Matthew Stafford’s Playbook and the Workplace - American Society of Employers - Linda Olejniczak

Matthew Stafford’s Playbook and the Workplace

playbookFor centuries the boss has been known to delegate tasks, lead meetings, make all the decisions, and has the final word on everything.  This type of culture can lead to high turnover, lack of innovation, and low productivity.  Some think it was the coaching style and ownership that led Matthew Stafford and the Rams to win the Super Bowl – something he could not do for 12 years with the Lions. 

Many armchair quarterbacks feel ownership did not do everything they could to help the team achieve that level of success.  Others feel the bar was never set high enough for the team.  Were the right people in the right places? Did they have a goal and a plan to reach that goal?

Coaching versus micromanaging is key to success. To implement these fundamental coaching ideas, start with setting specific goals with your team members. If the goal is quality, discuss what quality looks like for their position, the people supporting them, and how it can be measured daily or weekly that would indicate how well they’re meeting that objective.  When they know which metrics they’re striving to improve, they can see more opportunities. This will help them establish ownership and increase motivation to achieve those goals.

To get a player to grow you must continuously develop them.  For the workplace that is professional development.  Ways to do this include training and development programs, peer to peer networking groups, and attending conferences/tradeshows. Leading from example applies here. You should also invest in development programs for yourself, to embody a commitment to continuous learning that will inspire others to follow.

The end goal is to coach your employees.  Managers should provide clear direction and guidance on priorities. Work together to set goals that align with company objectives.  Make time for open communication.  Offer support but allow them to work out roadblocks on their own when possible. Cultivate an environment that allows employees to learn from failure and where they feel their opinion is valued.

All of this is very different from the top-down model, which requires employees to fit a mold and take direction. That type of culture expects employees to execute orders instead of contributing input of their own. Successful coaching not only requires you to challenge your employees to excel, but you must also demonstrate that you believe in them by supporting their efforts. It’s a win-win situation for all. Go Team!

 

Additional ASE Resources
HR Conference 2022
Join Joshua Evans at HR Conference 2022 to hear two presentations on creating an engaging workplace and a culture of performance. The morning will feature his breakout session, Change, Engage, Evolve: Let Purpose Unleash Your Team's Potential and then join him again for the closing keynote presentation, Culture of Engagement: Why and How to Build Passionate, Engaged Teams. View the full conference agenda and register at https://www.aseonline.org/Events/HR-Conference-2022.


Coaching for Peak Performance
This training course helps supervisors and managers develop effective coaching skills. Participants will learn techniques that will improve employee performance and motivate employees to increase “discretionary effort” toward company goals. The course will discuss the importance of providing consistency in employee development. The next course is scheduled for May 18th in Troy. Register here.

View the entire ASE course catalog here.

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