Coaching

Coaching combines a set of skills for managing employees to deliver results. Good coaching enables you to do more with fewer resources. It helps you to get personal assistants (PAs) to meet changing needs. It helps to increase efficiency in getting the tasks done. Good coaching helps to create a good working environment, which in turn develops high levels of commitment from the PAs.

Coaching includes:

• strategy - planning, goal setting, and delegating (and holding accountable)
• motivation
• mentoring
• ongoing feedback on performance

It does not mean being a boss who acts like a dictator. It means staying in control of the situation. It means working with your PA to solve problems. It means maintaining a good relationship with the PA by being flexible and working as a team to get the job of meeting your needs done.

Strategy

Planning

If you want your employer/personal assistant (PA) relationship to run smoothly, planning is essential. It means that you have to look ahead at what is on the work schedule, what meetings or appointments you have, making checklists and using them, being sure you have supplies on hand to carry out the tasks. This means that you need to include your PAs in discussions about what is coming up and what might be needed.

Goal Setting

As a good coach (manager) you already have a (link) job description and a (link) task checklist for your PA. As work progresses, you include the PA in discussing and planning how to achieve the goals. This involves knowing what your priorities are and for the PA to know what is expected of her.

Delegating

When you hire a PA you delegate to them tasks that you cannot do, or need assistance to do. The PA's responsibility is to carry out those tasks according to the work plan that has been set. Your responsibility is to pay attention that the tasks are being done well and on time and that the worker has what she needs to do the job.

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Motivation

There are three major ways to motivate personal assistant (PA) performance and commitment to you and the job:

• showing PAs you care about them and respect them as individuals.
• showing appreciation for good performance.
• showing PAs that you are interested in developing their abilities for taking initiative, thinking and working out solutions to problems.

Ways to show your respect and caring for your PA

• If your PA asks for something or needs information, respond as quickly as possible. Don't keep them waiting for days or weeks.
• Do what you say you will do. Don't make promises you can't keep.
• Follow through.
• Listen! Listen! Listen! And really hear what the PA is telling you about a problem or a concern.
• Remember your PAs on special occasions: birthdays, anniversaries,
• birth of a child, death of a loved one, holidays. A card or simple note acknowledging their life event helps.
• Don't give orders when you want your PAs to do a task. Request
• them to do what you want done. "John, on your way back from grocery shopping would you please stop by the bookstore and pickup the latest edition of Photography magazine?"

Forms of Rewards

Generally speaking, most pay for PAs is low, often minimum wage or a little above. You may not always be able to give your personal assistant an annual increase in hourly wages. However, there are other ways to reward a PA for doing a good job, or doing something above and beyond what might be expected. Following are some ideas that might be helpful.

If you can afford it, an occasional surprise of a small money bonus for something extraordinary or a job well done, can help to keep your PA motivated.

Non-cash gifts can be another type of incentive or bonus for a job well done: movie, theatre, sport events or other tickets; invite them to join you at an event at your expense; gift certificates to stores, restaurants or for other things you know the PA would enjoy.

Remember: little things mean a lot. Sometimes simple things like a card or note of special thanks, or thinking of you when the PA does something well.

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Mentoring

Mentoring is helping your personal assistant (PA) to become skillful at her job. It requires you to teach and encourage her to do her best. Ask questions. Exchange feedback on ways to do tasks; it will boost learning and growth in the position. Take an interest in your PA, her expectations for her future, and encourage her to improve her skills through additional training, etc. The more capable, confident and self-sufficient the PA becomes the happier you both will be.

Suggestions for Mentoring

• If you are experienced in supervising PAs or if you have needs specific to your condition, share the information with your PA about what has worked for you in the past. Give an example that shows how another PA solved a problem.
• Use what you see happening as a way to teach. Notice how a PA does something. It is a way to encourage them to continue doing something right, or what, or how to do something better the next time.
• When a PA asks advice, unless something must be done a certain way or you know the most effective way, offer suggestions rather than give an absolute answer, or ask questions that will lead the PA to an answer. This will help to train your PA to problem-solve and think on her own.

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Ongoing Feedback

When a personal assistant (PA) isn't performing their work the way you would like it done, you need to work with the PA first. Did you explain the task clearly? What doesn't the PA understand? Is there another way that would be easier or more efficient and still have the result you want? What support can you give to help make the improvement happen?

Feedback is letting your PA know what you have observed in their doing their work or a task. The best feedback is ongoing. It includes letting the PA know when something is done well and when her performance could use some improvement. This includes not only how the tasks are performed but also behaviors. The most effective performance feedback is given immediately after the PA performs a task correctly or incorrectly.

If you find that you are often short-tempered toward your PA, try to take a cooling-off period to look at the situation. Who was at fault and was just one person at fault? If a problem seems to be continuing, do not wait for it to solve itself. That won't happen. Deal with each issue as it comes up. It is important to correct mistakes right away before they become a habit. Find a time when you and your PA can have a more relaxed conversation about the problem. Explain to your PA what you think is the problem. Listen to what she says as well. Work together to handle the problem.

If the disagreement or problem involves such things as duties, pay, or dependability, remind the PA of the responsibilities in the work agreement. If the PA is not willing to reach an agreement, it may be necessary to let her go.

If there are problems with how your PA works, use the task checklist as a type of evaluation. You may want to set up a regular routine to go over the task checklist to be sure that everything is being done as you expect. Especially with a new PA, the more often the work is checked, the sooner a small problem can be fixed.

There are four types of feedback:

1. Giving positive feedback
2. Giving corrective feedback
3. Giving negative feedback
4. Receiving employee feedback

When you give feedback -- positive, constructive or negative -- write a sentence or two about each event. Note what you said to the PA and date it. Keep these notes together in one place. When you are ready to do a performance evaluation of the PA you will have a summary of what occurred over time. You won't have to rely on your memory. This serves two purposes. The evaluation is easier to do because you have a record of what has transpired. And, it gives you a check on yourself as a manager -- about how you give feedback, is it even handed and specific or sporadic and vague. Here is a sample of a feedback note:

Positive Feedback

Positive feedback is feedback given to a PA about correct performance. In order for feedback to be positive, it must:

1. Praise the correct performance and
2. Specify exactly what was performed correctly.

If you express appreciation during the good times, it can make it easier for the PA to handle criticism when it is needed. You may need to practice finding something good to say. Even a PA who isn't doing such a good job may improve because of an honest compliment. Research has shown that job performance improves and remains high when employees receive positive feedback on jobs they perform well.

Good Examples:

Bad Examples:

Corrective Feedback

Corrective feedback is given to improve performance. In order for feedback to be corrective, it must:

1. Specify exactly what was done incorrectly.
2. Give specific instructions for correcting the problem in the future.
3. Be non-punitive.

Using corrective feedback allows you to correct errors during training in a constructive, non-punishing manner.

Good Examples:

Bad Examples:

Negative Feedback

Negative feedback is required when the PA continually performs tasks incorrectly that she knows how to do. It also is required when the PA is testing the employer to see what she can get away with.

Good Example:

Bad Examples:

Talk with the PA about what is troubling you. Explain what it is that upsets you. It won't help for the PA to feel defensive: it won't change the situation and is likely to make the PA ignore you. One way to prevent the PA from becoming defensive is to use statements that begin with "I feel." The PA can't argue with you, if these are your feelings. Try to get the PA to brainstorm ways that the problem can be handled. Use negative feedback as a last resort, and be firm in dealing with the PA. Make sure she understands what is important to you, why it is important and the possible consequences if the behavior continues.

• Express your concerns immediately, right after the problem occurs. However, try not to criticize your employee in front of other people unless it is necessary.
• Speak in a calm tone of voice.
• Tell the PA specifically what she did wrong.
• Let her know the consequences of her action and how upset you are.
• Allow time for a discussion between you and the PA after the feedback. This is especially important after negative feedback. This allows the two of you to work out how to make the situation better and correct the problem.
• End by telling the PA that you know she will try to do better in the future.

Receiving Employee Feedback

Don't be surprised if the PA criticizes you. Either the PA feels that you are unfair, unreasonable, or both, or that the work can't be done in the time allowed to do it.

• Accept that the PA can be critical of you.
• Don't be defensive. Don't consider the criticism as a personal attack or challenge to your independence.
• Answer questions patiently. Something that seems very clear to you or to another PA may not be clear to this one. It may help to explain why you want a task done a certain way. "I like my clothes laid out the night before because I don't have to think about what to wear in the morning when I am more rushed."
• When you teach something, teach it the same way each time, unless you were not clear in your instructions the first time. Once a task is learned, do not continue to tell the PA how to do it each time.
• Listen to valid criticism. If it is appropriate, agree if changes are needed and the best way of making them.
• Make it clear that he must not criticize you in front of other people.
• If you are not clear about what they mean, ask for examples.
• If you disagree with the criticism, say so assertively. Use clear "I" statements -- "I prefer to be moved this way" "I do it this way because..." "I need it done at that time because..."

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