Over recent years, extensive research has demonstrated the significant value of coaching employees within organisations. Employee surveys consistently show that staff desire more coaching opportunities, whilst organisational studies reveal that companies with higher employee engagement levels maintain strong coaching cultures¹.
This evidence suggests that coaching employees is an essential component of effective management skills. During leadership coaching workshops, managers frequently express frustration about repeatedly providing the same direction to team members, leading to a common question: “When is it most appropriate to coach employees versus giving them direct instruction?”
Understanding Coaching vs Direction in Management
What Is Coaching Employees?
Leadership coaching expert Sir John Whitmore provides an excellent definition: “Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them”².
When coaching employees, managers act as facilitators who guide individuals to discover solutions and develop their capabilities independently.
What Does Giving Direction Mean?
From a management perspective, direction involves providing clear instructions on what needs to be accomplished and how to complete specific tasks or develop particular skills. This approach offers structured guidance and explicit expectations.
Benefits of Coaching Employees Effectively
Effective leadership coaching delivers substantial advantages for both individuals and organisations:
Individual Development Benefits:
- Empowers employees and encourages personal responsibility whilst supporting greater self-reliance
- Increases employee engagement, resulting in improved job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction
- Enhances individual performance and contribution toward achieving key performance indicators
- Develops accountability for actions and commitments
Organisational Benefits:
- Helps managers identify and develop high-potential employees
- Supports more efficient and productive collaboration between colleagues, managers, and stakeholders
- Creates a culture of continuous learning and development
Advantages of Providing Direction
Direct management approaches also offer valuable benefits in appropriate circumstances:
- Enables employees to complete tasks exactly as required to accomplish specific objectives
- Ensures procedures are followed correctly and systems are utilised appropriately
- Provides time-saving solutions when managers face tight deadlines
- Allows managers to maintain control over critical situations or task completion methods
- Enables effective management of high-risk situations requiring precise execution
When to Coach Employees: Using the Skill Will Matrix
The most effective approach to determining when to coach employees utilises the Skill Will Matrix, introduced by Max Landsberg in “The Tao of Coaching”³. This framework evaluates both capability and motivation levels.
Coaching Employees Situations
Apply coaching employees techniques when:
- An individual possesses the necessary skills but lacks motivation or confidence
- The person has basic competencies and you want to support further skill development
- External circumstances are impacting their ability to complete tasks effectively
- Employees demonstrate potential but need guidance to unlock their capabilities
When to Provide Direction
Direct management approaches work best when:
- The person lacks necessary knowledge or skills to complete specific tasks
- New team members require structured guidance and clear expectations
- Experienced employees are learning new systems, processes, or developing unfamiliar skills
- Situations require immediate compliance with established procedures or safety protocols
Evaluating Your Management Approaches
Regular reflection on your balance between coaching employees and providing direction is essential for developing stronger management skills. Consider these questions:
Are you repeatedly answering the same questions from team members? If so, it may be time to transition from giving answers to coaching employees through problem-solving processes.
Are you attempting to coach someone who lacks fundamental knowledge? In these situations, direction and training are more appropriate initial approaches before coaching becomes effective.
Assessment Framework:
- What is the specific task or objective?
- What is their current skill and knowledge level?
- How motivated and confident are they?
- What are the time constraints and risk factors?
Based on these factors, determine whether coaching employees or providing direction will be most effective.
Implementing Effective Leadership Coaching
Successful implementation of coaching employees requires consistent application of proven management coaching techniques. Start by identifying situations where team members have the capability but may benefit from guided discovery rather than direct instruction.
Develop your questioning skills to help employees think through challenges independently. This approach builds stronger problem-solving capabilities and increases engagement levels across your team.
Remember that the most effective managers utilise both approaches strategically, recognising that different situations and individuals require different management skills and responses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Coaching Employees
Building Excellence Through Strategic Leadership Choices
Mastering when to coach employees versus providing direction is fundamental to effective leadership. The Skill Will Matrix provides a practical framework for making these decisions, whilst understanding the benefits of each approach helps managers develop comprehensive management skills. Remember that the most successful leaders strategically combine both methods to maximise team performance and employee engagement.