16The best StaffCoaches™ don’t react — they act. They use
patience to their advantage.
The other equally critical aspect of patience is the ability of
the coach to understand that it takes time for people to assimilate
change. You have to be patient with people. Some of your team
will get it immediately. Others might linger over a step or process
to the point that you are grinding your teeth. Patience. Believing in
people means believing in the long haul for people to develop.
Balance the long-term benefits of developing talent with the short-
term business goals whenever you make decisions.InvolvementInvolvement means just that — working with your people. It
is caring enough for people to attempt to understand their
experiences. It’s getting out from behind your desk and going to
where your staff is. It’s finding out what’s going on with your
people. It’s being interested enough to find out the significant facts
about family background, ethnic origins, special hardship
situations, ambitions and drive — as well as what types of people
they are: shy, outgoing, easy to please, suspicious, etc. It’s
involving yourself so you can best involve them. Personal
knowledge can be the very means by which you convince them to
try again, or that it is worth “it.”
For example, hearing that one of your foremen will soon be a
new father can help explain his recent absentmindedness. But
taking extra time to know him better will alert you that the child
his wife miscarried several years ago had Down’s syndrome. His
concerns, therefore, go deeper than mere nervousness and could
result in major errors — maybe even an extended absence.
Involving the staff in the management of their own jobs is the
other implication of this value. It is a key element in developing
employee loyalty and buy in. It helps you know how to motivate
team members while allowing them to control their jobs. This is
another value that emphasizes the importance of you knowing
your people. Different generations react differently. With regard to
involvement, for example, the baby boomers, like the Generation
X’ers, often as a group are more committed if they are involved.1 Coaching, Mentoring and Managing
Involvement
means getting out
from behind your
desk and going to
where your staff is.T
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Team-Fly®