Leaders at all levels must become Leader Coaches

Gallup estimates that the cost of poor management and lost productivity from not engaged or actively disengaged employees in the U.S. is between $960 billion and $1.2 trillion. At the same time expenditures on leadership development training exceed $50 billion annually. What’s going on, why are organizations experiencing this wide performance gap?

The workforce is rapidly changing as is the nature of work. What worked yesterday is unlikely to work today and clearly will not work in the future.

The impact of millennials entering the workforce

In 2019 millennials make up around 38% of the workforce by 2022 they are estimated to make up 50% and by 2025 75% of the workforce. They are the largest generation to enter the workforce representing around 84 million exceeding the baby boomers by over 5 million. Not only do they represent staggering numbers they bring with them advanced education, a very strong understanding and affinity for technology and a variety of expectations that are different than past generations. They have the numbers to make their voices heard. Current leaders are not going to be able to demand that they fit in with current policies and ways of doing things for very long

Millennials are demanding changes in the way work gets done. Organizations that are thriving have recognized the changes they need to make to take advantage of this rapidly growing, talented new workforce. They are realizing that to engage and provide the environment to optimize the performance of this group their leaders at all levels must become leader coaches.

Performance Management is Rapidly Changing

Performance management must become performance development. Development must become an ongoing part of the work itself. There is no doubt that doing creates better understanding, retention and likelihood of implementation than learning separated from doing. Successful leaders must be intention driven. That intention must be toward the learning, growth and development of their team members which will result in successful goal achievement for the team, organization and the leader coach as well.

Transitioning Performance Management to Performance Development

We will work with you to transition your performance management system to a performance development system and in the process help you develop your leaders as leader coaches.Organizations that are successful at optimizing the potential of todays evolving workforce will recognize and respond to their changing needs or risk losing them to competitors. Trends are already making it clear that the millennial workforce will find what they are looking for in the organizations they are joining or quickly keep moving on until they find it. As leaders we have never been in a more exciting time. We have the opportunity to mold a generation of high functioning high performers to achieve incredible results for our organizations while responding to the unique characteristics this huge generation bring to the workplace. We are ready to help you with take advantage of this incredible opportunity to positively impact an incredible generation.

Millennials bring many good things to the workforce including:

  • Smart
  • Have a fresh perspective
  • Great on teams
  • Love to solve problems
  • Technology focused
  • Want to contribute
  • Open minded
  • Bring energy and enthusiasm to the workplace
  • Care about social responsibility
  • Are purpose driven

Leader coaches must be equipped to provide the following to their team members:

  • Clear expectations including how success will be measured and how team member goals support the overall achievement of the organization’s goals and the fulfillment of its purpose
  • Frequent performance feedback by a variety of means
  • Check in meetings and conversations. One on one meetings to support close connection
  • Developmental coaching and tools to support continual learning and growth of team members. Development focused on building on strengths
  • Formal performance reviews on a schedule other than annually. Formal quarterly reviews will become the minimum requirement.

In addition to these things? leader coaches must show that they are truly interested in their team members as individuals not just as employees or cogs in the organizational machinery. They must also let their team members get to know them as individuals not just the boss. The past thinking around coming to work and leaving your personal life at home no longer works, if it ever really did.