Coaching Skills for Managers: Motivate Employees
Managers can use coaching skills in a variety of ways, including learning how to motivate employees. One thing Managers in organizations can struggle with the most is how to deal with performance issues or attitude issues that arise from employees who are unmotivated.
You can’t force motivation, but there are coaching skills that Managers can use to help motivate employees:
1.) Understand where the lack of motivation stems from. Has your company been plagued by layoffs or poor management at the leadership level? Or is the issue that the employee is bored by their role or frustrated by lack of career advancement? Or is the motivation a personal issue in the employee’s life? When you understand where the lack of motivation comes from, you’re better equipped to motivate employees. Ask questions and listen actively to hear what’s going on.
2.) Empathize. This means considering the employee’s point of view. Don’t write them off as just “complaining,” which is a judgment of the employee. To motivate employees, you need to step into their shoes and see why it feels so hard for them to take action. Even if what they’re struggling with is something you can’t directly change (eg, if they want a raise but the company has put a hold on all raises), knowing what’s really going on means the employee can feel heard and you can, at the very least, say that you empathize with their frustration.
3.) Establish team norms. No manager wants to deal with an employee complaining session, meeting after meeting. So, establish norms within your team. Norms are about “This is how we do things, here,” and lay the groundwork for how the team will tackle challenging times. One coaching skill that managers can use is reframing: instead of this being “troubled times” for the team, what if this is the “opportunity to rise”?
4.) Determine between short vs. long term change. Employees may be struggling with motivation due to something short term (a project that has a deadline coming up soon, at which point things will be less hectic) or they may be struggling with something long term (poor leadership). As you listen to the things that the employee is struggling with, try to identify those that are short term problems vs long term, and ask the employee for their suggestions on what they think most needs to change. Come to the table with your own suggestions, as well. People feel more supported when they know that someone understands where they are coming from and is trying to brainstorm solutions.
While motivating an employee who is struggling can be a challenge, Managers can use coaching skills to help improve the situation. Actively listening and supporting the employee in determining how to proceed can be a challenging process but one that leaves your team members feeling heard and supported by you—their manager—and that can make all the difference.