Supervising With Coaching Skills

Supervisors (and parents) have authority and responsibility for other people. These two factors set supervisors apart from the role of a professional coach where the coach has neither authority nor responsibility for the coachee.



Supervisors can always choose to be directive, and in fact, must at times. Supervisors also must take a coaching approach to empower and develop employees. Balancing these two functions is difficult. Extremes either way are not optimal.



A supervisor who is too dire...