5 keys to improving your employee coaching skills:

Successfully coaching your employees is something that every manager should seek to improve upon. In order for you business to run as smoothly as possible you employees need to know what they are doing and feel comfortable doing it. They have to feel that you like them as people and not just as employees. Here are five keys that will help you to better coach your employees:

Key number one: First of all, you want to be sure that you are not too mean to your employees or too nice. Your employees need to know what you expect without feeling like you hate them. They need to know that you are nice and you like them, while at the same time they should know that you will enforce your rules if they are broken. The trouble with being too harsh is that your employees grow to hate you and fear you rather than respect you. If you are too kind to them and do not enforce rules they will learn to take advantage of you rather than to appreciate your kindness. It is very important that you have a proper balance of kindness and firmness.

Key number two: Another important skill is to motivate your employees. They need to feel that there is a purpose behind what they do. If they work day in and day out on a project that they have no clue about it will probably wear them out. If you were building a house brick by brick and did not know you were building a house there would be a few problems. For one, it probably would not turn out as the most shapely house that was every built. For another thing, you would not see beyond the bricks. You would get discouraged because you would not be able to see the purpose behind what you were doing. This is how it would be with your employees, if they do not know the purpose their work will not turn out as well as it could and they will get easily discouraged.

Key number three: Something else you should be sure to do is recognize your employees for good performance. They will lose their drive to do things well if they feel that you do not care about the quality of their work. If you treat them the same whether they produce great things or mediocre things they will soon start producing only mediocre things. That would be much easier for them. But if you recognize them when they produce great things they will be motivated to continue doing great things.

Key number four: You will also want to be sure to take time with your employees. If they have a question, take time to answer. If there is a problem, take time to figure it out together. If you are too quick to respond to them they will not learn anything about the business and will not become better employees. Take time to involve them and make them a part of what you do. If an employee asks you a question and you shrug it off your shoulder they will be just as lost as before. But if you sit down with them and answer thoroughly they will start to understand more about the business and start to put more effort into helping it move along.

Key number five: Lastly, be familiar with your employees; at least as familiar as you can be. Be friendly with them. Help them enjoy working at your business. Learn a little bit about them so that they feel you care. They will do better work for you if they feel that you care about them. If you want to coach them in your business, be their friend. A lot of the most important skills they need will be developed naturally when they feel your kindness.