Arguably, the most important thing a manager can do each day is facilitating the learning, growth & development of his/her team. A priority of successful managers is continually sharing their knowledge & expertise to enhance the skills & performance of their direct reports - since managers are likely to have knowledge, expertise & experience that their direct reports have not acquired

A need most employees have is to feel that they are getting better at performing their jobs. Up to 70% of employee development occurs on the job & an employee's manager is the key source for that development. Through coaching conversations employees grow, feel appreciated, become more engaged and, in turn, are more productive. Coaching conversations can generate powerful, positive energy for the employee being coached as well as a sense of accomplishment for the coach

Managers frequently share their knowledge, expertise & experience in a directive manner. And that directive approach often is appropriate. However research has verified that when we coach, we need to restrain ourselves from the impulse & habit of simply telling our direct reports what we want them to do. Instead, a key piece of the language of coaching is asking open-ended questions & probing for employees' perspectives. A coach needs to gain an understanding of each employees' challenges, strengths, work preferences & career goals - in order to gain employee buy in & ownership

Employees are most engaged when they feel their immediate manager is assisting them in improving their performance. And managers can show that support by encouraging employees to describe their aspirations & then assisting them in obtaining the skills & resources needed to advance toward those aspirations. Coaches are saying to their team members 'help me help you'

Once those developmental experiences have been made available to an employee, effective coaches follow up to insure that the development actually took place. That follow up might involve observing for signs of development, commenting on or asking about the employee's development and/or helping the employee see the 'line of sight' between that development & the departmental and/or organizational strategies. A coach's follow up reinforces the fact that the manager sees the employee's development as a priority which, in turn, enhances that employee's level of engagement

Since a manager's performance is evaluated chiefly on the performance of his/her team, every time a manager assists an employee in improving his/her performance that manager is helping the employee, the organization & himself or herself as a manager. Through coaching managers can serve as perpetual catalysts between employees' talents & the execution of the organization's strategy