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Ask a Manager
Coaching Related Topics
interview with a budget and money coach
Ask a Manager
AUGUST 11, 2016
Lynne Somerman is a regular reader here, and she’s also a budget and money coach. So you’re a budget and money coach! In a nutshell, I’m a budget and money coach who’s passionate about working with women entrepreneurs. Stuff like trips that are only tangentially business related, lots of cool software that they use one time, and especially spending on coaches and consultants. Ironic that I’m saying that, as someone who works as a coach for entrepreneurs, but I see a lot of wasted money here. What does “playing small” mean?
how to coach an employee on soft skills
Ask a Manager
JANUARY 14, 2016
But all too often, managers who are perfectly comfortable coaching an employee on how to improve her writing or her programming skills shy away from tackling soft skill deficits. At Intuit QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I talk about four ways to coach an employee who needs to improve in these areas. how to coach an employee on soft skills was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. Don’t let that manager be you! You can read it here. good management
how to coach an irritated manager to stop yelling
Ask a Manager
DECEMBER 10, 2014
You’re right to be supportive and to coach her on this, but if you don’t see pretty immediate improvement, it’s a serious performance issue in its own right — don’t lose sight of that. how to coach an irritated manager to stop yelling was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I supervise four managers. What the employee is doing wrong isn’t outrageous, it’s just not okay and is really grating on the manager’s nerves. What can I do to help this amazing manager get back on her feet? What happened?”
quit slouching with the ALEX Wearable Posture Tracker and Coach
Ask a Manager
SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
The ALEX Wearable Posture Tracker and Coach might be what you need. It’s the first wearable posture tracker that accurately measures the angle of your neck and the position of your head, and then coaches you towards better posture. ALEX is offering Ask a Managers readers a chance to win a free ALEX Wearable Posture Tracker and Coach. ALEX Wearable Posture Coach Giveaway!
Are your managers ready for a world without formal performance reviews?
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COACHING: I support my team members by. SETTING. EXPECTATIONS: My team members are clear on. their roles & responsibilities. 2. DELEGATING: I effectively identify tasks that. others can take on to develop their. capabilities and free my time for. more strategic activities. 3. challenging and encouraging them. to think for themselves and take. ownership of their work. 4. MONITORING.
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a coworker told me not to leave early, when I know my manager would be okay with it
Ask a Manager
SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
A reader writes: I had a strange interaction with a coworker that I didn’t know how to respond to, and I’m wondering what your take on the situation would be. I’m in an hourly position as an intern. work in a large office, but the group I’m working with is just three people and a manager. The manager is fairly casual in an otherwise formal office, particularly when it comes to work hours. took a short lunch in order to make up the time. My manager was out of the office, and it was just me and a junior employee, a woman who is only a few years older than me.
should I ask my coworker why she didn’t hire my son, I stole from an employer years ago, and more
Ask a Manager
SEPTEMBER 18, 2016
You can certainly use your insider knowledge of the company to coach your son behind the scenes , but you can’t intervene on his behalf. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Should I ask my coworker why she didn’t hire my son? My son recently graduated college and applied for a job in a different department at the same company where I have worked for 35 years. He had a lengthy phone interview and an even longer in-person interview with several managers, and then they declined to make him an offer with no explanation. It has given me a lot of anxiety about these events.
my staff doesn’t like it that I use the Socratic method with them
Ask a Manager
JANUARY 6, 2016
thought I was “coaching” and helping to improve their critical thinking skills, but they don’t see it this way. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t coach — you absolutely should coach. But coaching people effectively means (a) adapting your approach to fit what works best for each individual person, and (b) recognizing that there’s a time and a place for coaching, and that other times you just need to give someone the damn answer already. previous employee had also given me the same feedback so I’m starting to see a pattern.
my boss turns it into an ordeal every time I ask him a question
Ask a Manager
OCTOBER 7, 2015
It’s up to you whether you like that style or not, of course … but I think you’ll be less frustrated if you see it as him coaching you rather than him insulting you. A reader writes: I’m a paid intern at a small technology startup. My boss wrote the entire codebase for our project; there’s no documentation, and also it’s my first time doing this kind of work outside a classroom. (I’m a woman in my mid 20s. Naturally, I have lots of questions. However, I can’t even ask my boss a simple question without it being a huge ordeal. Can you find it?”
Ditching the formal performance review? Kineo shares 3 Elements for Success
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their managers for coaching and mentorship, and. development coaching and. COACHING: I support my team members by. coaching and guidance in the field. provide coaching and accountability to. coaching session for the learner with his. coach and support the employee going. vital role in coaching and mentoring is. support with our global team of over 200 coaches) Integrate with your existing platform ManagementPlus can be accessed directly or we can. From Performance Management. to Performance Development eGuide 2Part 2: A Roadmap.
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I was taken away from work in an ambulance, can I ask my coworker to give back an unopened gift, and more
Ask a Manager
OCTOBER 13, 2016
know to keep it short and concise as possible because that’s what you coach. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I was taken away from work in an ambulance. I had very embarrassing situation at work today. have been breaking out with a rash for the past two days. Today at work I was carted away in an ambulance. feel embarrassed that I got carted away because everyone saw me black out on our floor. I was terrified. Despite telling them not to call an ambulance, it was too late. I got carted off in front of the whole first floor. I was so embarrassed and scared.
living so close to work that coworkers could see in my window, employee is struggling with anxiety, and more
Ask a Manager
SEPTEMBER 27, 2016
Certainly you can use it as a reminder to yourself to be compassionate about whatever the reason is that he’s struggling with this (whether it’s anxiety or something totally different), but as his boss, your role is really just to give clear feedback and a reasonable amount of coaching, and then let him take it from there. 3. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Living so close to work that coworkers could see in my window. About a year after I moved in, an upstart alternative energy company moved into the suite closest to me. Ooooh, interesting. Is that a thing? hate it.
my employee secretly brought her kids to work and forced a coworker to watch them
Ask a Manager
MARCH 15, 2016
Instead he wants me to coach her in getting her reputation back. A reader writes: I was hired at a company in January to build a department that provides support internally to other departments. This role is new and meant to provide support so that other departments can focus on higher level work. I was expected to expand to three direct reports by December, but right now I only have one direct report, Mary. Mary was the company receptionist for two years, and I barely interacted with her before I interviewed her. have no problem with her coming in later than 8 a.m., Fire Mary.
managing an overly chatty employee, using up vacation time right before resigning, and more
Ask a Manager
AUGUST 25, 2016
If it doesn’t solve it, you may end up also needing to coach her about paying attention to people’s cues/being mindful of how long she’s talking with someone. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Managing an overly chatting employee. A new employee started in my department just over two months ago (I’ll call her Sarah). When someone is talking to our administrative assistant at her desk, Sarah will run out of her office and join the conversation; she does this for lots of other people around the office too. Yeah, you should address it. What is your take?
Leaving performance reviews behind: Where to start [Guide]
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COACHING: I support my team members by. clear expectations (SMART model) and how to coach a team. coaching and guidance in the field. to provide coaching and accountability to. coaching session for the learner with his. coach and support the employee going. vital role in coaching and mentoring is. 1Making Dynamic Performance. At the same. guidance.”.
we don’t want a grandson back in the family business, banning sleeveless tops, and more
Ask a Manager
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
Culture can play a role in different approaches to work — but in a situation where someone isn’t meeting reasonable expectations (whether cultural differences are playing a role or not), the way to handle that is by helping them understand what those expectations are, not just sitting by while they perform badly and not stepping in to coach them. 4. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. We don’t want my grandson to return to the family business. When you have a “family business” and have other employees, it creates a mass of interaction emotions. ” 5.
why don’t employers tell you the reason they’re rejecting you for a job?
Ask a Manager
MARCH 3, 2015
And you might be thinking that you’d love to hear that kind of feedback so you know if something like this is causing you a problem, but it’s not an interviewer’s obligation to relay that kind of thing, the vast majority aren’t interested in providing this sort of coaching to people who they’re not hiring, and so many rejected job candidates argue when they get feedback that most interviewers aren’t interested in opening up that possibility. A reader writes: I recently had a very positive phone interview for a position I was very excited about.
board member keeps bringing her kids to meetings, unofficial salary offers, and more
Ask a Manager
JUNE 25, 2015
She quit her job to be a “coach” and described herself as an entrepreneur and small business owner – neither of which was even close to true but she swallowed the company line, hook and sinker. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Board member keeps bringing her kids to meetings. I am working with a group of parents who are organizing a charter school. The school opens in September, so we are in the middle of dozens of different projects. As the board president, I never bring my son to board meetings, as I need to focus on the agenda. Any advice for her?
are professionally done resumes worth it?
Ask a Manager
FEBRUARY 11, 2016
Don’t put any weight on professional certifications for this work (like someone being certified Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches), because they’re not a guarantee of quality. A reader writes: I have been out off work for three years. have sent out a lot of resumes and filled out a bunch of job applications, but I have not received any calls back. I was talking to a friend about it and they suggested that I get my resume done professionally. I’ve checked the price for this and it is not cheap. For example, see the advice here.). resumes
The Performance Management Storm: Four Macro-Trends Driving the Change
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and coaching. ongoing; managers coach rather than critique; suggestions can come from anyone in an. support with our global team of over 200 coaches) Integrate with your existing platform ManagementPlus can be accessed directly or we can. 1Why Your Company Will Need to. Rethink Performance Management eGuide Part 1: The Argument. moving from traditional performance. it happen.
my company asks personal, invasive questions about your childhood and adolescence
Ask a Manager
JULY 27, 2016
The first interview was positioned as a coaching interview, because the hiring process is so bizarre that candidates are unlikely to pass without significant help. A reader writes: I’ve been working for the past three years at a large global organization. After three interviews, I was brought on board for a one-year trial period, a common situation for junior staff, and I was recommended to go through the formal hiring process at the end of that first year. ” to “What did your parents do? What did you talk about as a family?” write tweets, organize the tax audit).
can I give more feedback to someone I recently fired, having to contact multiple people when calling in sick, and more
Ask a Manager
JUNE 6, 2016
One of the reasons that employers use temp agencies is so that they can quickly let someone go who isn’t the right fit, without having to get into giving feedback, trying to coach the person, etc. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Can I give more feedback to someone I recently fired? recently fired a member of my staff. We had something of an exit interview (over the phone – again, not the way I would have preferred to do this), and discussed why she was being fired. She wasn’t rude but it was pretty clear that she wasn’t hearing what I had to say.
managing someone who doesn’t want to move up, conflicting instructions, and more
Ask a Manager
JUNE 29, 2015
In order to really test their ability to convey the need for your programs, they probably need a lot more information and coaching than you can reasonably give at this stage. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Managing someone who doesn’t aspire to move up. I’m a fairly new department head with two direct reports. This is my first experience managing full-time staff (I’ve previously managed numerous short-term interns), and I’m curious if you have any advice for how to lead these two employees with very different career goals. Any suggestions?
interview with an incredibly diplomatic person … or how to agreeably disagree
Ask a Manager
JANUARY 22, 2015
But that doesn’t mean you are required to take on their emotion, you don’t have to coach them through the emotion, and you don’t have to agree with their emotion. We have a regular commenter, hildi, who has always impressed me with her ability to navigate potentially heated topics kindly, in a very relatable way, and without seeming adversarial to either side. Here’s an example from a few weeks ago, when she was talking to a letter-writer who was allowing a former friend to really mess with her mind. Here’s our Q&A. Tell us a bit about the work you do. What are they?
The Performance Management Storm: Four Macro-Trends Driving the Change
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and coaching. ongoing; managers coach rather than critique; suggestions can come from anyone in an. support with our global team of over 200 coaches) Integrate with your existing platform ManagementPlus can be accessed directly or we can. 1Why Your Company Will Need to. Rethink Performance Management eGuide Part 1: The Argument. moving from traditional performance. it happen.
I’m being trained by a stressed and grumpy coworker, how can I stop rambling in interviews, and more
Ask a Manager
NOVEMBER 6, 2016
Accept that she’s stressed and frustrated at the work situation and that she doesn’t want your input about it; you don’t need to coach her or advise her about it! It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I’m being trained by a stressed and grumpy coworker. have been at my current company for over five years. recently moved to a new group within my department. In my new group of four, we all have different tasks and responsibilities. One of my group members (let’s call her Sally), has been with the company for a couple years, and moved to the same group as me this year.
I was promoted without warning in an all-staff meeting, how to explain a firing when interviewing, and more
Ask a Manager
FEBRUARY 8, 2015
Putting roller derby coaching on my resume. I’m trying to update my resume. also am a coach for my roller derby league two days a week — I come up with lesson plans, work one-on-one and in groups to help students learn new skills, coordinate with coaches who teach different levels to make sure that our practices flow together, etc. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I was promoted without warning in an all-staff meeting. I’ve been promoted twice in the past 8 months. Any advice? What did you have in mind for the position?”
my manager is coaching my new running group, jobs that require cars, and more
Ask a Manager
JUNE 15, 2016
My manager turned out to be the coach of my new running group. It turns out she will be the coach of the group that I have just joined. If you’re comfortable with it, then I might just check in with her and give her an easy out by saying something like, “Hey, I’d didn’t realize you’d be coaching this group. my manager is coaching my new running group, jobs that require cars, and more was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. recently joined a running group outside of work. It went really well.
employee is citing a family death two years ago as a reason not to work around any holidays
Ask a Manager
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
It is stressed that the position is pre-professional, meaning we treat the employee like any other professional, while giving them coaching and help looking for full-time work in the field. A reader writes: I am a new supervisor and have an issue with a current employee. This employee is an hourly graduate student who mostly works nights/weekends when our full-time employees do not. Our grad student employees are expected to work a weekend day, evenings, and reasonable work around holidays, so that we have enough employees around to stay open. being the boss
Move Beyond Learning to Applying: A Modern Management Development Program
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my boss rewrote my resume and it’s terrible, my reference said that his skills are better than mine, and more
Ask a Manager
JANUARY 18, 2016
What’s the appropriate way to describe things other people on your team accomplished with your coaching, leadership, and collaboration, but that you didn’t personally execute or exclusively own? It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My boss rewrote my resume — and it’s terrible. My boss is the type of person who is going to do his best to help you in your career; he’s not going to be annoyed or feel threatened that you want to leave. He said I definitely was, and offered to help with my resume. used my coworker as a reference. applied for it, after all.
should I worry about tattling at work?
Ask a Manager
MARCH 19, 2015
It’s to give your manager a heads-up that she might need to take a closer look at a situation, or address a problem, or coach someone more closely. Periodically I talk to people who are thinking about reporting a concern about a coworker to their boss but worry that they’ll be seen as “tattling.” ” So where’s the line with tattling at work — what’s okay and what isn’t? The first thing to know is this: There’s no such thing as tattling in the workplace. Tattling is a concept from kindergarten. It doesn’t apply to adults.
boss is hanging terrible artwork, my spouse fired someone in our social network, and more
Ask a Manager
OCTOBER 23, 2016
Pat was getting coaching by my spouse and by the direct manager, but it didn’t help. It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go…. 1. Our boss is hanging terrible artwork in our new office space. I am the office manager of a small, tight-knit consulting firm of 15 employees. We recently relocated our offices to a larger, more modern location. The new space is very nice and I, along with two other admin staff (all ladies), have been tasked with hanging artwork in the new space. Boss (the owner and president) has brought in some paintings his sister painted. waited until 5:40 p.m.
can bad employees and bad managers change?
Ask a Manager
SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
You can say directly, “I need you to do X differently” and you can hold them to that, coach them as long as it’s appropriate, and replace them if they don’t. A reader writes: I am a passionate fan of AAM and often try to guess what you would advise for my own dysfunctional job. This led me to a meta-question for you: Do you think people can change? Can other people instigate professionalism and maturity in a person? When dealing with a crazy person, a weak manager, or a wildly immature coworker, can another person instigate growth or are you best just doing damage control?
4 Ways to Close the Learning-Doing Gap for Front-Line Managers [GUIDE]
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Typically, the training provider will run anything from an afternoon session to a several day workshop, focusing on topics like coaching or managing performance. likely need hours of coaching and guidance in the field. training programs and one-to-one coaching at all levels of the. FOUR WAYS TO CLOSE THE. LEARNING-DOING GAP FOR. achieve their goals by making sure their. What’s.
my boss helped my girlfriend’s mom ambush her at our house, what does “polished” mean in job postings, and more
Ask a Manager
AUGUST 30, 2016
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. What does “polished” mean in job postings? I’m office temping and looking for a full-time job. I was at first focusing on nonprofits, but after some great experiences temping in the corporate world, I’m expanding my search. Every now and then I see in a listing that they’re look for a “polished” assistant. The first time I saw this, it was for work with a luxury brand, and I immediately imagined a conventionally attractive woman with sleek hair and freshly manicured nails. mess was an understatement.
my manager’s boss interferes with my work, working through lunch, and more
Ask a Manager
MARCH 19, 2015
So I sent the coach my resume for review and immediately got a response saying I needed to watch their videos and write a “personal branding statement” and change my short bullet points to huge blocks of text. I’ve already decided to not work with them, but are personal branding statements on a resume common at all, especially in the tech fields? It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My manager’s boss keeps interfering with my work. Can I tell my boss’s manager that the way he is doing things is risking all of our professional reputations?
should you put the job title you’re applying for on your resume?
Ask a Manager
FEBRUARY 8, 2016
As part of his relocation package, I’ve been offered the help of a job coach.The first thing my job coach did was retool my resume. Even though my coach asked me a million questions to tailor my resume (that part I did appreciate), when I got it back, instead of the profile I had, it read “Job Title Goes Here,” followed by a list of keywords and skills. Also, just listing the title up there in big font does nothing to “frame the rest of the resume so that it shows exactly how your background aligns with that job,” as that job coach claimed. resumes
managing a delusional employee with few skills and a really weird website
Ask a Manager
OCTOBER 14, 2015
However, despite a long period of training and ongoing coaching, we’ve reached the conclusion that he’s only suited for direct customer interaction and nothing requiring any administrative, organizational or problem solving skills. Hire someone with the skills to do what you need; don’t invest good money after bad when you’ve already seen that a long period of training and coaching hasn’t gotten what you need. A reader writes: I own a small sports and recreation business. Bill has proven excellent at customer interaction and is outgoing, friendly and helpful. Thoughts?
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