Coach your team to success in 2022

Barreling down the track into a new year requires you to watch your step. A stumble could cost you big time and get you sidelined from the whole race. Here are four ways to clear all the hurdles in 2022. (Hint: Coach your people over them!)

Find Your Anchor

The Anchor is the person that runs the most important part of the relay. In your company, that kind of top talent will carry your team over every finish line. Find your Anchors and focus on understanding their strengths, learning their aspirations, and developing their skills. The best way to do that is through coaching conversations that ultimately lead to an actionable plan that the employee feels empowered to own. Be sure you’re tracking the input you receive from your people, the feedback their managers give them, and what the plan moving forward will be.

Pass The Baton

The best part about really coaching your employees is learning what their ultimate career aspirations are. You’ll have the opportunity to see where that will fit into your organization, meaning first pick of the best talent you already have at your fingertips. Leveraging coaching for your succession planning means you get to teach your up-and-comers the best way to carry that baton. 

Control Exchange Zones

Speaking of batons, passing them can be dangerous. Where and how employees move around and through your company can be tricky. The wrong person, a lack of resources, sudden exits… so much can go wrong at that critical moment. It’s easy to avoid a stumble though. Through identifying strengths and creating development plans, you can ensure the person picking up the baton is ready to grab it and hit the ground running. Have regular accountability check ins to keep everyone moving in the right direction at the pace you need them to.

Check The Winds

A tailwind may boost your speed, but a headwind will batter your people. When they’re being pushed back, the easiest path or even sitting this one out becomes the go-to for many employees. Don’t let the prevailing winds throw off your strategic initiatives. Cultivate resilience through two-way communication between managers and their team and a plan forward that employees help create. Ongoing honest conversations and the ability to pivot strategically means that heads or tails, you’ll always be in control. If plans need to change, change them. BUT include everyone in that decision. You don’t want someone following the wrong path because they didn’t fully understand the plan.

When it comes down to a photo finish, make sure your team is the clear winner. All it takes is good coaching.

Jessica Bowers is a certified Coach2 for Catalytic Coaching Inc, which is a business partner of Energage, a Philadelphia-based employee survey firm. Energage is The Washington Post’s survey partner for Top Workplaces.