Steer your people straight.

• Author: Hicks, Mary Dee
• Position: Coaching and developing employees

Today's competitive marketplace requires employees who consistently perform at peak levels. Literally hundreds of training programs say they can supercharge the workforce to boost company productivity, morale and profits. However, in reality, the benefits of training usually fade after a few weeks back on the job.

It doesn't have to be that way. Measurable skills growth is possible when organizations support coaching and the development of employees through specific, systematic strategies.

Let's consider the case of Brad, a star performer, and his boss, Paul. Brad was recently promoted to a management position, but had trouble motivating his team to meet its performance targets. To help him, Paul sent him to a training course called "Managing in the Financial World of the Future." After the training, Brad tested a few of the techniques, but soon fell back on his old management habits. Paul, disappointed in Brad's apparent unwillingness to change, blamed Brad for failing to improve.

That wasn't entirely fair to Brad. The fact is, people change only when they perceive a personal benefit for doing so. Successful coaches must somehow link the organization's goals to each individual's own goals. Before he can succeed in helping Brad, Paul must first find out what Brad cares about and become a partner with Brad in his development effort.

Brad, it turns out, is passionately interested in developing the mortgage-backed securities business. Paul can use that passion as a career-development opportunity for both Brad and those who work for him. For example, he suggests that Brad work with Lucy, who's having trouble cracking that market. He shows Brad how to apply the techniques learned from the class to the real world, and as a result motivate Lucy and improve her performance.

This enables Brad to try out his new-found skills to benefit the organization in a way that he finds meaningful. And when Lucy begins to succeed under his guidance, he receives positive reinforcement for practicing his new skills. He is more inclined to use them again, because he sees that they work.

Another way coaches can develop their people is to help them identify and prioritize their developmental needs. This simply means providing people with the information they need to assess their current skills, and identify what skills they need to succeed in the future. To do this, coaches can help people identify their "GAPS": goals, or the values, interests and desires that drive...