Coaching, Mentoring and Managing: A Coach Guidebook

166

Refer

The counselor refers the employee to the resources needed to

improve his performance. Referral is crucial to performance

change. Counselors don’t just tell people their faults and leave it at

that. They point employees to the tools (people or processes) that

offer real opportunities to change and win. A positive outcome is

that the associate takes responsibility for his own corrections

and changes.

In some instances, effective referral may mean enrollment in a

class or seminar, inside or outside the organization. It may mean

asking another employee to mentor the team member in question

— with special emphasis on the performance issue at hand. It does

not mean disposing of the team member by pushing him off on

someone else. The counselor’s responsibility for the member’s

growth is furthered ... not finished ... by referral.

To better equip themselves as counselors, some leaders listen

regularly to training tapes or CDs. Some read one or two books a

month on subjects relevant to the managerial challenges they face.

They do these things to stay ahead of the potential needs of the

people on their teams — to be able to offer timely solutions to

team member challenges.

Example

Bill:

I know what you’re going to say: I’m doing a lousy job.

Coach:

No, I wasn’t going to say that!

Bill:

You weren’t?

Coach:

Of course not. I was going to ask you if there were any

aspects of the job I could help you with.

Bill:

Same thing.

Coaching, Mentoring and Managing

5

Most problems are

little more than the

absence of ideas.

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Team-Fly®