Starting a Business All-In-One For Dummies

Chapter 5

Developing Employees Through Coaching and Mentoring

In This Chapter

• Understanding what makes a coach
• Developing basic coaching skills
• Identifying turning points in coaching
• Making career development plans
• Understanding the power of mentoring

As a business owner, if you have employees, you are by definition a manager. That may not be your goal when you first imagine starting your own business, but unless you can do everything yourself, you need people to help get the work done. Managing people can be tricky, and the ways in which it's been successfully accomplished through the years have changed dramatically.

One recurring theme of today's new management reality is the new role of managers as people who support and encourage their employees instead of telling them what to do (or, worse, simply expecting them to perform). The best managers take time to develop their employees by staying actively involved in employee progress and development, helping to guide them along the way. The best managers also are coaches — that is, individuals who guide, discuss, and encourage others on their journey. With the help of coaches, employees can achieve outstanding results and organizations can perform better than ever.

Employee development doesn't just happen. Managers and employees must make a conscious, concerted effort. The best employee development is ongoing and requires that you support and encourage your employees’ initiative. Recognize, however, that all development is self-development. ...