Increase Employee Engagement by Training Front-Line Managers to Coach

When managers are engaged, the effect can be felt across the organization. In fact, organizations with the highest manager engagement emphasize training managers to be effective coaches who focus on goal setting, ongoing feedback, and accountability. And it’s clear that middle managers, often regarded as the backbone of the organization, benefit from coaching and development that includes learning how to coach and develop employees.

So how can you train your managers to be better coaches? Here are four basic steps.

1. First, understand where things stand. Tools such as employee surveys, 360-reviews, and 1:1 check-ins can help gauge manager developmental needs. We like surveys because they create continuity in measurement and can help evaluate the effectiveness of training and development through pre- and post-measurement.

2. Second, find an approach to training and development that works for your organization. Ideally, training is tailored to the needs of the individual manager (i.e. developing effective coaching skills). Sometimes we take a broad-based approach to develop large numbers of mid-level managers. This might look like a combination of classroom training and individual coaching.

3. Regardless of how your training and development looks, each manager should have their own development plan. The best development plans focus on one or two key competencies, such as goal-setting, performance coaching, or giving feedback.

For example, some managers are afraid of dealing with conflict, yet it’s an important managerial skill. If a manager lacks this competency, they might fear and avoid conflict, be less engaged, and be less effective.

4. Fourth, focus on progress. Performance management expert Alan Colquitt says that simply providing feedback is not as important as helping people see their progress towards a goal. Feedback by itself is not motivating, but progress is. Teach managers to give feedback in ways that focus on the progress employees are making toward achieving goals and improving performance.

The bottom line is that giving mid-level managers coaching skills increases their engagement and the engagement of your employees. In addition, managers who feel like they are growing professionally tend to stick around longer and perform better. Just imagine what your company could do if your managers and employees were more engaged.

References

Colquitt, A. L. (2017). Next Generation Performance Management: The Triumph of Science Over Myth and Superstition. IAP.

Harter, J. (2019, June 6). If your managers aren’t engaged, your employees won’t be either. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/06/if-your-managers-arent-engaged-your-employees-wont-be-either

Gallup. (2024). State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report.https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx