• Home |
• About Us |
• Our Clients |
• Our Team |
• Contact Us |
• Testimonials

Can the line manager also act as coach to their people?

I am often asked whether a line a manager can manage his people effectively and also be a coach to them at the same time. In theory this sounds like a fairly straightforward and expedient role for managers to play with their direct reports, providing that they have the appropriate skills and understand a coaching model and technique. However, in reality it is a very difficult role to perform effectively alongside the line manager’s core role of getting effective and efficient job task performance from their people. So why is it so difficult? Why are there so many examples of this sort of coaching initiative by line managers failing and so few examples of it being successful?
What barriers exist that prevent line managers from fulfilling this dual role?
The line manager is not and cannot always be objective about the approach and performance of the people that they manage. They care deeply about the output of their people and are usually accountable and partly responsible for their people’s performance output and are also measured on it. They usually set or agree the work objectives with each of them and have expectations about what each person can achieve. The relationship is not often an equal one – the line manager has power over their employees to reward and sanction their behaviour and achievements.
The maturity and willingness of individual employees and the quality of their relationship with their manager are all key factors that can determine whether or not a line manger can operate effectively as a coach to their people.
It is very difficult for line managers to encourage an employee to set their own agenda for coaching sessions and conversations and not to have a vested interest in the subjects that you as a line manager think should be covered. The confidentiality aspect is also tricky here, because many employees would feel cautious and constrained about disclosing their real work and personal difficulties to their line manager, being concerned that doing so could affect the line manager’s judgements about them. They may also fear that at some stage in the future this sensitive information could come out or be used against them at critical moments such as appraisals, development reviews, promotion board debates etc.
Line managers themselves are often a part of the direct work and performance environment of the employee and as such can often be part of the employee's problem and find it difficult to see their line manager as a key part of their solution. The company people management, motivation and performance management environment is therefore key to the possible successful implementation of an effective line manager as coach initiative.