On-the-job coaching is one of the most important ways that people learn at work, and few colleagues are better placed to help your people develop their capabilities than you, their manager. Not only will you probably have the best line of sight about which tasks are the most useful to work on, but you’re also likely to have much of the knowledge they need.

A great on-the-job coaching conversation has three essential ingredients:

• A coach who understands the task. Some types of coaching such as career coaching are more effective when you don’t have all the answers, mainly because it encourages the recipient to make their own choices. In on-the-job coaching, however, it’s essential to have a good understanding of what’s needed or know in which direction to point your team member to find answers elsewhere. You won’t need to be a complete expert, but you will need to understand what’s required
• A team member who wants to learn. Research led by Carol Dweck at Stanford University showed that people tend to adopt two different attitudes to learning. The first camp sees it as a threat to their competence and have what’s called a “fixed” mindset. The second camp see learning as an important and welcome way to help them move forward, known as a “growth” mindset. There are three important ways you can encourage your people to develop a growth mindset and see learning as something to be welcomed: give lots of encouragement, prepare them for setbacks, and role-model a growth mindset yourself.
• A clear structure. One of the most effective structures being used around the world is a four-part model called GROW, developed by Sir John Whitmore, author of Coaching for Performance, and colleagues in the 1980s. It stands for Goal, Reality, Options, and Way forward.

Goal

Begin by setting the aim. In most cases, this is decided jointly, but not always. It’s great to encourage your team member to choose the goal for themselves when they are experienced, or when the outcome is not critical or already set in stone.

Reality

The reality includes both bad and good factors: the obstacles that might get in the way and the drivers or facilitators to help your team member to succeed. Shining a light on challenges can often make them seem less threatening, and exploring drivers reminds your team member of what’s already in place to help them. There are two essential questions that will fast-track you to the information you need:

• How skilled is the team member? For example, where have they done something similar that they can use in this coaching situation? Where are there gaps in their knowledge that need to be filled?
• How motivated are they? What encouragement and support do they need? Are they already enthusiastic, or do they need extra reassurance?

Options

Once the reality is clear, explore your team member’s ideas for action. Sometimes these actions can be obvious, particularly if the goal is something practical such as learning how to use new software or handle machinery. In more complex situations, however, it’s usually better to use a “brainstorm” approach where as many ideas as possible are laid on the table. This approach can encourage people to think more creatively about potential alternatives.

Way forward

The final step is to confirm the plan. “Way forward” rolls four “Ws” into one:

• Which option is the best one to take forward and put into action? Give your team member as much say as possible in deciding actions unless they are inexperienced. This will help them to feel a greater sense of ownership.
• What support this option will need, such as guidance, resources, and time.
• When they expect to complete it, together with any critical milestones along the way.
• Will they really undertake it – a final check on their commitment.

A final thought

Don’t forget to follow up. Your entire conversation is likely to be wasted if you don’t invest that small amount of extra attention as your team member may take your lack of attention as a signal that the coaching doesn’t really matter.