Leverage through Coaching for your Agency

Getting work done through others is the key to creating leverage. 

Last week we talked about Delegation (the best way to get work done through others).

This week it's all about using the coaching style of management to get things done.

I’m Nick Avaria, agency owner, and founder of Agency Acquisitions. As an agency owner and consultant, every week I share what’s working in my own agency and my clients’ to increase profits - without increasing the hours spent at your desk.

When should we use coaching? 

• When people have the skills to get the work done 

• But don't have the internal drive (motivation) to do it to the best of their abilities. 

(see diagram below)

Leaders assume because someone is highly motivated in general that it means that they don't need to use the Coach method.

Big mistake.

You have to remember that internal drive (motivation) is conditional to the activity being done. 

So a person can be in the Delegation quadrant 99% of the time but that 1 task you gave them, they just don't like and so they’re not motivated to do it.

That's why it is so important to understand each employee's motivation for every aspect of their job. 

There are two tools I like to use when coaching team members, you can use one or both:

Definition of Done and 10-80-10

Definition of done comes from software teams, this is where you set:

• Clear criteria and standards that outline what the work should be able to achieve

• Who needs to know about the work

• By what date

• Draft or final copy

• Presented, emailed, or video training

10-80-10 in a coaching setting is done so you can remove the barrier of getting the work started, which is the hardest part of when the employee is not motivated to do the task.

• You figure out what has to be done and put a high-level plan together (structure) and even get it started – the first 10%

• The other person you are passing the work does the middle part of the work – the middle 80%

• You check, tweak, and improve the work – 10%

• Bonus - you debrief and show them how you finished the task for learning/motivation. Make sure to find the good and accentuate that to give them motivation for this task in the future.

Use these tools when people lack motivation and throw in some leadership elbow grease and watch the magic (and work) happen.

May your work this week by maximized by leverage through others.

If you want to get ahead of next week's content check out this video on how to use them:

Need support with getting more leverage out of your team through delegation? Book a time in my calendar now to connect before to walk through the process in more detail.

Nick