| This is a story of long, long ago, when the world of | | | | Sam is also convinced that success is a result of a |
| managing people was just beginning.... | | | | strong management style. He likes to engage with the |
| Let me introduce Sam and Gene. They are both | | | | members of his team as much as he can and finds |
| managers in a Business Development Agency. They | | | | that when he asks questions and gets his people |
| each run teams of advisors whose job it is to interact | | | | thinking, they seem to take more ownership for |
| with the business community offering advice and | | | | problems and approach their work with more |
| guidance and, where appropriate, grant funding for | | | | enthusiasm and innovation. When errors occur Sam |
| business development projects. | | | | likes to make sure that lessons are learned and the |
| Actually none of that is true; I made it up. Same and | | | | same mistakes never occur twice in his team. Sam |
| Gene are fictional, but their characteristics are an | | | | has a reputation as a long game player. His senior |
| amalgam of many managers I have known. I think you'll | | | | managers know they have to be patient but Sam gets |
| recognize them too. You could find them working in | | | | spectacular results in the end. For his part Sam is |
| any organisation; large or small, private or public; profit | | | | frustrated that results are so long in coming and |
| making or not. Their problems are with the people side | | | | wishes there was a way to speed things up. |
| of their work and this is what we shall concern | | | | There was no talk of coaching in Sam and Gene's |
| ourselves with too. Same and Gene are male but that | | | | day, but it was undoubtedly a feature a Sam's style |
| too is irrelevant to the tale and certainly does not | | | | and a missing component of Gene's. Whilst they each |
| explain the mixed fortunes they enjoy. Let's also | | | | enjoyed success it was Sam who prevailed over the |
| assume that they are of a similar age, background and | | | | long term. With an even better understanding of |
| level of educational achievement. | | | | coaching, Sam could have accelerated his results and |
| Let's start with Gene. It is Gene's opinion that success | | | | Gene - if he added coaching to his skill set - could |
| is a result of a strong management style. He likes to | | | | have used his obvious strengths to even greater |
| give clear, precise instructions to his team so that | | | | effect, and over the longer term. |
| nobody is uncertain about what is required. A highly | | | | This is a precursor to my various articles - some you'll |
| competitive man in all aspects, Gene likes to win and | | | | find on line already, others are still in my head - about |
| encourages his team to be similarly motivated. He has | | | | coaching. I won't pretend that coaching is a panacea to |
| a low tolerance for mistakes so his team tends to | | | | solve all work place ills or that it offers a silver bullet to |
| check and recheck all work. This takes time and | | | | slay all your people problems. I want to offer |
| makes output poor but accuracy is good and the | | | | straightforward, practical, proven tactics for using |
| tellings off are fewer. In the short term Gene gets | | | | coaching to get results through people; which in the |
| results, but throughout his career he has been | | | | end is the essence of management in my view. |
| frustrated by the tendency for results to tail off and | | | | So whether you're a Gene or a Sam or somewhere |
| worsen over time. He feels his teams become | | | | on the spectrum between the two, I hope this article |
| complacent and lazy too quickly and that he has to | | | | stimulates your thinking and encourages you to do |
| drive them harder and harder just to maintain | | | | further research. You will soon become a manager |
| standards. | | | | who coaches and thus a manager who is successful. |