The Benefits of Investing in Coaching for Your People Managers

Most organizations struggle to successfully prepare people managers for their roles. While almost every senior leader I know understands how important it is to train people managers, it often gets put on the back burner, despite even the best intentions. 

If you’ve led someone before, you know how challenging it can be to drive engagement and performance. I really wish I had had a coach during my first few years as a people manager. It 100% would have helped me feel so much more confident and competent in my role.

Because let’s face it. Leading and managing others is hard work. In fact, according to the Gallup Organization, people managers face several challenges in their roles:

• Unclear expectations
• Heavy workloads with lots of distractions 😵‍
• General job stress/frustration
• Less focus on their strengths
• Frustrating performance reviews

So it’s no surprise that so many people managers (especially new ones!) are struggling. And this is exactly why it’s crucial we get them the equipping and coaching they need to succeed. Because when you invest in your people managers’ development by providing a safe space to learn and grow, you’re communicating that you care about their success and their well-being. 

You’ll start seeing the positive effects in your organization immediately:

• Increased leadership competence and skill. It’s much better than “fake it until you make it”. Your people managers will identify what strengths they have as a leader and areas they can work on.
• Better communication and relationship management. 👂 This is so important, because communication is at the heart of every relationship in the workplace. Being able to articulate effectively and actively listen can only make people managers better at meeting the needs of their teams.
• More productivity and efficiency in the people manager role. Once people managers find their strengths, they can focus more on those areas, making them even more efficient and productive, and also more effective as leaders.
• Increased confidence and self-awareness. Knowing where you shine as a people manager and what areas you’re still improving on instills your people managers with a sense of calm, which translates into confidence by the team.
• More engaged and productive team members. When team members feel like their people manager has their back and listens to them, it empowers them to take more ownership of their work and provide even better outcomes.

An investment in coaching people managers is a win-win for everyone–the organization, leadership, people managers and the employees.

As leaders, we need to be on a personal mission to equip people managers with the knowledge and competencies they need to succeed. Supporting the well-being of your people managers is the first step to improving overall employee engagement within your organization.

Developing managerial skills is just like learning any other skill–it takes time, practice and a concerted effort on the part of the new people manager. With some guidance and coaching, your people managers can be well on their way to getting a successful start. 🙌

Hey, thanks for being here and for watching/reading. My goal is to consistently create content that's engaging, applicable, and inspires you to continue learning and growing as a leader. If you have ideas for future content or any questions at all, please shoot me an email at: [email protected].