In the September 12, 2006 article written by Cari McLean for Workplace Performance Solutions, Charles Orlando of Ninth House discussed how coaching can provide middle managers with the key skills and techniques to boost performance and engage direct reports.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005, the average U.S. worker will only stay with a company for four years, with that tenure dropping to 1.8 years for 18-25 year olds. Orlando elaborates how these short tenures are impacting corporations:
“There is really no way to get somebody up to speed and get 18 months of full productivity. It usually takes four to six months to get them up to speed, on the job and ramped. As a result, organizations get maybe six months of productivity, and as they start to look for another job, organizations will start to lose productivity during the next four to six months, as they start searching. It changes the paradigm — organizations are observing these trends of generations under 45 having much shorter tenures, and they are tired of making investments in people because they are basically training other organization’s staff members, so to speak. That’s where the big push for coaching stems from.”
And with the baby boomer generation planning to leave the workplace in the next 5 - 10 years, a corporation's ability to engage and retain employees becomes even more important for companies. Consequently, middle managers are in an unique position to directly impact an employee's motivation and productivity.
Regardless of the type of coaching or training program a company undertakes for new or existing managers, sustainability and executive buy in are also key components for a successful program.
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