Taking a Talent Management Lesson from T-Ball July 23rd, 2009

Heather McCulligh

This year my daughter started playing t-ball and this foray into team sports has been interesting for me on many levels. While at this time of year, there’s no shortage of coaching analogies for HR, watching her coaches in action, I’ve noticed a number of things that transfer over to performance management  and what HR and managers need to be focused on when it comes to coaching employees.

Summer is the perfect time to take a little extra time for coaching as we’re part way through the calendar year, and it is a natural time to assess where everyone is at in terms of their performance through the year.

1. One on One Time Makes a Difference: It may seem simplistic, but I think it’s worth thinking about. We spend a lot of our time in the workplace working in our teams, and we don’t necessarily get one on one time with our managers. Watching the kids on the t-ball field, the coaches make a concerted effort to coach them individually to address their specific needs, and this makes a major difference in terms of their skills development. Managers should be encouraged to plan and execute 1 to 1 meetings, and HR needs to find ways to make this a priority for all managers.
2. Consistent Feedback: Consistency counts when it comes to coaching. My daughter was struggling with catching, and the coaches consistently gave her feedback when she performed well. And guess what? Her catching has improved. Managers need to give consistent feedback day in, day out – both positive and negative – to their employees. Without this feedback, it is difficult to coach employees as things may come as a surprise.
3. Goal Setting: My daughter’s team has a goal for the year. I know, this may seem a bit intense, but even four and five year olds are built to respond to a goal. Their goal is to actually play a real game at the end of the season. Watching the kids respond to this has been interesting. Knowing they are working towards this has made the practices have meaning. Same goes for employees. They need to have an idea of how the work they are doing contributes to the organization on the whole. Goal setting gives everyone a clear mission and purpose, which makes employees more apt to get through the summer without lapsing into a severe case of summertime-itis.

What have you learned about coaching from team sports, or coaching within your organization? Share your ideas below!

Tags: coaching, performance management, talent management