The 7 key skills of the manager-coach

4/7/2024
management
Article
6min
management
Article
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The 7 key skills of the manager-coach

In an ever-changing professional world, where employee expectations are increasingly high, the role of the manager is constantly evolving. To adapt to these challenges, adopting a manager-coach posture becomes essential to fostering the growth and development of your team . To excel in this demanding role, it is imperative to master a set of essential skills. These skills go far beyond the simple day-to-day management of tasks; they encompass fundamental aspects of communication, leadership and relationship management. In this article, discover the 7 essential skills of a manager coach.

1. Practicing active listening 

Knowing how to listen carefully to team members' concerns, ideas and points of view enables the manager-coach to fully understand their needs and challenges. By actively listening, the manager shows that he or she values everyone's contributions and is willing to support them appropriately. This skill goes beyond simply hearing the words spoken; it also involves paying attention to underlying emotions and the unspoken, enabling the manager to better identify the real issues and respond more effectively to his or her team's needs. By listening authentically and empathetically, the manager-coach creates a climate of trust and mutual understanding, fostering constructive collaboration and meaningful support within the team.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of good questions to ask to establish constructive dialogues:

  • What are your short- and long-term goals?
  • What obstacles do you face in your work?
  • How can I help you overcome these obstacles?
  • What are your strengths and areas for improvement?
  • What are your expectations of our collaboration?
  • How can you contribute more to the team?

2. Dare to give feedback

Constructive feedback is a key element, involving specific and precise feedback to help team members improve. It is distinguished by its specificity and precision, focusing on tangible observations rather than general judgments. The key lies in providing feedback that offers constructive advice and avenues for improvement, rather than simply pointing out mistakes. By giving feedback quickly after an event, it enables team members to understand immediately what went well and what could be improved, thus promoting real progress. What's more, it's important that feedback is balanced, recognizing both successes and areas for development, in order to maintain a sense of encouragement and confidence among staff. By fostering a climate where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged, manager-coaches create an environment conducive to continuous learning and professional fulfillment for their team.

3. Motivate your employees 

Understanding what motivates each team member is essential to boosting their performance and commitment. The manager-coach knows how to recognize the achievements and contributions of his or her team members, and how to inspire them to give their best. By identifying individual interests, aspirations and values, the manager coach can tailor his or her approach to meet the specific needs of each team member. Whether providing professional development opportunities, offering stimulating challenges or simply expressing support and confidence, the manager coach finds effective ways to motivate his or her staff to achieve their goals and excel in their work. By cultivating an environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged, the manager coach fosters a culture of intrinsic motivation that fuels the team's collective performance and success.

To go even further, you can download our Team Motivation checklist from our dedicated resource kit

4. Know how to delegate  

Delegation is a key skill for the manager-coach. By skilfully using the delegation matrix, he or she is able to make informed decisions about which tasks to delegate according to their nature and importance. This approach is based on two fundamental criteria: the importance of the task and the employee's level of competence. In this way, the manager-coach can allocate simple, routine tasks to less experienced team members, offering them opportunities for growth and development, while reserving complex, strategic responsibilities for the most competent employees. By delegating in a balanced and considered way, the manager-coach fosters autonomy and responsibility within his team, while freeing up time to concentrate on more strategic aspects of his leadership role.

5. Embody the role of collaborative leader

By adopting this leadership style, the manager-coach encourages collaboration, active participation and collective decision-making within his or her team. Rather than dictating directives unilaterally, they foster an environment where team members are encouraged to share their ideas, perspectives and knowledge. The manager-coach recognizes the value of every contribution and seeks to involve all team members in the decision-making process. By fostering a culture in which everyone feels listened to and respected, the manager-coach's collaborative leadership strengthens the team's sense of belonging and commitment. What's more, this approach makes full use of the diverse skills and experiences of team members, often leading to more innovative decisions and more effective solutions. Opting for collaborative leadership creates a dynamic, inclusive environment where collaboration and creativity flourish, contributing to the team's collective success.

6. Handling conflicts

Navigating through tensions and differences within the team in a constructive way is essential to maintaining a positive and productive work climate. The manager-coach is able to quickly identify sources of conflict and address them proactively, before they become more serious. By fostering open and transparent communication, he or she encourages team members to express their concerns and points of view in a respectful manner. In addition, the manager-coach seeks collaborative solutions that meet the needs of all parties involved, thus promoting fair and sustainable conflict resolution. By addressing conflicts constructively, the manager coach builds trust and respect within the team, and helps maintain a harmonious and productive working environment.

7. Support and develop your team on an ongoing basis

Accompanying and developing skills is a cornerstone of the manager coach's role. This involves the ability to recognize individual development needs within the team, and to draw up personalized action plans to foster each member's professional growth. The manager coach invests time and resources in understanding the strengths, weaknesses and aspirations of his or her team members, in order to help them realize their full potential. This may include identifying areas for improvement in technical skills, strengthening interpersonal skills, or even supporting the exploration of new career opportunities. Working closely with each team member, the manager-coach establishes clear, achievable objectives, and provides ongoing support throughout the development process. By investing in the development of his or her team's skills, the manager-coach not only contributes to strengthening individual performance, but also to creating a culture of learning and growth within the organization, thus fostering the long-term success of the team and the company.

Advice : 

Developing a managerial routine to encourage development and progress can be a great help. The routine proposed by the manager-coach fosters a climate where evolution and progress are encouraged. It includes regular actions such as :

  • Individual interviews to review objectives, progress and development needs.
  • Team brainstorming and problem-solving sessions to stimulate creativity and innovation.
  • Feedback and coaching sessions to reinforce employees' skills and autonomy.
  • Moments of celebration and recognition to highlight the team's successes and achievements.
  • Training and professional development opportunities to encourage continuous learning and skills development.

The manager-coach is emerging as an indispensable pillar of the modern management landscape. By focusing on the development of individual and collective skills, this model fosters a culture of professional fulfillment within teams.
And to take things a step further, NUMA has specially designed a kit of practical resources designed to transform your managers and leaders into talent coaches. These resources aim not only to increase individual effectiveness, but also to focus leadership on the ongoing development of teams. This translates into managers capable of inspiring their teams, delegating strategically, boosting collective performance and coaching each individual member towards excellence. With these tools and methods, managers can create an environment conducive to their team's long-term growth and success.

In an ever-changing professional world, where employee expectations are increasingly high, the role of the manager is constantly evolving. To adapt to these challenges, adopting a manager-coach posture becomes essential to fostering the growth and development of your team . To excel in this demanding role, it is imperative to master a set of essential skills. These skills go far beyond the simple day-to-day management of tasks; they encompass fundamental aspects of communication, leadership and relationship management. In this article, discover the 7 essential skills of a manager coach.

1. Practicing active listening 

Knowing how to listen carefully to team members' concerns, ideas and points of view enables the manager-coach to fully understand their needs and challenges. By actively listening, the manager shows that he or she values everyone's contributions and is willing to support them appropriately. This skill goes beyond simply hearing the words spoken; it also involves paying attention to underlying emotions and the unspoken, enabling the manager to better identify the real issues and respond more effectively to his or her team's needs. By listening authentically and empathetically, the manager-coach creates a climate of trust and mutual understanding, fostering constructive collaboration and meaningful support within the team.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of good questions to ask to establish constructive dialogues:

  • What are your short- and long-term goals?
  • What obstacles do you face in your work?
  • How can I help you overcome these obstacles?
  • What are your strengths and areas for improvement?
  • What are your expectations of our collaboration?
  • How can you contribute more to the team?

2. Dare to give feedback

Constructive feedback is a key element, involving specific and precise feedback to help team members improve. It is distinguished by its specificity and precision, focusing on tangible observations rather than general judgments. The key lies in providing feedback that offers constructive advice and avenues for improvement, rather than simply pointing out mistakes. By giving feedback quickly after an event, it enables team members to understand immediately what went well and what could be improved, thus promoting real progress. What's more, it's important that feedback is balanced, recognizing both successes and areas for development, in order to maintain a sense of encouragement and confidence among staff. By fostering a climate where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged, manager-coaches create an environment conducive to continuous learning and professional fulfillment for their team.

3. Motivate your employees 

Understanding what motivates each team member is essential to boosting their performance and commitment. The manager-coach knows how to recognize the achievements and contributions of his or her team members, and how to inspire them to give their best. By identifying individual interests, aspirations and values, the manager coach can tailor his or her approach to meet the specific needs of each team member. Whether providing professional development opportunities, offering stimulating challenges or simply expressing support and confidence, the manager coach finds effective ways to motivate his or her staff to achieve their goals and excel in their work. By cultivating an environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged, the manager coach fosters a culture of intrinsic motivation that fuels the team's collective performance and success.

To go even further, you can download our Team Motivation checklist from our dedicated resource kit

4. Know how to delegate  

Delegation is a key skill for the manager-coach. By skilfully using the delegation matrix, he or she is able to make informed decisions about which tasks to delegate according to their nature and importance. This approach is based on two fundamental criteria: the importance of the task and the employee's level of competence. In this way, the manager-coach can allocate simple, routine tasks to less experienced team members, offering them opportunities for growth and development, while reserving complex, strategic responsibilities for the most competent employees. By delegating in a balanced and considered way, the manager-coach fosters autonomy and responsibility within his team, while freeing up time to concentrate on more strategic aspects of his leadership role.

5. Embody the role of collaborative leader

By adopting this leadership style, the manager-coach encourages collaboration, active participation and collective decision-making within his or her team. Rather than dictating directives unilaterally, they foster an environment where team members are encouraged to share their ideas, perspectives and knowledge. The manager-coach recognizes the value of every contribution and seeks to involve all team members in the decision-making process. By fostering a culture in which everyone feels listened to and respected, the manager-coach's collaborative leadership strengthens the team's sense of belonging and commitment. What's more, this approach makes full use of the diverse skills and experiences of team members, often leading to more innovative decisions and more effective solutions. Opting for collaborative leadership creates a dynamic, inclusive environment where collaboration and creativity flourish, contributing to the team's collective success.

6. Handling conflicts

Navigating through tensions and differences within the team in a constructive way is essential to maintaining a positive and productive work climate. The manager-coach is able to quickly identify sources of conflict and address them proactively, before they become more serious. By fostering open and transparent communication, he or she encourages team members to express their concerns and points of view in a respectful manner. In addition, the manager-coach seeks collaborative solutions that meet the needs of all parties involved, thus promoting fair and sustainable conflict resolution. By addressing conflicts constructively, the manager coach builds trust and respect within the team, and helps maintain a harmonious and productive working environment.

7. Support and develop your team on an ongoing basis

Accompanying and developing skills is a cornerstone of the manager coach's role. This involves the ability to recognize individual development needs within the team, and to draw up personalized action plans to foster each member's professional growth. The manager coach invests time and resources in understanding the strengths, weaknesses and aspirations of his or her team members, in order to help them realize their full potential. This may include identifying areas for improvement in technical skills, strengthening interpersonal skills, or even supporting the exploration of new career opportunities. Working closely with each team member, the manager-coach establishes clear, achievable objectives, and provides ongoing support throughout the development process. By investing in the development of his or her team's skills, the manager-coach not only contributes to strengthening individual performance, but also to creating a culture of learning and growth within the organization, thus fostering the long-term success of the team and the company.

Advice : 

Developing a managerial routine to encourage development and progress can be a great help. The routine proposed by the manager-coach fosters a climate where evolution and progress are encouraged. It includes regular actions such as :

  • Individual interviews to review objectives, progress and development needs.
  • Team brainstorming and problem-solving sessions to stimulate creativity and innovation.
  • Feedback and coaching sessions to reinforce employees' skills and autonomy.
  • Moments of celebration and recognition to highlight the team's successes and achievements.
  • Training and professional development opportunities to encourage continuous learning and skills development.

The manager-coach is emerging as an indispensable pillar of the modern management landscape. By focusing on the development of individual and collective skills, this model fosters a culture of professional fulfillment within teams.
And to take things a step further, NUMA has specially designed a kit of practical resources designed to transform your managers and leaders into talent coaches. These resources aim not only to increase individual effectiveness, but also to focus leadership on the ongoing development of teams. This translates into managers capable of inspiring their teams, delegating strategically, boosting collective performance and coaching each individual member towards excellence. With these tools and methods, managers can create an environment conducive to their team's long-term growth and success.

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