Want a Self-sufficient team? Better lead like a coach, and here are 7 ways to do it.

Are you tired of bossing people around? Some employers might feel that they need to do everything for their business. Well, that’s actually true. But to grow from the rest, you should be focused on more important things for growth. 

With that, your team should be good enough to relieve some weight off your shoulders.

Do you want a team that’s self-sufficient? It might be the time to lead like a coach rather than a boss. 

And here are 7 ways to do it.

 

Stop Offering Solutions Outright

As business owners, we want to fix things that aren’t working as fast as possible. Every minute lost is an opportunity lost. So most of us give solutions outright. 

But if you want better performance, you should stop offering fixes from the get-go. Why? When you offer outright solutions, your employees don’t have the space to think. 

What if there’s another problem and you’re not available to solve it? Depending on the severity, the cost could be hefty. 

Stop fixing the problems yourself every single time. Instead, you should ask probing questions first.

Coach them. Let them think and come up with solutions themselves. If they’re having problems, guide them to the best solution possible. The point is it should mainly come from them.

It might be slower at first. But once they get the hang of it, you will not be needed for their concerns most of the time. The time saved can mean more headspace for the future growth of your business.

 

Meet Them Where They Are

We all have different levels of understanding. Some of your employees might not see the bigger picture. So meet them where they are at. Roughly, you can classify your employees into the following:

• Beginner

Beginners are in the early stage of learning. They need a lot of direction and instruction at first. Your beginner employees will definitely make some mistakes, and you need constructive feedback for them as well. 

If you hire well, your employees will not stay in this stage for long.

• Advanced Beginner

At this level, your employee is performing their tasks with an understanding of the purpose behind these. 

Of course, they’re still far from the mastery stage. So there should still be coaching and constructive feedback sessions. 

But at this stage, they are already contributing output to the team. 

• Competent

At this stage, you can expect that they’re doing the tasks properly. Your employee is already contributing 100% to the team compared to their beginner stages. 

There’s also less need for one-on-one coaching at this stage. 

• Proficient

In this stage, your employees are not only contributing, but can accomplish tasks efficiently. They understand the role entirely and can even teach and coach others on the same undertaking.

With their experience, they can even suggest areas of improvement in your systems. 

With employees in this stage, you can delegate some management tasks if you see fit.

• Expert

At the expert level, your employee is highly self-sufficient. Experts don’t need a lot of hand-holding. They can create directions for themselves, depending on your business goals. 

But don’t forget to check in on them from time to time.

With the classifications above, you can more or less gauge where your employees are. On top of these, you should also understand their work styles, motivations, and personalities. 

By understanding “why” and “how” they are working,  you can tailor-fit your coaching better. 

 

Don’t Micromanage

“Bossing around” has a negative tone around it. Back then, bosses were known to be someone who finds fault in your work. Some are even too controlling that dictate your every move. 

How would you feel if it was done to you? It’s pretty counterproductive, right?

If you want to transition from a boss to a coach, it’s time to stop micromanaging. You want high performers on your team. And too much micromanaging will drive them to resignation.

Trust them to work hard for you, and you’ll reap the benefits in the long run.

 

Develop Employee Accountability

Ever had an employee who is not up to your standards? Well, the question is, do they know the standards they should follow? 

Some bosses quickly criticise the employee’s output without giving them guidelines on what exactly they want. 

Your employees should have a clear understanding of what they should produce. For a writer, it can be a certain number of articles. For a telemarketer, it can be a number of calls tackled in a day.

Remember to set realistic goals to develop employee accountability. 

 

Give Feedback 

As the coach, you must give feedback to let them know. Because, in reality, most of your employees won’t see it on their own.

Remember, though, that giving feedback isn’t equivalent to dumping on an employee. You are not there to attack their character. Yes, it might relieve some of your anger. But will it create results?

Learn how to give both negative and positive feedback properly. If you want to learn how, here’s what good feedback should look like.

 

Set Actionable Next Steps

Coaching is meant to bring more productivity to your business. So, what’s next after the coaching session? 

It’s your responsibility to set actionable next steps. Let them understand the goal. What should be changed? What are the new targets?

Remember also to mutually agree on the subsequent actions to take. In this way, they know what you expect from them. And they can be accountable for the results afterwards. 

 

Give Recognition when It’s Due

Lastly, don’t forget to celebrate all your successes. Whether it’s a big or small win, you should recognise your team’s individual and collective efforts. 

Some employers are too stingy when it comes to recognition. Whether they say it or not, your employees crave recognition. And your recognition is one of the most impactful they can get. I mean, you’re the boss! 

With more validation from you, most will perform better in their jobs. So try to give recognition when it’s due.

 

Conclusion

Ready to have self-starters in your team? When you lead like a coach instead of a boss, you can build up to this goal and maximise your business growth in the years to come.

But of course, you need to hire the best people first for it to work. You can view our candidates of prequalified Filipino remote workers for the best match for your business needs. 

Call us or schedule a callback if you need some assistance. We are looking forward to the growth of your business! Cheers!