According to Monique Valcour in her article in the “Harvard Business Review” You Can’t Be a Great Manager If You’re Not a Good Coach.

Below is an excerpt from an article she wrote in 2014. While many thigs have changed in this time, I believe her article is very relevant still in most real estate agencies today. The link to the full article is below if you would like to read more.

Typically, a real estate agency owner ends up as a business owner as they were a great salesperson (or occasionally a great property manager). Rarely do they end up as a real estate agency owner because they were a great business owner, or people manager. While these skills will develop over time, I agree with Monique below that taking a coaching approach to management is a relatively simple step that will significantly enhance your success as a people manager.

“If you have room in your head for only one nugget of leadership wisdom, make it this one: the most powerfully motivating condition people experience at work is making progress at something that is personally meaningful. If your job involves leading others, the implications are clear: the most important thing you can do each day is to help your team members experience progress at meaningful work.

To do so, you must understand what drives each person, help build connections between each person’s work and the organization’s mission and strategic objectives, provide timely feedback, and help each person learn and grow on an ongoing basis. Regular communication around development — having coaching conversations — is essential. In fact, according to recent research, the single most important managerial competency that separates highly effective managers from average ones is coaching.

Strangely, at most companies, coaching isn’t part of what managers are formally expected to do. Even though research makes it clear that employees and job candidates alike value learning and career development above most other aspects of a job, many managers don’t see it as an important part of their role. Managers think they don’t have the time to have these conversations, and many lack the skill. Yet 70% of employee learning and development happens on the job, not through formal training programs. So if line managers aren’t supportive and actively involved, employee growth is stunted. So is engagement and retention.

Can you teach old-school, results-focused line managers to coach their employees? Absolutely. And the training boosts performance in both directions. It’s a powerful experience to create a resonant connection with another person and help them to achieve something they care about and to become more of who they want to be. If there’s anything an effective, resonant coaching conversation produces, it’s positive energy. Hundreds of executive students have reported to me that helping others learn and grow is among the most rewarding experiences they’ve had as managers.

Starting today, you can be significantly more effective as a manager — and enjoy your job more — by engaging in regular coaching conversations with your team members. As you resolve to support their ongoing learning and development, here are five key tips to get you started.”

To read the full article follow this link https://hbr.org/2014/07/you-cant-be-a-great-manager-if-youre-not-a-good-coach

As a principal of Business with MILES, I am a professionally Certified coach through the International Coach Federation, and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. With many of my clients (both within and outside of real estate agency) one of their key focuses is in developing not only their personal management skills, but also their relevant team members management skills. Taking a coaching approach to management is one of the key aspects in this development in most cases, and has resulted in some incredibly positive changes in their teams