It has been a few weeks since I posted; that is because my house is a building site and my wife is eight months pregnant. So most of my energy has been focused on making sure the house is habitable and ready for a new baby. Thankfully this objective has now been completed!

So I can return my attention back to my professional life and it is with great regret that one of my team members is leaving for pastures new. I have worked with David for over three years now and he is one of the best developers I have ever worked with. He joined us shortly after finishing university and he has been a great asset to the team ever since.

His skill set and confidence has increased hugely over his time with us and that got me thinking that one of the most important jobs of a manager is coaching and professional development. This is perhaps something I have not had a structured approach to in the past but it is essential for the following reasons:

• Better job satisfaction – this means people are more likely to stick around
• More productivity – the more tools people have the quicker they can get things done
• Better delegation – more skilled and experienced people are much easier to delegate to

With that in mind I started thinking about the best way to nurture and coach people:

1. Give feedback

The most important thing is to give feedback on specifics. I think it is important to give both encouraging and constructive feedback. Do not shy away from giving constructive feedback when things go wrong but you may decide to deliver it in private.

2. Regular professional reviews

Having a regular 30 minutes each week with each person where you can offering coaching and listen to any issues or problems they are having.

3. Career planning

Helping and supporting career development is a great way to build morale. Make sure you ask each person what direction they want to go in and then actively look for opportunities to help them achieve this.

4. MBWAL

By getting out into the office, walking around and listening you are more likely to spot aspects that need to be addressed and worked on. It is also a great opportunity to assess the morale and atmosphere in the office.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 9:49 pm and is filed under General.
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