Make Coaching More Effective by Following Up

Too many managers don’t follow up after coaching sessions, thereby squandering the important time they invested in the first place. No matter how successful a session feels, if it doesn’t lead to change, it hasn’t been effective. You need to track people’s progress. You’re not going to remember everything you see, hear, and think about during your conversation, so write things down. Good notes will allow you to keep track of goals, observe growth, and give more meaningful feedback in the future. Create a standard template that you can fill in each time. After each session, ask yourself:

• What can I do to support this employee’s development between now and our next coaching meeting?
• What did I learn from this meeting that I didn’t know going in?
• What did the person I’m coaching learn? What key messages were reinforced in the meeting?

*Source: Adapted from Harvard Business Review’s Management Tip of the Day