What do you think is the best benefit of coaching? I am trying to sell this idea to the higher ups, but have so far been met with resistance. It would be great to hear your inputs.

I think that we have all seen this kind of resistance before. Managers and supervisors are afraid to coach their people because they see it as losing control or giving out what they know.

That's a defeatist attitude and that should be stopped or nipped at the bud. Coaching is one of the ways to counter this thinking. But I agree, if it is upper management that holds this thinking, it will be very difficult!

I think that coaching helps create a work environment that is open, where communication lines are free. This helps employees not only gain a sense of being coached, but also being listened to. In effect, coaching creates a two-way communication line to and from the employee and his coach.

I agree. But more than this, I think the open communication lines provide a good forum for dialogue. Managers gain great feedback from their employees this way.

Coaching, I think, gives the employees the necessary skills they need to do their jobs and do it well.

I also think that managers can benefit from coaching because decision making is shared by everyone. It is no longer just the manager or the supervisor that makes the decisions, it is everybody.

Coaching also helps managers get to know their people better. And as a result, the manager can help develop each of their strengths and address their weaknesses.

Coaching is very difficult to do though, so learning it, adds another skill that makes you a successful manager.

I find that our employees appreciate coaching more than managing. Our managers tell them to see every mistake as a chance to learn and grow... and do not pass out the blame to the person. So our employees are better at handling risks and are not afraid to make mistakes.