3 Tips for Successful One-on-One Coaching Sessions

Do you ever get frustrated with the way members of your team are behaving? Do you wish you were getting better results from the people you manage? Are you having a hard time getting employees on board with your stated expectations?

One-on-one coaching will help you.

Meeting individually with each of your employees on a regular basis is a simple and effective way to make sure that you and your team are rowing in the same direction. These meetings present an opportunity for each employee to have a private discussion with you about what’s going well and where you can help. One-on-one coaching sessions also give both of you a chance to talk about behaviors and performance that may be affecting the team’s results.

The most helpful one-on-one coaching happens often and consistently. Regular 1:1 meetings foster an environment that’s less defensive and more reflective, which helps to build a strong culture of accountability, teamwork, and momentum toward improvement. Effective coaching changes behavior; changed behavior produces results; results continuously improve coaching.

Not sure where to start? Here are three tips for successful one-on-one coaching sessions:

1. Be physically and mentally prepared.

Set a schedule and share it with your employee so that you’re both respectful of one another’s time, and so that you both can prepare. Limit each meeting to 15 minutes to help both you and the employee focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) and specific goals. Have KPIs and target goals on hand to discuss.

2. Listen to what’s being said and dig for more understanding.

Explore your employee’s perspective! Ask questions instead of doing most of the talking. Help employees learn through self-evaluation. Inquire about behaviors that are creating both great and not-so-great results. Ask employees what they think they did well; ask how they feel they could improve. What would that look like?
It’s critical that you’re engaged in the conversation. Give your full attention to the employee you’re meeting with. There’s nothing worse than having a conversation with someone who isn’t paying attention.

3. Gain commitment from each employee by allowing them to create their own initiatives for change.

You’ll get better buy-in from employees if – instead of telling them what needs to change – you invite them to create their own actions and measurements toward positive results. Your team will become more committed, guaranteed! Encourage your employees to demonstrate improvements in their 1:1s with you.

When you’re wrapping up your one-on-one meeting, genuinely thank your employees for their time. Jot down some notes for your next session so you can follow up on action items for each employee.
One-on-one coaching works. There’s a direct correlation between a company’s commitment to it and the achievement of departmental and organizational goals. If you’re having a hard time getting your team aligned with your expectations and goals, try one-on-one coaching. You and your employees will all soon be heading the same way: toward better performance as a team.