Ms. Stiel

Human Resources, Recruitment & Training

Make Training Stick: Coaching As a Strategy

By Holly Stiel, President, Thank You Very Much Inc.

I will focus on the final two questions in this article.

In many hotels, the annual review is the only opportunity employees receive to discuss their performance. With ongoing coaching, even as little as once a month, there are never any surprises. There is also the opportunity for continuous improvement. Little by little, one behavior at a time, employees can improve their performance by at least 12 things within a year, all because they chose which areas they could work on themselves.

I realize that the idea of coaching is nothing new -- what I also realize is that most hotels say they coach when, in fact, they are not actually following a coaching model that encourages self-discovery.

I recently attended a meeting where the executives said they constantly coached and were very familiar with the process. As I probed further, I was told, "I'm not really interested in what the employees think. I just want them to do what I tell them to do." The most important distinction here is that Coaching is not TELLING -- it is asking and listening.

Experience shows that people are much more engaged and successful when they buy into their own ideas. If we, as managers and executives, want behavior to change as a result of training, we need to engage the employee in the learning process. We never liked being told what to do as children and we don't like it any better as adults.

Changing from telling to asking is a huge paradigm shift for the employee as well as the manager. It takes a commitment to the process as well as to the specific language of a coaching conversation. Whenever I teach a class on coaching I am always told that coaching is valuable and important. Having said that, the very next thing I hear is that there is no time to coach. Everyone is so busy they couldn't possibly do one more thing. The true payoff is that if coaching is handled correctly and consistently, it eventually becomes a time-saver and a stress reducer.

There are a variety of different types of coaching, such as on the job, in the moment, observation, peer coaching, huddles, self-coaching, and the scheduled coaching conversation. While one size does not fit all, they all take advantage of specific language and are based on self-discovery as opposed to telling people what to do. Since the purpose of coaching is to make training stick, the employees have already been TOLD what is expected, they have been trained and given standards. Coaching reinforces the training and standards while working to continually improve performance and enhance professional development. A very powerful and proven method of coaching success is to regularly coach each employee once every two to three weeks. The coaching sessions are planned in advance. They are no longer than fifteen to thirty minutes maximum. Each session uses a specific format and language. The employee as well as the manager/coach follows the format.

It is important to make a distinction between a coaching session and a discipline session. They are not the same and should NEVER be intermixed. At first the coaching session may seem awkward. The language will be unfamiliar and many employees will be unsure of what to say. With persistence and consistency, that will change. Coaching will become a time that each employee looks forward to. My business partner worked with a large bank that had committed to coaching regularly for two years and the service scores went through the roof. A new CEO came in and wanted to focus on something else so he dropped the coaching program. The employees protested as they had come to enjoy the sessions and loved the personal attention.

Good coaching is all about the positive things that have been going well and the positive ways to be more effective in areas that have not been going well. The foundation of coaching is listening and questioning, and is based on preserving and building the employee's self-esteem, and is divided into three stages:

Each stage has it's own set of questions and specific protocol

Applause

The coach asks the employee to share something they are pleased with or proud of that they have accomplished in the past few weeks. This step forces the employee to become self-aware. It also encourages them to do things that they can report on during their upcoming coaching session. After the employee has said what they are pleased with and proud of, the manager tells the employee something specific that they have noticed about the employee's work that they appreciate. This forces managers to be paying attention and look for the positive. This step is vital in creating a culture of service. Employees feel that they are being paid attention to and are being appreciated, which is a priceless and rare occurrence. Being specific and using drill down questions is the technique that makes this step valuable beyond a simple thank you for a job well done.

Examples of drill down questions for this step are:

Back To The Drawing Board

Once the coach/manager have talked about what is going well, it is then time to look at the areas that could be more effective It is important that the language you use to transition from what went well to what could be more effective maintains the positive mood of the coaching conversation. It is vital that the conversation doesn't slip into the negative such as, "Okay, now let me tell you what I want you to improve." Instead, language such as, "Now that we have explored some of the things that you are doing well, let's take a look at some areas where you would like to be even more effective." This requires a commitment to professional development, both on the part of the employee and the manager. In this step, as well as in step one, drill down questions are the key strategy.

Some drill down questions for this step are:

Lights, Camera, Action

This step is all about the action plan and recapping what has been discussed in the coaching session. The employee is asked to write down one to two specific areas they are willing to work on and sign off on it as an agreement. The employee is also asked to re-cap the session verbally.

When I teach coaching, I use videotaped feedback. The amount of 'aha's' that happen during these videotaped sessions is astounding. Shifting from doing all the talking to listening and drilling down through questioning is a very powerful learning experience. Regular coaching using these steps secures you as the employer of choice. It provides on going conversations about important issues, and develops engaged and aware employees and managers. What was that about not having the time to devote to it?

After 17 years serving as the first woman concierge, Holly Stiel founded her own company, Thank You Very Much, Inc., to provide training for hotel concierges and customize concierge service philosophies and practices for all types of industries. A philosopher, published author, keynote speaker, workshop leader and consultant, her programs have been delivered in 25 languages, to businesses ranging from The Bank of America to NASCAR. Ms. Stiel has written four books : the newly released textbook, The Art and Science of the Hotel Concierge. Ultimate Service, The Complete Handbook to the World of the Concierge, Thank You Very Much – A Book for Anyone Who Has Ever Said, “May I Help you?,” and The Neon Signs of Service. Ms. Stiel can be contacted at 202-639-5712 or Thankyouinc@aol.com Extended Bio...

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