“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” ~Stephen Covey
For most of 2020, we’ve all been running around like our hair is on fire. And it’s raining gasoline.
Sure, it’s an unprecedented year of one crisis after another; but this isn’t a behavior unique to these times. Stephen Covey nailed it when he said we spend too much of our time rushing from one urgent thing to the next. It’s hard to prioritize, or even catch your breath, when it seems like there’s always something that needs your attention right now this minute.
The currently squeaky wheel may not be the most important thing. The most important thing may be the knocking in the engine or the vastly overdue oil change.
What is the most important thing? Well that answer can vary; but, when it comes to business, one of the most important things will always be your people. They are the fuel that powers your engine and the lubricant that keeps it going smoothly. Without them, everything grinds to a halt.
It’s easy in these times of unparalleled urgency to lose focus on your teams. How can you keep the most important thing as the most important thing?
1. Listen first to understand. A worker isn’t just a worker. They’re a whole person with family, health concerns, financial worries, and so many other stressors. Navigating the demands of today’s ever present crises while balancing their career and work duties can be precarious. Put that Yellow Employee Input Sheet to work for you. If you’ve already done your Coaching this year, revisit it. Anything done before March probably needs a massive overhaul anyway. Even if you’ve had more recent Coaching, that Yellow sheet is invaluable for the insights it can help guide you to.
2. Keep Focused. Your team member needs clear and concrete direction. If you aren’t at the top of the organization, then get some clarity from your own manager. They can Coach you on what directions and new pivots are cascading down from on high. Use that combined with the insight you got from the Yellow sheet to form Focus Areas in the Blue Coaching Worksheet. Development Recommendations are a great way to give them further guidance on resources available to them.
For example, you may have an employee that has been working from home and really getting the job done. They’re tearing through tasks at breakneck speed. You probably need them to. But is it too much?
If your Coaching conversations reveal they’re highly stressed at home, juggling kids or other family; then a good Focus Area may be to develop a Work-Life Balance that helps them cope. Time keeping software or strategies such as the “Pomodoro Method” may be good development recommendations to help them be more mindful of spending too much time “in the trenches.”
3. Get a solid Plan in place. Now help your team member finalize their Development Plan. Maybe it has elements from the old plan. Maybe you had to burn the old plan and start from the ground up. Either way, this will be a solid path that will help them comfortably work through the goals supporting their abilities, ambitions, and the organization’s needs. Keep an eye on target dates. You want them to be thoughtfully spaced out and challenging, but reasonable.
If you’re new to Coaching and need some guidance, check out the Resources section of the Catalytic Coaching Online software, powered by Energage. There are tons of materials that can help, including sample sheets.
You can also find guidance and support from your company's Coach2. These Coach of Coaches have attended the Catalytic Coaching Mastery Program (or the old Catalytic Coaching Courses) and have an in depth knowledge of the process.
The team here at Catalytic Coaching is also here to help. You can reach us through the Contact Us page.
Garold (Gary) Markle is the creator of Catalytic Coaching and author of Catalytic Coaching: The End of the Performance Review. He brings real world experience from 17 years in HR leadership in major corporations coupled with 20 years of teaching small and mid-sized organizations how to cultivate their leadership and ditch their detrimental performance reviews for a proven Coaching process.
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