'Why Won't They Just DO What I Tell Them?!'

Managing people is a complex activity, whether you are a project manager or a line manager within an organisation. Get it right and your team produces great work in a timely manner, works cohesively and has a positive effect on the bottom line.  Get it wrong and it's a different story altogether - people become demotivated, produce less (both in terms of quality and quantity) and constant negativity creates a toxic environment that affects everyone's performance.  Or sometimes you might take over a team that has been poorly managed in the past - how do you turn it around? It can seem like a Herculean task.     The problem is as soon as you tell someone what to do, they lose a bit of their power of choice.  In some instances that is an acceptable compromise, in others it results in staff who keep coming to you to solve all their problems.  When they become accustomed to being told what to do, it's like they stop taking responsibility - do you know what I mean?  Yet, you're employed as a manager and you want to, well, manage. Right? Luckily there is another way. It's known as performance coaching, and put simply it is a philosophy and structure of how to use a coaching approach within your current management style.  Used appropriately and with integrity it lifts individual commitment and team engagement dramatically.  What you'll also find is that you'll have more time, as your team start to trust their own judgement more and take responsibility happily. Less interruptions for you. Of course, there's a balance to be had - coaching is not a way of abdicating your responsibilities, rather a way of facilitating the performance of others.  You still need to clarify the parameters within which they have authority, you still need to ensure everyone is pulling in the same direction.  What performance coaching skills give you is a chance to grow your team's potential, with a resulting effect on the bottom line.  Of course, it makes for a much more pleasant way of doing business as well, leading to a more positive and productive atmosphere.