk
