Steer your people straight.

Today's competitive marketplace requires employees who consistently perform at peak levels. Literally hundreds of training programs say they can supercharge the workforce to boost company productivity, morale and profits. However, in reality, the benefits of training usually fade after a few weeks back on the job.

It doesn't have to be that way. Measurable skills growth is possible when organizations support coaching and the development of employees through specific, systematic strategies.

Let's consider the case of Brad, a star performer, and his boss, Paul. Brad was recently promoted to a management position, but had trouble motivating his team to meet its performance targets. To help him, Paul sent him to a training course called "Managing in the Financial World of the Future." After the training, Brad tested a few of the techniques, but soon fell back on his old management habits. Paul, disappointed in Brad's apparent unwillingness to change, blamed Brad for failing to improve.

That wasn't entirely fair to Brad. The fact is, people change only when they perceive a personal benefit for doing so. Successful coaches must somehow link the organization's goals to each individual's own goals. Before he can succeed in helping Brad, Paul must first find out what Brad cares about and become a partner with Brad in his development effort.

Brad, it turns out, is passionately interested in developing the mortgage-backed securities business. Paul can use that passion as a career-development opportunity for both Brad and those who work for him. For example, he suggests that Brad work with Lucy, who's having trouble cracking that market. He shows Brad how to apply the techniques learned from the class to the real world, and as a result motivate Lucy and improve her performance.

This enables Brad to try out his new-found skills to benefit the organization in a way that he finds meaningful. And when Lucy begins to succeed under his guidance, he receives positive reinforcement for practicing his new skills. He is more inclined to use them again, because he sees that they work.

Another way coaches can develop their people is to help them identify and prioritize their developmental needs. This simply means providing people with the information they need to assess their current skills, and identify what skills they need to succeed in the future. To do this, coaches can help people identify their "GAPS": goals, or the values, interests and desires that drive their behavior; abilities, which is what people are capable of accomplishing now, with their current set of skills, and in the future; perceptions, or how people are seen by others; and standards - what the organization requires and expects of them. GAPS information highlights the crucial issues individuals must consider to help them lay out the road map for their development.

Paul began holding regular development discussions with Brad, based on the GAPS idea, to help him chart his career goals. He talked about Brad's goals, the organization's expectations, and what Brad would need to succeed. He encouraged Brad to seek feedback from others, suggesting the use of confidential 360-degree input to gather the information as objectively as possible. He also suggested that Brad talk to some visionary thinkers in the company, to learn their views about where the company was going and what it would take to succeed in the future.

Brad followed Paul's advice and gained valuable insights about himself and the organization in the process. "It really helped me figure out what I need to do to move ahead here," he told Paul. "The most helpful person I talked to was the vice president of operations. The finance people he respects are the ones who are familiar with business strategy and marketing. He encouraged me to read at least one non-financial article in every issue of Harvard Business Review."

Brad continued, "Most of the senior people I talked to said their toughest issues involved working on cross-functional projects, where it was too easy to just fall into the role of being the number-cruncher. I'll have to work to get people to see my point of view and ensure their buy-in. I also started to see how important it is to be able to stand up to people and manage conflict. Right now, I assume the numbers will speak for themselves, so I focus on writing the report and the executive summary more than on advocating a point of view."

MAKING THE CONNECTION

In subsequent development sessions, Paul saw the opportunity to help Brad connect some themes in the feedback with his own observations. For example, Paul realized Brad often had trouble telling people when their performance was below par. Paul believed he had the answer. "Take charge," he urged Brad. "Confront poor performance directly." But when Brad tried Paul's approach, the situation blew up in his face, shaking his confidence in his ability to manage.

What went wrong? For one thing, Paul simply told Brad what he would have done. Paul's approach obviously wasn't right for Brad. One of the best things a coach can do is teach people how to learn for themselves. He needed to learn how to approach the situation, and Paul may not have been the right person to teach him.

Things might have been different if Paul had encouraged Brad to search the workplace for similar situations and solutions. He could have urged Brad to identify peers with a knack for handling difficult performance issues, and spend one-on-one time with them to gain some insights. That way, Brad would learn how to gather information from his everyday experiences to help him develop his skills level. In addition, Brad could draw upon a diverse group of experts in the organization. By consolidating the advice of many, Brad could develop the strategy that works best for him.

To create lasting change, coaches must maintain the development effort even through difficult times. There are always bumps in the road, and people naturally want to revert to their old, comfortable habits. A good coach keeps people focused on their progress, and rewards that progress, not just results.

Paul remembered that lesson several months later, when a much-improved Brad hit a rough patch. A poorly performing member of Brad's team left the company, and Brad blamed himself for not bringing him around. Paul reminded Brad that other managers faced similar problems with that employee, so his departure was probably not Brad's fault. Paul then pointed out how far Brad had come, and mentioned that a member of Brad's team had commented on his improved management techniques. Paul also noted that the performance numbers for Brad's team had improved. Because he focused on all that Brad was doing right, Brad left the meeting with renewed confidence and energy - and the commitment to continue using his new management strategies.

Coaching and development are crucial to an organization's continued ability to win in today's fast-paced, highly competitive business environment. But the real challenge is not in merely providing the tools to keep people's skills competitive. The true key to success lies in making sure people have the strategies and principles to keep development in the foreground of their thinking all the time, and making sure that they have access to the right coaches, tools and programs to meet their developmental needs.

Dr. Hicks is senior vice president of executive services at Personnel Decisions International in Minneapolis. Dr. Peterson is vice president of coaching services at the company. You can reach them at [phone] and [phone], respectively.