Leadership field note
The 60 Minute Buzzkill
A manager can interrupt productive work for an hour and still leave the employee without a clear idea of what the conversation was meant to accomplish. Time spent is not the same as coaching delivered.
Prepare the conversation around evidence
A useful coaching call begins with the observed behavior, explains why it matters and ends with an agreed action. The manager should be able to distinguish between information sharing, problem solving and development.
That preparation respects the employee’s time and gives both people a way to recognize whether the conversation changed anything.