As you may know I’m a big fan of Michael Hyatt, Pres. and CEO of Nelson Publishing and his blog "From Where I Sit". His recent post entitled: "How To Coach Your Boss" really hits the nail on the head concerning relationships between employees and bosses. It’s not always or only the employee who needs coaching, and employees are often in the unique position of knowing when things aren’t working and being able to facilitate change if they can get themselves to speak honestly and openly about it.
In a few well chosen points, Michael explains how to go about coaching your boss without bruising his ego:
"Much has been written on the topic of coaching employees. (One of my favorites is a book we published a few months ago by Daniel Harkavy. It is called Becoming a Coaching Leader: The Proven System for Building Your Own Team of Champions.) But very little has been written on the topic of coaching your boss.
The truth is that most employees see things that their boss says or does that are ineffective or inefficient. Sometimes, they see these things more clearly than anyone else. The boss could profit greatly from the insight of his or her subordinates—if only they could get honest feedback.
The problem is that most people are scared to correct their boss or offer advice. They are afraid they will be punished or, at the very least, given a cold shoulder. But that’s not always true. The best bosses welcome criticism, knowing that the shortest distance between where they are and where they want to go is the truth. They create a “safe environment,” where people can freely speak their mind…" read his entire post here.
Whether you’re an employee with a boss who could benefit from some coaching, or a boss who’s interested in getting some honest feedback this article can help you bridge the gap and start the conversation.
-Susan Martin, NYC Business Coach
