General Best Practices for Coach Managers
Coaching and development are evolving—annual reviews are out, and real-time feedback tools like TINYpulse Coach are in. Shifting from traditional methods isn’t easy, so here are some best practices to help you lead the transition.
TINYpulse Coach is a tool designed to spark meaningful conversations, and we think you should be having those conversations in person.
Amy Adkins from Gallup states:
"Employees' engagement is directly influenced by their managers' engagement -- whose engagement is directly influenced by their managers' engagement... Employees who are supervised by highly engaged managers are 59% more likely to be engaged [themselves].”
1. Hold regular 1-on-1 conversations
TINYpulse 1-on-1s are designed to repeat at whichever cadence best suits your needs.
- Schedule 1:1s at regular intervals (weekly, biweekly, or monthly).
- Stick to the schedule to show commitment.
2. Set Goals
TINYpulse 1-on-1s and Goals work in tandem to provide managers with the means of helping their employees grow. The best way to grow your employee’s career is to start one goal at a time. By having clear goals, you and your team members will be set up for better conversations in your 1-on-1s.
The best goals are S.M.A.R.T. They are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. They clarify objectives so there are no questions about what success looks like.
Goals should be written SMART as often as possible to minimize ambiguity. As a manager, you should work with employees to write goals using this framework, then enter them in Coach to keep top of mind each 1-on-1 discussion.
Once goals are created, make it a habit to reference your employee's goals at the bottom of the 1-on-1 meeting page and help them track their progress.
3. Tailor your 1-on-1s to each employee
With TINYpulse 1-on-1s, you can tailor the survey questions for each team member. This is a great way of shifting focus to each of your employees' needs. Below are some ideas to get you started.
- Questions to track their progress in areas needing improvement.
- Questions to track wins/challenges.
- Questions specific to career development.
- Questions specific to goal progress.
4. Come Prepared
TINYpulse will email your direct reports 2 business days ahead of your scheduled 1-on-1 to prompt them to fill out their 1-on-1 survey. Be sure to review their responses, agenda items, and past notes to ensure you have effective meetings with your employees.
5. Take and Share Notes!
Taking and sharing notes during 1:1 meetings ensures accountability, tracks key discussions, and helps follow up on action items. It shows employees that their input is valued and creates a record of progress, challenges, and feedback over time. Shared notes also improve transparency, alignment, and continuity, making future conversations more productive.
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