Our job as leaders is to accomplish our goals and objectives by developing other people. This requires coaching them until they are able to stand on their own. Every time there is a change in the world, economy, or the company you are required to coach your team until the new skills needed for success are part of their everyday behavior.

Here are three tips for effective coaching:

1. Invest the majority of your coaching time with your "B" players.

Why not the "A" or "C" players? Because "B" players have the greatest potential for growth. Most of the leaders that I coach spend an unbelievable amount of time trying to make "C" players into "B" players. That's like a head football coach spending all his time coaching the 3rd string quarterback. I have not yet seen that as a successful strategy. At best the "C" player becomes a "C+" player.

So what do you do with your "A" players?

2. Use your "A" players as mentors for your "B" players.

Coaching is the most important activity for leaders. Even so, there are many other demands on a leader's time. Additionally, many people work remotely these days which makes it difficult for leaders to coach their teams. "A" players are a good source of support to you because they have already demonstrated that they excel at their job. Mentoring helps them grow in their coaching skills and prepares them for future leadership roles.

3. Know your stuff.

When I conduct workshops with leaders on this topic, many comment, "This has been a good refresher." Yet, when I coach them individually, it's a whole different story. Here are some of the most common leadership mistakes I see:

• Little or no coaching
• Unclear expectations or direction
• Failure to address poor performance
• Expecting people know what to do even though they have not demonstrated mastery to you
• Poor interviewing and hiring practices

Let's face it, the business world has changed and is changing every day. It's changing at a pace faster than anyone has ever experienced. My question to you is, "Are you changing?" I continue to see people using outdated leadership methods, outdated sales methods and expecting the same results as in the past. They are surprised when the results aren't there. Continuous learning is a must in our business world today.

For more information visit: www.commonsensesales.com
Or email Jim Searls at: jimsearls@commonsensesales.com