Coaching Employees

You were very pleased with your decision to select Mala during your last recruitment initiative. Just out of college, Mala has the enthusiasm and professional drive that could benefit your health care organization. However, you recognize that Mala will have a lot to learn in a clinical setting. As a nurse manager, you have led many successful group trainings, but have far less experience coaching employees one-on-one. You wonder how you should approach this relationship and what steps you should take to increase the positivity and effectiveness of this experience.

Coaching is an ongoing process that is an integral function of the management role. It focuses on the development needs of the employee and is built on a relationship of trust between the leader and follower. Coaching is a powerful activity that demonstrates value of and respect for the employee. In this Assignment, you examine how you could serve as a coach to facilitate an individual’s professional development.

To prepare

• Reflect on the information shared in the article, “Coaching Nurses: A Real Example of a Real Difference.” Which of these best practices might you use to strengthen your own coaching skills?
• Review Chapter 7, “Coaching and Developing Others” in the course text, From Management to Leadership: Strategies for Transforming Health Care. Consider how the author compares coaching staff in a health care setting to coaching athletes, directing a movie, and conducting a symphony. Then, examine the six steps of the coaching process. How does each of the coaching steps build upon one another to create a positive and effective coaching experience?
• In preparation for this hypothetical coaching exercise, identify one individual, staff member, or employee (from your current organization or a past setting) who could benefit from coaching. Create a pseudonym for him or her.
• Use the six-step coaching process to develop a coaching and development plan.