Coaching takes time and energy; so if you’re going to do it, you want to do it right. Author Richard Boyatzis observes that leaders often make the mistake of just telling workers what to do to fix a problem or improve performance. This, he says, makes people feel obligated or pressured instead of inspired or empowered. As a result, they get defensive and shut down. Instead, he suggests coaching with compassion. This means efforts such as involving employees in formulating or articulating their dreams, asking them to describe times in their lives when they learned something important from someone, and building a caring and trusting relationship. Read the full article.
