Successful managers understand that there is a difference between managing and coaching. One of the most significant differences between coaching and managing is that coaches are more interested in developing their employees, while managers are primarily occupied with reaching corporate goals. It is a difference that can affect the morale of employees, and the potential success of the company.
It is not a bad thing to choose to be a manager instead of a coach. Some business situations do not lend themselves to the opportunity to coach employees, and some managers are not comfortable with hands-on employee development. But if you had to choose between the two, then the smart choice is to be a coach. When it comes down to it, being a coach instead of just a manager is going to help set your company up for future success.
Coaching Establishes A Bond Of Trust
If a manager wants an employee to be successful, then the employee needs to trust that the manager has the right ideas and visions for the company. The employee also has to trust that the manager has the best interests of each employee in mind and is interested in building a successful team.
That is a lot of trust to try and establish between a manager and an employee, and the only way to establish that trust is by being a coach. When your employees see that you are directly involved in their success and development, then you can build the trust you need to be successful. A coaching relationship also makes it easier for your employees to understand your vision for the future of the company, and believe in it as well.
A Coach Becomes More Than A Manager
A manager is seen as someone who delivers company policy and develops work processes based on achieving corporate goals. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does not get employees emotionally involved in the success of the company. It also prevents the employees from feeling like they can come to the manager with concerns about company operations, or with ideas on how to make operations more efficient.
The interactive nature of coaching means that the relationship between the manager and employee transcends the standard professional barriers. The coach becomes a confidant and someone who is involved in the success of the company along with the employees. While the coach retains their position of authority, they also become much more than a manager to employees that take a vested interest in their own success and the success of the organization.
Career Paths Are Easier To Identify
Perhaps one of the biggest differences between a coach and a manager is that a manager lets their employees choose their own career path, while a coach acts as a career guide to each employee. If someone is working in payroll, they may not want to move up further into accounting. Their goals may involve becoming part of research and development. But if the manager does not get involved and helps that employee reach their goals, then the employee will either languish in a payroll job they do not enjoy, or they will leave the company.
With a coach, there is interactive development that allows for a more defined and accurate career path. Coaches understand their employees and know their strengths and weaknesses. When it comes time to make a career move, an employee who has worked with a coach is going to be better equipped to make the right choices than someone who was left to their own devices by a manager.
The corporate world is constantly changing, but one thing that never changes is the need for good management personnel. Any manager who wants to get the most from their employees and help the company to succeed needs to look into becoming an interactive coach. By getting directly involved in the development of employees, a manager who coaches can do what is best for the company and for employees.
Malcolm Rowlings spends his time elevating businesses through independent consultant work, with core focuses around; bigger ideas, bottom-lines and better business. When Malcolm isn’t writing, or meeting with a board, he’s gearing for the eventual ultra marathon he’s been planning for years. Follow him on Twitter @MalcolmRowlings.
