Fwd: How to Solve the “Manager as Coach” Dilemma

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From: Business Models for Teams <tim@businessmodelsforteams.com>
Date: Mon, May 18, 2020 at 11:24 AM
Subject: How to Solve the "Manager as Coach" Dilemma
To: Steve Scott <stevescott@techacq.com>

View this email in your browser How to Solve the "Manager as Coach" Dilemma Progressive companies worldwide recognize that traditional "command-and-control" management is not simply outdated — it is often downright harmful. Managers spend too much time giving instructions or direction, depleting their already limited energy available for true leadership tasks. Meanwhile, outstanding employees who are unable to make decisions about their own work become dissatisfied and leave, pushing up turnover and recruiting costs. One solution to this dilemma is the "manager as coach." The manager-as-coach approach says that, rather than giving directions, managers should coach people to become more self-directed at work. By helping people develop both situational awareness and an understanding of their workplace roles, they will perceive what needs to be done — and take ownership for doing it. This makes good sense. Yet in practice, the manager-as-coach promise remains largely unfulfilled. Why? First, many managers lack solid formal grounding even in basic management or supervisory skills. And coaching techniques must build upon — not substitute for — these foundational management skills. Second, few managers feel confident in their ability to perceive and respond appropriately to the very human motivations — and emotions — underlying workplace behavior. After all, they are not trained psychologists.   How, then, is it possible to fulfill the promise of manager-as-coach?   A growing number of enterprises in the healthcare, technology, and consulting sectors are experiencing a unique form of success. They are using business (or service) model tools and techniques to enable leaders and their teams to think and act in unison. The modeling approach overcomes key hurdles to achieving the promise of manager-as-coach. First, modeling provides simple, readily-learned, collaborative tools that quickly build both situational awareness and an understanding of a person's role within a team or enterprise. Second, the tools are logical and factual, so they reduce the need for managers to perceive unseen motivations or emotions. Equally important, the tools focus directly on workplace operations and the employee's role.   Finally, the modeling approach is collaborative. Managers facilitate, but employees are challenged to both define and take responsibility for playing the most productive role possible within a team or enterprise. The modeling approach to manager-as-coach starts with understanding both team and personal service models, and how they relate to each other. How about you? Would like to make manager-as-coach a reality for yourself or your enterprise? See the Certified Practitioner program overview for details. Wishing you all the best! Tim Clark Bruce Hazen Authors, Business Models for Teams Copyright © 2020 Business Model You, LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this mail because you signed up to receive the Business Models for Teams book sample and be notified when the book has been published. Our mailing address is: Business Model You, LLC 1804 SE 38th Ave Portland, OR 97214 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences