The practices of effective managerial coaches

Citation

(2006), "The practices of effective managerial coaches", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 14 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2006.04414bad.005

The practices of effective managerial coaches

The practices of effective managerial coaches

Logenecker C.O., Neubert M.J. Business Horizons (USA), Nov-Dec 2005 Vol 48 No 6, Start page: 493 (8 pages)

Purpose – to explore the practices of effective managerial coaches through the eyes of junior managers. Design/methodology/approach – discusses previous studies into the importance of coaching, before identifying and exploring the practices junior managers consider most critical when they receive coaching from senior managers. Presents and elaborates on a range of key practices identified through 45 focus groups consisting of 225 middle managers from over 20 different US organizations. Findings – demonstrates the focus groups’ extremely strong consensus on ten key practices: effective managerial coaches will clarify the results/performance outcomes that are truly needed or desired from junior managers; they provide honest, ongoing, balanced performance feedback to junior managers; they know how well subordinate managers are actually performing; they understand the junior manager’s strengths and weaknesses; they provide expert advice on how to improve performance; they develop a working relationship based on mutual benefit and trust; they understand the context, pressures, and demands of the junior manager’s job; they support problem solving; they help the junior manager prioritize and manage conflicting goals; and effective managerial coaches create accountability for real performance improvement. Research limitations/implications – has no stated implications for future research. Practical implications – points to a critical need for more senior managers to develop the passion and skill necessary to serve as effective coaches, and for junior managers to make the coaching opportunity attractive and worthy of investment by a coach. Originality/value – lays out a set of coaching practices rooted in the experience of practicing managers, that serve admirably as practical guidelines for the coaching of junior managers.Style: Research paper

Keywords: Coaching, Leadership, Mentoring, Performance management