Have you ever felt that you were ready for more responsibility, that management just takes you for granted, or that your employees don't respect you enough? Perhaps you thought you deserved that big promotion only to see the do-nothing, apple polisher be appointed to that coveted managerial position? Or maybe you're a supervisor unsure why so many employees keep leaving?

In government, management frequently misses opportunities to retain talent while employees miss their cue to find ways to improve their situation and advance up the food chain, aka career ladder. One tool managers and employees can use to ensure the retention of future leaders and work horses, or to help advance their careers, is a coach.

Coaching is a process of helping talented staff become more effective in their jobs through a planned process where the coach and the staff member work together. Several types of coaches exist, and the type you choose really depends on your needs. The simplest way to distinguish between coaches is to break them up into two groups: a job content coach and a job process coach.

A job content coach helps a staff member master the job to which he or she has been assigned. These coaches are usually people who have successfully held the same or similar jobs, or are experts in navigating and understanding work relationships and environments. Think of the coach as your life preserver in a potentially sink or swim experience.

For example, imagine that a staff member is promoted to a supervisory position, but the staff he/she was formerly a part of and now manages does not believe the individual is ready to lead. Here, a coach may be used to provide on-the-job training to the new supervisor and equip them with the skills and tools needed to dazzle and win over the skeptical staff members.

In contrast, a job process coach may help a newly-promoted supervisor or executive address interpersonal relationships. This type of coach serves as an unbiased chaperon for navigating work relationships. For anyone who's ever been in a personal relationship knows that just because you interpreted something one way doesn't mean another will see it the same way. (Thank God for flowers.)

Another common problem coaches can help alleviate occurs when a technically-proficient individual is promoted into management. He or she may be exceptionally gifted with skills sets, but lacks an essential understanding of how to deal with and manage people. A job process coach helps such an individual improve interpersonal relationships (processes).

So when is a coach appropriate?

There's no science to this decision, but when people need help with interpersonal skills, want to enhance their abilities, or are serious about preparing for a promotion, a coach might be appropriate. However, coaches are only useful when their advice and criticism is accepted. If you want to improve, you must be ready to listen and change the way you are doing things. This is tough for many people who cease to realize that learning should be a lifelong process and seeking personal improvement in and of itself is an essential skill for advancing in a career. 

If used properly, coaching can also be used as a management strategy in talent management. If the organization's leaders want to promote from within - which is common in government - but feel the in-house bench strength is not ready, then a job content coach can provide the training needed to bring the job candidate up to speed.  

On the other hand, if the organization's leadership values the technical gifts of the staff member, but their interpersonal skills are inadequate for the next-level of responsibility, then a job process coach can provide value by offering mentoring about improving interactions with other people.

Please note: there is no "one size fits all approach" to coaching. The best approach is to negotiate an arrangement between the individual who needs help (staff member) and the person who is to offer it (coach).  Ideally, the arrangement should be in writing, involving a planned curriculum, be updated periodically. 

There is often a third party in the relationship and that is the "sponsor" (the person or group that requests and pays for the coach). Therefore, the arrangement should be very clear about who does what, who is responsible for what, and who pays for what.

In job content coaching, the staff member should:

• Clarify the desired results to be obtained
• Clarify how well the staff member is currently able to achieve the desired results
• Formulate an individual plan
• Clarify how often the coach and staff member will meet
• Clarify how the coach and the staff member will communicate results

In job process coaching, the staff member should:

• Clarify the desired improvements in interpersonal skills to be obtained, perhaps by conducting a 360-degree assessment
• Clarify how the staff member is currently interacting with others
• Formulate an individual plan
• Clarify how often the coach and staff member will meet
• Clarify how the coach and the staff member will communicate results

Managers and senior leaders can arrange for coaching sessions; employees need only ask them to arrange a session or series of sessions. Often, in larger organizations, coaching may be done in-house. More often than not, coaching is provided by a contractor. Either way, the insight and tools provided by a coach can prove tremendously valuable to increasing efficiency and cohesion in an office, which usually lends itself to higher retention rates and lower recruiting costs. So while seemingly expensive at times, the benefit stemming from a good coach's involvement can pay for the coaching cost many times over.

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