Coaching and Mentoring – Part 2

IRA steps

Obstacle Identification and Removal:

• Identify the obstacle: have a frank discussion with your employee and determine what is blocking their performance. Waiting for them to give you the information voluntarily will probably not happen.
• Root out the cause: many times underlying emotions or problems may be the cause of the obstacles. Ask probing questions and jot down answers. You might realize they have a fear that must be addressed.
• Antidote given: a remedy to the situation is needed in order to get past this obstacle. Brainstorm with your employee on ways to remove the obstacles. In some cases, you may have to try several different antidotes. Be patient if the cause is genuine.

LAMA Process

The LAMA process is designed to approach the planning activity in a consistent and efficient manner.

• Learn: some form of learning should take place. It could be a variety of activities. Mentoring with a peer, reading a book, and taking a course, are some examples of learning opportunities you may implement.
• Apply: implement what was learned soon after learning is completed.
• Measure: agree on a method of measuring when and how the new learning is used on the job. You can perform observations, or have your employee track it on a worksheet you developed. The idea is to monitor the use of the new knowledge.
• Assess: review the impact of the new skill on the performance metric being improved. Any success should be attributed to the new skill and encouraged.

Getting Motivated

• Be consistent in your coaching.
• Be respectful with your employees.
• Be caring and watch your employees’ behaviour for signs of personal issues.
• Be flexible and find ways to reward your employees with non-monetary items.
• Be a cheerleader and celebrate even the smallest of successes.

Building Trust

• Maintain positive body language.
• Listen to them intently and speak less.
• Always respect your employees.
• Keep things confidential & keep promises.
• Be honest and transparent.
• Be confident & tell them you believe in them.