On every team, there are different types of performers. All of them require different things from you as a leader. This rings true with coaching too. While personality differences may come into play, coaching team members can best be grouped into three types of performers:
- Strugglers
- Rookie Leaders
- Superstars
Coaching Team Members: Strugglers
While you want everyone to be effective, the reality is that everyone can’t be a superstar.
Coaching team members like this can sometimes take a lot of your time. Those who are struggling need help, managed, and coached. Balance your time so you are not drowning and spending lots of time effort with strugglers, though. Give low performers a chance at redemption but set firm expectations and timeframes.
- Create a clear improvement plan.
- Define expectations, outlining what’s needed by when.
- Give candid, real-time feedback.
- Provide a support network.
Coaching Rookie Leaders
Leadership positions are not solely about personal achievement but are instead about enabling others to achieve. That sometimes means instead of driving the bus, you take a backseat when it comes to coaching team members. Building a team is more important than cutting a deal or being front and center. With rookie leaders on your team, you need to initially give them the following:
- Direction and structure initially.
- More information to help them see the big picture.
- An environment where one can make mistakes if they are learned from.
- Advice and guidance on how to support people.
Coaching Superstars
Spend 80% of your coaching time with your top 20%. You should devote more coaching time to your superstars than anyone else because that yields the greatest results. This is counter to how most leaders spend their time, though. I believe you should spend 80% of your coaching time with your top 20%. Invest in those on your team who are the future. When you coach superstars, make sure to do the following:
- Praise your stars genuinely and frequently.
- Make sure they know how much they are appreciated.
- Rein them in and make sure all the praise doesn’t go to their head.
- Make sure they play nicely with others.
More On Coaching Team Members Who Are Superstars
As much as people say there shouldn’t be favorites, there are. It needs to be those top 20% you feel are superstars. They need to feel special so that you can maximize the value that they provide. Cater to what they care most about. These should be the only people you make exceptions for because they have earned and deserved it. Superstars are concerned the most with:
- When they work (schedule & flexibility)
- Where they work (location)
- What they do (tasks and responsibilities)
- Who they work with (people internally & externally)
- How they do their work (their choice if it gets done)
- What they are (or are not) learning on the job
