Golden Oldies: Management is Like Coffee
by Miki SaxonIt’s amazing to me, but looking back over a decade of writing I find posts that still impress, with information that is as useful now as when it was written. Golden Oldies is a collection of what I consider some of the best posts during that time.
The idea of managers as coaches responsible for encouraging and facilitating their people’s professional development has grown into a major movement. One question remains the same. Read other Golden Oldies here
How much management/coaching is too much?
I hear that question a lot.
Most managers want to do a good job and are looking for ways to improve.
But, as one commented recently, if you do everything recommended by the experts you would use so much of each person’s time that productivity would tumble and even the best coaching would have a negative impact.
Which is why I say that management and coffee are similar.
In the right amount coffee is good for your brain and may help you live longer.
The right amount of management/coaching is good for the brain in that it provides challenges that foster growth; it also lowers frustration and stress, which enhances mental and physical health.
According to the research, the “right” amount of coffee is around 20 ounces a day, i.e., one venti-size Starbucks.
That equates to the most effective management/coaching, which provides all the information needed to do the job at one time (not more nor less) and then gets out of the way while staying accessible if needed.
Many of the coffee-fueled are more likely to drink three to five ventis a day, which is detrimental to health and longevity.
A comparable amount of management/coaching is detrimental to health, productivity and retention.
But if you’re still not sure how much coaching is best for of your people, you might resort to an old fashioned approach and discuss it with each one directly — face-to-face.
Flickr image credit: Kurtis Garbutt
