5 Benefits of Clearly Defined Coaching Goals

If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to know when you get there?

In the coaching side of my practice I sometimes run across clients that have been previously told to ‘improve their performance’, but not what part(s) of their performance actually need improvement. When coaching a client/employee it is important for both the coach and the client/employee to have specific goals and timelines.

Goals have to be established in order to give direction and purpose to the coaching session whether it is a client or an employee. Ambiguous goals are usually never achieved and may cause frustration, at a minimum.

Defining Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time  driven (SMART) goals will plot a marker in the horizon. It’ll act as your beacon. Without that beacon you are navigating blindly.

Having no clearly defined goal causes frustration for both you and your client/employee because there never seems to be any improvement or progress. It creates a constant cycle of failing to meet some objective – a cycle that will keep repeating without a clearly defined goal.

Setting a clearly defined goal gives you and your client/employee direction and purpose. Imagine being handed a bunch of tools and materials and told to build something without a clear vision or goal of what is to be built. 

The same holds true for developmental goals. It is not good enough to tell your employee they must improve in sales or build widgets faster. These types of goals create more confusion because they do not know where to start because they don't know where they're specifically going.

Here are 5 benefits to establishing clearly defined goals upfront for your client/employee:

• Both you and your client/employee have a better chance of starting in the right direction together

• Coaching time is more efficient once goals are discussed upfront

• You are able to plan ahead of the session and prepare targeted questions

• Coaching session are direct and avoid meandering

• You, as the coach, will come across more clear, instilling confidence in your client/employee

Going back to the building analogy, you may end up building a stool when what was really needed was as birdhouse. Clearly defined goals are the cornerstone of effective and successful coaching. 

By establishing clearly defined goals you help to set your client/employee up for success.

For more information about coaching and mentoring, or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with this or any other business or leadership challenges you are facing, Contact us.

We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.

Copyright © 2019 The Cobalt Group LLC. All rights reserved.

3 Questions You Must Answer to Know if You’re Setting Your Employees Up for Success

If you’ve ever had employees work for you then you’ve likely been in the situation where you have to decide whether or not to let them go for poor job performance. How did you get there? What led that employee to perform poorly? If you’re in a leadership role your job is to set your people up to succeed; to give them what they need to do what you hired them to do.

There are legitimate reasons to fire someone little to no notice. For me that would involve willful or gross negligence, or criminal activity. In those cases the answer is fairly simple – termination is warranted right then. There are other factors, as well, that would rightly lead to ending their employment with you.

But, if you have an employee that is struggling to do what you hired them to do and you are considering letting them go, there are three questions that you must answer before you make that decision:

1.      Did the employee know what was expected of him/her? It seems like a simple question but I have worked with a few clients that had let people go without knowing if the person knew what was expected of them. If your employee doesn’t have a clear understanding of what is expected of them, then how could they know what they were supposed to do?

2.      Was the employee properly trained to perform their duties? There have been many times when I have seen people thrown into a job or a task without adequate, or sometimes any, training to do the job. That seems incredulous in this day and age but it happens more often than you would think. If they haven’t been shown the proper way to do the job, how can you expect them to do it properly?

3.      Does the employee have the right tools to do the job? This is the last question I ask. If they know what is expected of them, and have been properly trained to do the job, were they given the appropriate tools? If the employee’s job is to drive nails into the wall, sending them out with a spoon is of little help. Why weren’t they given a hammer?

Our job as leaders is to set our employees up to succeed. The calculation is simple – our success is dependent upon their success. If you can’t honestly answer ‘YES’ to each of these questions, you have set them up to fail. And in that case, you have failed as a leader, too.

Make sure you can answer each of those questions with a resounding ‘YES’.

For more information about employee engagement, or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with this or any other business or leadership challenges you are facing, Contact us.

We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.

Copyright © 2018 The Cobalt Group LLC. All rights reserved.

Clichéd Phrases Don’t Motivate

Every profession has them. A lot of people in leadership roles use them. They are Cliched Phrases and they Don’t Motivate. Some of them are downright catchy but regardless of how well-intentioned the phrase may have seemed, they don’t give the employees what they really need – the support, tools, and means to do their jobs. This is especially true when used by someone in a leadership role that offers little more than a clichéd phrase vice real help.

But in every phase of my career I have heard them. And, I am sorry to report, I have even used them a couple of times. Some of them are cute, even funny. Witty, maybe. But none of them ever helped me do my job better. In truth, everyone I have talked to about this is turned off by cheap clichés.

So here is a question. How many of you have ever been motivated to do better by one of these clichéd sound bites? I really don’t know who they inspire other than perhaps the person quoting them. They don’t provide anything to make anyone successful. And to the persons using these quotes – do you really think you’re motivating anyone with them? Are you making sure your employees are equipped properly to do their jobs?

While I have seen them everywhere in my various career paths, the ones that stand out the most are the ones I have heard in my sales/BD career. Here are a few of the types of phrases about which I am speaking:

Are you In It to Win It?

Because everyone likes losing.

The difference between try and triumph is umph!

Only with bad spelling.

This quarter is our most important quarter!

Every quarter is the most important.

We gotta make the number.

Oh, I thought you were kidding about that.

I piss excellence.

That must hurt.

Do you have the juice?

Yeah, which flavor do you want.

Seriously, are goals achieved through catchy phrases? I’d love to know one that is (other than a goal of creating catchy phrases). These clichés are NOT a strategy. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great motivational phrases out there but a motivational phrase without the means to accomplish the goal are useless.

This is equally true when dealing with customers. I did not seek out a career in sales. It found me. I was on a colleague’s sales call with him at the very beginning of my sales career and in the meeting he says, “So, Mr. Customer…what keeps you awake at night.” I almost burst out laughing. I’m pretty sure I cast a sideways look at him. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say that you need to ask them what keeps them awake at night. I know what the intent there is but I would never use that phraseology. So I made a vow to try NEVER to sound like a clichéd sales rep. I think I have done pretty well with that vow. Customers don’t want clichéd phrases either. They want help and they want results.

So, what clichéd phrases top your list? And “at the end of the day” did they motivate you?

We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.

Copyright © 2014 The Cobalt Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

How Often Should I Be Coaching My People?

As leaders of any type we should all know that our people are out most important asset. They are the ones that really do the work that makes our businesses successful. And we need to groom and develop them so that they are able to succeed in their job. This can be done by effective coaching and mentoring. We’re not just talking about their job performance, we’re also talking about grooming your next generation of leaders. Bench strength is usually discussed in terms of people with skill sets that you might need for work requirements. There is also a bench strength that the vast majority of companies don’t think about – the leadership bench. In addition to coaching your people on their job performance, you should also be coaching and grooming those that are being looked at to move into leadership roles. And the time to do that is not after they have role (although they’ll need it then too), it should be done before they get it. So how often should you be coaching your people? A lot of it depends on what their role is.

How Often Should I Coach? This can depend on the number of people you have. With all the other demands on your plate it may not be able to be done as frequently as some would suggest. My recommendation is to try to get 30 minutes with them once per week. Although, after some time I have found that most meetings usually drop to 15-20 minutes when things are going well. But keep the time open for each person in case you need it. Coaching is more effective if it is timely so having regularly scheduled meetings allows you to be more effective by providing guidance in a more opportune manner. If you have more than about 8 people directly reporting to you then you may want do something more reasonable by meeting with each of them every two weeks. This can be done in person (which is preferable) or over the phone if the situation does not lend itself to a face-to-face meeting. This should work for most people in most roles.

By coaching I do not mean bringing in the Spanish Inquisition. What they need is an honest assessment of their performance, and for you to ascertain what challenges they are facing that may be inhibiting their ability to do their job more effectively and efficiently. The coaching needs to be two-way and it needs to be reinforced. Refer my post on Excellent Listening. Try to apply that to coaching as well. In addition, coaching needs to be supportive and not something that they dread. You are there to lead them. And you are there to make sure that they have what they need to do the job they are doing for you.

I discovered a long time ago that when the people that worked for me felt like they had a valued role in the success of the organization that they would usually go the extra mile to make that organization successful…willingly. Go take care of your people.

So, how often are you coaching your people?

We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.

Copyright © 2014 The Cobalt Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Attributes of a Good Leader

What attributes does a good leader have/need? As I was asked that question again recently I started jotting a few things down. This list is not all inclusive but does cover a good portion of the attributes I believe make a good leader. If you’re in a leadership role, and most of you are in some way or another regardless of your title, how many of these describe you? Honestly?

• Knows that he/she cannot do it all by themselves. If so, you would not need people to lead.
• Is honest and trustworthy. If your people can’t/don’t trust you, you’re in trouble.
• Speaks directly. That doesn’t mean to insult or give someone unfiltered opinions, it means that you address the issue head in a direct manner and not try to talk around it.
• Is consistent. One of the worst things a person in a leadership position can be is vacillating. If your people don’t know what to expect from you then they won’t know what to give you.
• Is decisive. Indecision is a terrible thing. Or is it?  Lead, follow, or get out of the way is an expression I heard often in the Navy. It is never a good thing when a leader cannot do the main part of his/her job…make a decision and move forward. Decision paralysis benefits no one.
• Sets clear expectations, and follows through. Your people need to know what is expected of them or, just like in the fourth bullet, they won’t know what to give you. Following through is just as important as the set expectation.
• Seeks input from his/her people. When your people feel like they have a contribution to the goals they will take more ownership in achieving them.
• Doesn’t have all the answers. But he/she does know what questions to ask to get those answers and to lead his/her people to the answers.
• Empowers people. Give your people room, define the boundaries, and give them ownership of their job. You’ll be amazed at how many will rise to, and exceed, the expectations you set for them.
• Supports his/her people. If you want to bring out the best in your people they need to know that you will support them. When they know you have their backs they will do their best to have yours too.
• Praises publically. Disciplines privately. Self-explanatory.
• Focuses on the strengths of his/her people, not their faults. Too often the only time some leaders engage their people is when it is time for a correction. No one wants to only talk with their boss(es) when things are going wrong. And don’t be afraid to move a person into a role that is more suited to their strengths. They will be happier and more productive.
• And lastly for this blog post, a good leader is coachable. A good leader doesn't know everything. They haven’t faced every challenge they are going to meet. But if they are humble enough to be coachable then they will become better at what they are asked to do. LEAD.

So, as I asked at the beginning, how many of these traits describe you? And, since I am coachable too, what traits did I not list here that you think a good leader should possess?

Leadership and Being Visionary

One of the traits of a great leader is to be a visionary. Or is it? Throughout the various phases of my career I have often heard that this person or that person is a visionary. Most of the time I would have to agree. But not all of those people were in leadership roles. Some of them would never be in leadership roles. So, do you have to have vision to be a leader? Or, do you have to be a leader to have vision?

The answer to both questions is NO. That may be heresy to some people but here is what my experience has taught me. I have worked with great leaders. Some of them were visionary and were able to get us to make that vision a reality, and some were not. They inspired and led us to great successes. That ties in with what I say is my basic definition of leadership -- the ability to get a group of people to work together to achieve a common goal. But, a person with vision but no leadership ability is not likely to see their vision become a reality without a good leader.

On the other hand, a leader that does not have a vision can be just as effective as one with vision. That leader may recognize or inspire someone else’s vision and make it a reality. As I said above, not all people with vision are in leadership roles, nor are all meant to be leaders. A good leader does not worry about where the vision comes from, he/she only cares how to make it happen. Good ideas come from all quadrants of an organization and a good leader will recognize that and will be able to get everyone to work together to make the vision a reality.

So as I see it, one need not be a visionary to lead. It doesn’t hurt to have that ability but it is not required. And, one need not be a leader to be a visionary. What that means is that good leaders will either be visionary or inspire that in the people they lead.

The 3 Ds of Great Leadership

Leadership is such a rich and vast topic. There are countless books and experts out there that will tell you what good leadership is. 

It is hard to put a single quote or sound byte that encompasses good leadership.

I want to take you beyond good leadership and talk about great leadership.

I've seen poor leaders, good leaders, and great leaders. I've learned from them all. 

But the great ones shared a common set of traits. They understood that great leadership, in part, can be boiled down to 3 Ds. 

Decide. Delegate. Disappear. 

I learned this concept many years ago as a young junior officer in the Navy. It set the framework for my approach to leadership since. 

Although this is a very rich topic, I will do my best to keep it within the constraints I established for the length of my blogs, even though I feel that it warrants much more space. 

So here we go...

Decide. Your job as a leaders is to make a decision and move forward with it. 

If you have to get something delivered to the corner of 4^th and Main, look to the people in your organization that know the streets. Take their inputs on which roads are the best to travel. 

Some may be one way streets and others may have construction happening. The point here is that getting the input from those that actually know the lay of the land is important. 

When people are given a voice in the decision making process they will take more ownership of the outcome. And when they feel like they have more of a stake in the outcome, they are more motivated to see it succeed. 

So after you have taken all their inputs, make the decision on what the path will be. It may be that you chose your own route, their suggested route, or a blend of the two.

And now YOU, the leader, will own that decision. If the delivery is successful, you give praise to your people. 

If it fails, YOU take ownership. 

After all, YOU made the final decision on the route chosen.

Next, you...

Delegate. Once a decision has been made, delegate the responsibilities to those that are actually going to accomplish the tasks. 

In our scenario, that means letting the people that are going to make that delivery do their jobs. Define the parameters under which they are to operate, then trust them to work within those confines. 

If you trusted them enough to take their input when deciding how to best reach your destination, trust them to do their jobs the right way. 

They want to know that you have confidence in them. They want to know you trust them to do what you asked them to do.

And then you…..

Disappear. This doesn't mean go back to your office and close the door. It merely means that you now let them do what you have asked them to do. 

If you have clearly defined the parameters within which they should operate, and have delegated the responsibilities to them, stay out of their way. 

Don’t micro-manage them. 

Now, what that means to one person may be different than it does to another. 

What this is to me is simply…don’t be a helicopter leader that is always hovering above them. Stay engaged, offer assistance and support, get status updates, but don’t be in the way. 

Your people are your experts. 

Trust them to do their jobs and trust them to come to you when they need you. 

Train them to do that. You will have a much better and more successful organization if you do.

This frees you up to do what you are there to do, LEAD!

As I said at the beginning, this is a topic that deserves much more time and space than I allot for my blogs. It could actually fill books, I am sure. 

So as you look to improve your leadership abilities, and thereby set the example for those you are leading, remember the 3 Ds and live them.

Decide. Delegate. Disappear.

For more information about how The Cobalt Group can help you with leadership development, or any other any business or leadership challenges you are facing, Contact us.

We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.

Copyright © 2013 The Cobalt Group, LLC. All rights reserved.